Out on the roads, right now as you read this, there is an army of terrible drivers parading around on our tarmac carpets, mounting kerbs, scraping car park walls and parking terribly. Fortunately, we’ve just gained intel from HQ that there are some tell tale signs that will allow us to spot the enemy a mile off. So next time you’re out in the field, keep an eye out for these subtle hints that indicate the cars around you are being driven by an unskilled driver.
Tailgating
Probably the most annoying thing a person can do whilst operating their vehicle is tailgating. When the car behind you is so close to your rear bumper that you think they’re trying to read a “for sale” advert that’s in your back window, you know that they’re rubbish drivers.
Every sensible motorist understands the undeniable physics of stopping distances, but these drivers clearly do not. Imagine if you were walking on the street, following the person in front of you so closely that you can smell what fragrance they’re wearing. It’s just not acceptable and it’s dangerous, plus, you’re not getting anywhere any faster by doing this.
Creeping up on a red light
Sometimes, when you’re sitting at a red light, you may notice a car or two that seems to be rolling forward, with their brake lights flashing every now and again. Just. Stop. The car. What are they trying to achieve by inching the car forward, then stopping, then inching it forward some more? Seeing someone do this is a good indication that the driver is inpatient and/or not concentrating.
If a driver cannot even complete the basic task of staying still at a red light, they probably can’t do the more complicated tasks involved in driving either, which is quite worrying.
Poor lane discipline
This is one of the most reliable signs that someone just has no natural gift for driving whatsoever. We’ve all seen those cars that veer to the left, then overcompensate and end up veering to the right, then find themselves repeating the cycle and veer to the left again and so on. It’s best to give these drivers some space because you never know if they’re drunk, high or just bad at driving. These are usually the same people that hit every pothole like it’s a point-based game and either do 10 under or 10 over the speed limit.
Blocking the fast lane
Even if you’re doing 70mph in the fast lane and people want to overtake you, you are still lane hogging. We don’t live in an ideal world where no one exceeds the speed limits unfortunately, so swallow your pride, this isn’t a race, let them pass!
Some people are just too proud to let others overtake them and say to themselves “I’m going 75mph, I’m not moving from the fast lane” as they block the outside lane. The people that do this are either not aware that they’re causing a nuisance or just have no road manners whatsoever.
Multitasking poorly
Using your phone whilst driving is illegal for a reason. However, this doesn’t stop people from partaking in some more legal multitasking, such as applying makeup, looking for a CD in the glove box or putting an address in the sat nav, all whilst driving. Sure, multitasking is bad, but it’s even worse when someone who can’t do two things at once begins to do it. Trying to get a mint out of the packet is a poor excuse for swerving out of your lane, or almost going into the back of another car.
Of course, there are more than just 5 ways you can tell if someone’s a bad driver. What are your top 5?
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Tailgating might be perceived as bad driving, but if the person refuses to move out of the overtaking lane, then that will happen. As the poor driving by the person in front and not simply moving over to allow that person to pass has caused that driver to get frustrated. Would you block someone’s path on a pavement and not allow them to pass as is the case all of the time on the motorway. Britain has some of the very worst cases of driving standards I have ever witnessed.
Some good points but referring to the fast lane is just so wrong. It’s an overtaking Lane. It’s the perception of it as a fast lane that causes people to hog it.
Oh Dear. Just because these are your pet hates doesn’t mean what the article headline implies.
By the way, it’s an overtaking lane, not a fast lane!