I drive a lot for work, so I've had a bit of experience in the last year with a few good drivers and a whole lot of bad drivers. And here's what I see as the worst driving faults. Bare in mind that I am inherently polite, so most of my pet peeves involve rudeness. However, I could rant about this topic for awhile, so if you would like to add to this list, feel free.
10- Not watching for Pedestrians.
I'm frequently a pedestrian for work as well, and nothing is sadder than almost getting hit by a car turning left or right and not watching for pedestrians. Because believe it or not, a pedestrian would not win in an accident. And hearing about pedestrian/car accidents makes me really sad, and very cautious as a driver and a walker. Also, for those who don't think this should make the list, I once got rear ended by a jerk in a truck because I was stopping for a pedestrian who had the right of way. (Then the guy had the nerve to ask me if I was on my cell phone!! I didn't even own one at the time. Poop face!)
9- Causing Gridlock.
I know the light says green and you've been waiting so long to get through this intersection, but PLEASE for the love of all that is holy, wait and make sure your giant SUV is going to actually fit through the intersection. That way, and this is a hard concept to grasp I'm sure, the perpendicular traffic will be able to get through so they won't block the intersection, then more people who have been waiting in the same line as you will be able to get through on the next light.
8- Talking on your Cell Phone while Driving.
As much of a poop face as that truck driver who rear ended me was, cell phone driving is actually a problem. Here's a thumb rule: if you can signal for all of your turns and keep up with traffic, then you can talk on your phone while you drive. If not, don't talk. Honestly, few conversations can't wait until your drive is over. And if it couldn't wait, it won't be very long. It's not worth your life or someone else's, is it?
7- Running Red Lights.
Contrary to popular belief, yellow lights do not mean speed up so the three cars behind you can sneak their way through this light, too. There are really few excuses for people now because of the nifty crosswalk signs that are being installed in more and more places. They have the little countdown for how long you have left to cross the street. Well, what do you think those are counting down? How long the green light will last. So if you just look at the crosswalk sign, you can see how much time you have to make it through the intersection. And I know that yellow lights are safety nets when there's just not enough room to slow down in time, but you can prep for them. And yes, the car behind you might get mad and pass you at the next opportunity, but it's not your fault that they are ungrateful to you for keeping them safe. Also, red lights are sometimes the only time for the poor cars who turn left without a green arrow to make it through, so if seven cars run the red, then those left-turners have to wait until it's been green for opposing traffic for awhile before they can turn. And that just slows everyone down. So don't run red lights.
6- Speeding.
I know that 5 over is acceptable and most cops won't pull you over for it and that's fine. But I just want everyone to know that speed limits aren't just arbitrary. There's a good reason for that 25 mph or 35 mph for that matter. And there's a huge difference between going 10 over in those areas and 10 over on the freeway. So if you are going to speed, speed on the highways. That's fine. But once you get off the freeway, you better not fly at 55 down my 35mph street (which a lot of people do). And don't get mad at me when I am going the speed limit. Like I said, there's a reason it is what it is.
5- Not Using Turning Signals.
That nob off you steering wheel isn't just for show. And I know there are jerks out there that won't let you in if you signal, but I will. And plenty of other nice people will, too. And if you are planning on making a turn that is not with the layout of the road, or intuitive to other drivers (yes, this includes inside parking lots), then you need to signal. I don't know about you, but I try to avoid accidents whenever I can, and this is really simple and easy way to do it, so why not? Let's stop trying to make people mad.
4- Tailgating.
This is mostly a problem due to #6, but tailgating can be bad even in bad traffic. Here's another thumb rule: if a dog darted out in front of the car in front of you, would you be able to stop in time? There are sudden stops even on the freeway, on occasion, so please maintain the proper and safe distance. Especially since I'm not the only driver who has been rear ended multiple times for no fault of there own (like the pedestrian story) and is slightly paranoid about the drivers behind me.
3- Ignoring Road Signs.
This goes for anything from "no left turns" to "no parking until after 9 AM", both of which I see violated frequently. And also on the carpool lanes, the "don't cross the double white lines" signs posted every 2 miles are not there for their own amusement. I know the slammin' music in your car is distracting, but don't forget what you are really doing, and you need to be able to read to get a license so use that skill, for crying out loud. And if you read a sign, follow it.
2- 4-way Stops.
Let me explain the 4-way stop philosophy since so many of you obviously don't understand. Let's say for example, a light goes out on a busy three lane road, thus turning this intersection into a 4-way stop. Let's say that the intersecting road has two lanes and all roads have a left-turn lane. Thus when all traffic stops we have 14 cars at the intersection. The cars who reached the intersection first go first in a normal 4-way, but in these situations, normally the biggest road goes first, so the six cars from the 3 lane street would go (that's one car per lane) and one right turner if that applies, then one left turner. Then the four cars from the 2 lane street would go (again ONE from each lane) then the left turns. And so one. Now if these rules are followed and only ONE car goes at a time, 4-way stops can actually go pretty fast. If you have questions about 4-way stops, please ask. If not me, someone with driving experience. And don't try to sneak in as a 2nd car, I don't care how long you've been waiting.
1- Merging.
Despite the fact that merging is not nearly as complicated as 4-way stops, it is the biggest problem I've seen on the road. Mostly I think this is because people are rude and selfish. Now, the ideal merging, of course, is the same as an ideally choreographed diagonal crossing of people. When the two lines meet, a person from the right line ends up between two people from the left line. So no person from the left line is standing behind another person from the left line when the whole process is done. So in a driving situation, every car would let in one car and then everyone would merge. Now this only works when the people who have to merge don't zoom up to the very point where their lane ends and then wait for the cars who have stopped to make room for them. If you see that your lane is ending, you should signal as soon as possible while there's room and patience to let you in. Don't make merging difficult. I will go out of my way to not let you in if you have left the long line cars accommodating the merging lane, and sped off to the point where the lane ends just to get ahead a few cars. If you do that, you are a jerk, and you should wait until your original spot in line has passed before you can get in. And I hope that no one lets you in and makes you and the other jerks wait just because you didn't think you had to. Because you're special. Like a little snowflake. Just like the rest of us.
So, as you see, it all comes down to politeness. I know in our society, thinking about other people is a rare and often frightening occurrence, but it we all did it, life would be better, if for no other reason than driving would be better. And yes, I'm a hypocrite because sometimes I get frustrated in traffic and do the things that make me mad. However, I never violate #1, 2, and 3 on principle.
