Worst drivers in which vehicle?

[Moemg]

You want to see awful drivers move to Florida . There are more people driving here who should not have licenses . You have the seniors who hit the two for one martinis and then drive , you have the young punks who speed and then you have the tourists in their rental cars who do not have a clue where they are going and lastly you have the Qtips ( little old ladies ) clutching the steering wheel and peering through their cataracts. So move over Michigan , Florida has you beat for bad drivers .

[SC]

I went out for a motorcycle ride yesterday. In two hours of rural riding on mostly empty roads, I was tailgated VERY closely on three occasions by hyper-aggressive drivers: one pickup truck, one econo-box, and one sedan. Yeah, I was just out for a Sunday cruise, but in all cases I was between the speed limit and 5 over the limit. Two of them came within just a few feet as I slowed down to turn right and get out of their way (the econo-box crossed over the double yellow line, passing me and one other car, going about 70 in a 45 MPH zone, with a curve and a hill just ahead).

It's not hard to correlate some kinds of driving with certain types of vehicles, like the person who thinks they're entitled to everything (and drives like the laws don't apply to them) is more likely to drive an expensive "high status" car. But it seems like the hyper-aggressive drivers come in all types of cars.. except, maybe, minivans with wood grain panels?

On gender: I've been hit by one of each. I do see more men driving aggressively, and more women driving distracted, but I find it best to assume they're all nuts and act accordingly.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover The second group are older and/or preoccupied with other issues. Typical vehicle is a full size American van or (around here) a Crown Victoria, either being 10 or more years old. At the risk of being politically incorrect, a handicapped license plate can be a red flag. This groups tends to pull out very slowly and also make slooooooooow right turns. Left turn signal is permanently flashing. A subgroup of the clueless is the mom on the phone in a minivan or crossover SUV. Usually I can spot these because they have trouble staying centered in their lane.

You are really accurate here. A sub-group of older dangerous drivers are afternoon drinkers, and last but not least, old men who have heart attacks or strokes while driving.

I had a place in an area with a lot of retirees, and over the years I had to dodge two cars coming into my lane because the driver was dead or unconscious.

It might be part of NW culture, but there are also an awful lot of older drunks on the road in rural or retirement/vacation areas.

ha

[Poundkey]

According to my son who travels constantly it's anyone in a minivan.

What's the most dangerous road hazard you've experienced?


Without a second thought, it's minivans. Over the years I've been convinced that minivan owners/drivers are mentally off from the rest of the population. They can often be found driving 20 - 30 mph under or over the speed limit, and they just don't seem to understand basic traffic rules and courtesy. I'd like to see a special lane built for minivans so that they can annoy each other.
If one of my family members procured a minivan, I would seek professional counseling for that person.

Road Trip Rip - FAQs

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poundkey Without a second thought, it's minivans. Over the years I've been convinced that minivan owners/drivers are mentally off from the rest of the population. They can often be found driving 20 - 30 mph under or over the speed limit, and they just don't seem to understand basic traffic rules and courtesy. I'd like to see a special lane built for minivans so that they can annoy each other.

I suspect that given the target market for minivans, the drivers are more likely to be distracted by children in the vehicle, and perhaps more likely to be on a cell phone. But I could be wrong.

[FIREd]

The scariest drivers for me: high schoolers in sports car or large trucks/SUV. I live near a major high school and you won't find me anywhere near that hell hole when they let the savages kids out. The kids drive way over the speed limit, swerve in and out of traffic, race with each other, do stupid stuff to impress their friends, etc... You can see legs hanging out of windows and heads sticking out of sun roofs. The music is blasting, they are talking or texting on their phones, and generally too busy chatting with their friends to care about their fellow drivers. Driving safely is the least of their preoccupations.

[kumquat]

Our part of the world used to have different tax and registration rules for 'farm trucks'. They could be anything from a 1/2 ton to a 3-axle grain hauler. They had an identifying license plate.

An American tourist once said to me "you guys have a great system, the bad drivers all have a license plate that starts with an 'F'" and he was right.

[BunsGettingFirm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha I had a place in an area with a lot of retirees, and over the years I had to dodge two cars coming into my lane because the driver was dead or unconscious. ha

I think we need to discount the dead and the unconscious. At that point, they are no longer drivers.

I think the most annoying drivers are people. My cat never drives, and she's never had an accident.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BunsGettingFirm ... My cat never drives, and she's never had an accident.

