Perfect drivers, like you and me, just can’t help noticing the bad habits of other drivers. Whether you’re on the school run, meandering up to Scotland, or making a late-night dash to the petrol station, another driver will be doing something stupid, dangerous – or just plain annoying.
What’s the most annoying habit of all? According to one UK survey of 20,000 motorists:
- Tailgating – a quarter agreed
- Talking or texting on a mobile phone
- Hogging the middle lane on the motorway.
Why is tailgating so annoying?
Even though we hate tailgating, most of us still do it. One reason is simply to stop other drivers taking a space in front of us.
Of course, it’s not the only reason. When people are asked why they tailgate, they claim it’s because they’re angry or in a fit of road rage. Unfortunately, more than a quarter of accidents in the UK are rear-end crashes, many caused by tailgating.
Are you still texting?
Why is talking and texting on a mobile so annoying when it happens in somebody else’s car? After all, they’re the ones who get 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. Perhaps mobiles while driving really are becoming socially unacceptable because they risk your and my safety.
National.co.uk found Skoda, Volvo and Nissan drivers are usually among the most responsible but most likely to use their phone while driving. In fact, nine out of ten Skoda owners confessed they regularly do it.
You may be surprised to learn National found Jaguar drivers are the worst in Britain. They admit to more bad habits than other drivers, like speeding, talking on the phone while driving and not bothering with seat belts.
Hogging the middle lane
Why is hogging so annoying? First, these drivers are not usually overtaking anybody in the slow lane. Second, it means other drivers are forced to overtake or, worse, illegally undertake. Either way it doesn’t serve anybody and traffic loses its nice, even flow.
Eating cheeseburgers
Finally, while it may not bother other motorists much, eating while driving is a bad habit. According to one US researcher, eating a cheeseburger can be more distracting than talking on a mobile (though you won’t be fined for it).
So beware cheeseburgers. Spend some time brushing up on some of those driving habits other people have. It’s better than getting lots of penalty points and could even make your insurance cheaper.
Disclosure: This guest post produced by Green Slip Calculator.
2 thoughts on “Bad driving habits – habits that drive us mad”
As an Approved Driving Instructor in Borehamwood, Herts (Greater London), I’ve seen it all. We have some major roundabouts nearby, and lack of observation is bad enough already, without the drivers being distracted.
When I’m with a pupil, my focus is entirely on what they are doing. No mobile phone.
It’s my job to teach new drivers to be careful, responsible, aware and free of distractions.
It can be a good habit to learn, and it starts right at the beginning.
When I learned to drive, a factory-fitted car radio was an optional extra! Now look at all the distractions we have.
Oh, the good old days!
You’re absolutely right, modern cars are absolutely jam packed with distractions.