I learned a lesson real quick years ago when my cat jumped into the steering wheel and the car went into a ditch, at very slow speed, no damage done. Keep the cat in the box.

Most of the time I’m a pedestrian. I don’t care which kind of car it is, I take a good look at the driver’s face to make sure s/he is paying attention. I do not trust driver's signals or lack thereof.

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BunsGettingFirm I think the most annoying drivers are people.

I believe you're confusing drivers with Soylent Green.

[Danny]

right now the worst driver in america is a middle age hispanic woman named carla in a brand new f-150 4x4 that backed into my honda coupe at the post office earlier this month.."i couldn't see you!" like it was my fault. wouldn't give me her insurance "Oh, no they'll raise my rates!"
Gave me a phony address license and phone. I do have her plate number though..see if that helps..let me know if you see her..

[ls99]

Have not been able to pin the problem on type of wheels or gender. Had all sorts tailgating, riding my left rear blind spot for miles. Mostly grandma grandpa types I find doing the mosey on a single lane country road.

I like to deal with tailgaters by tuning on the parking lamps momentarily. They usually get the hint and back off a bit. Then if they don't get the message, I jam on the brakes real hard. Somehow with a lot screeching they menage to not scrape paint off my bumper.

It is a lot more fun playing tailgaters with the suburban, with 2 5/16" tow ball poking out about 10". Sure would look funny in their radiator.

To me the most terrifying experience is coming up on a full size Crown Victoria with no visible driver, somehow driving itself around turns, staying in lane (mostly), managing stop signs (mostly). Then seeing it park in front of a store or some such. As I go by, usually see a little old lady peering over the dashboard but under the steering wheel. I have now trained myself in such events to look for a little clump of white hair visible between the top od the seatback and the bottom of the headrest.
Then back off a good ways. The directions the car takes or the speed of it is usually independent of the turn signals or brake lamps.

Don't laugh too hard, you and I may eventually end being that magic white clump of hair.

[ls99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danny right now the worst driver in america is a middle age hispanic woman named carla in a brand new f-150 4x4 that backed into my honda coupe at the post office earlier this month.."i couldn't see you!" like it was my fault. wouldn't give me her insurance "Oh, no they'll raise my rates!" Gave me a phony address license and phone. I do have her plate number thought..see if that helps..let me know if you see her..

Yeah I met her too about 4 years ago. Good thing my Benz had bumpers rated for 5 mph impact. She had the gall to compliment my car's bumper, seeing that it stopped her before damage to the painted chromed stuff happened.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 As I go by, usually see a little old lady peering over the dashboard but under the steering wheel. I have now trained myself in such events to look for a little clump of white hair visible between the top od the seatback and the bottom of the headrest. Then back off a good ways. The directions the car takes or the speed of it is usually independent of the turn signals or brake lamps. Don't laugh too hard, you and I may eventually end being that magic white clump of hair.

Ain't that the truth! The last time I went to the doc, I had shrunk half an inch. I guess those phone books will come in handy......

[calmloki]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BunsGettingFirm ... My cat never drives, and she's never had an accident.

Toonces!

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by calmloki Toonces!

My Hero!......

[harley]

I was having lunch with a couple of cop friends a number of months ago. At one point in the conversation they both said (almost in unison) "Not all A-holes are BMW drivers, but all BMW drivers are A-holes".

I never thought about it before, but my experiences since then have not disproved their saying. My anecdotal evidence since then shows the highest concentration of cell phone talkers/texters while driving are BMW drivers.

[RustyShackleford]

It's funny how much of a scapegoat/bugaboo drunk drivers are these days.
I'm WAY more scared of the harried yuppie housewife, the cell-phone talker,
or just the salaryman in a hurry to get away from work.

[Khan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RustyShackleford It's funny how much of a scapegoat/bugaboo drunk drivers are these days. I'm WAY more scared of the harried yuppie housewife, the cell-phone talker, or just the salaryman in a hurry to get away from work.

It was bad enough when they were just juggling coffee and a cigarette, now they've got the $%^& cell phone.

[Danny]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley I was having lunch with a couple of cop friends a number of months ago. At one point in the conversation they both said (almost in unison) "Not all A-holes are BMW drivers, but all BMW drivers are A-holes". I never thought about it before, but my experiences since then have not disproved their saying. My anecdotal evidence since then shows the highest concentration of cell phone talkers/texters while driving are BMW drivers.

audi range rover & lexus not far behind... except for those on the forum...