Annoying driving habits

Somewhere to discuss things that don't fit into other categories.

Moderator: busrider

Happy Bus User
Posts: 360
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: Brisbane, QLD

Annoying driving habits

Post by Happy Bus User »

What are your most hated driving habits of other people?

1. Driving slowly in the middle or right lanes of a multi lane highway. :roll: No, you're not being "safe", you're being a hazard on the road. If you're gonna stick to a slow grandma speed, GO TO THE LEFT LANE. I had the horrible experience of being stuck behind a hippie in a van going at 80 in the 2nd right hand lane on a 4 lane (each way) on the Pacific Mwy in a 110 zone yesterday.
2. People who fail to indicate. You're turning left, so indicate it.
3. People who fail to indicate or give way at roundabouts. Seriously, am I meant to guess where you're going or something?
4. People who speed in side streets. The limit is 50, not 80. I don't want to get injured just because you want to get somewhere marginally faster.
5. People who tail gate. Nope, not gonna go faster just because you are on my tail.

:D just my 2 cents!
User avatar
MetroTasCatcher
Posts: 1935
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 8:09 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Ford Crown Victoria P71
Location: Highway to the Danger Zone

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by MetroTasCatcher »

1) People that talk on the phone whilst driving.
2) People that park on bus stops.
3) People that park on school crossings.
4) People that ignore red lights.
5) People that complain about police officers using their mobile phones whilst driving.
6) F*ckwits that do their crappy $50 imports up like this:

Image
▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄ POLICE LINE - DO NOT CROSS ▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀
User avatar
Eagle Eye
Posts: 2461
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:24 pm

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Eagle Eye »

Definitely has to be people that don't indicate, especially at roundabouts. If you are exiting, you DON'T continue to indicate right meaning you are continuing to go around the roundabout past me, when you are not! And then people wonder why they get cut off by buses at roundabouts....

Also, people who stop in bus zones or at bus stops.

People who do not give way to you when you have your right indicator on when moving out from a bus stop. Then there are those cheeky ones that decide to overtake you on the other side of the road while you are moving out, and even more so when going up a hill you can't see over, or the wrong way around a traffic island! So in general, people that are too lazy or arrogant to spare 5-10 seconds for the bus to pull out.

And finally, people that think you are a car, i.e. they pull in front of you but only 5-10 metres in front! FFS an articulated bus cannot stop in 10m at 50km/h! Give a bus at least twice/thrice the gap a car needs please!!!!!!!! :evil:
User avatar
eddy
Posts: 3756
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:18 am
Contact:

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by eddy »

At Wellington NSW they have signs on their two main roundabouts "Blink off when exiting"
Parrahub, an extra option in the public transport menu http://www.parrahub.org.au/
User avatar
Frances
Posts: 625
Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2010 4:08 pm
Location: In a Castle in the Hills

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Frances »

People who slow down to about 20kmh below the speed limit when they see a speed camera sign. For some reason the one on Victoria Road at Ermington is particularly bad for this......
User avatar
deepthought2006
Posts: 732
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:57 pm
Location: At home, Sydney's north

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by deepthought2006 »

eddy wrote:At Wellington NSW they have signs on their two main roundabouts "Blink off when exiting"
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz". "Just doing as I was told, Officer". :D

Actually, I think that's quite a good sign and would be very useful on a large roundabout, as I presume those ones are.
All opinions expressed are my own.
User avatar
deepthought2006
Posts: 732
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:57 pm
Location: At home, Sydney's north

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by deepthought2006 »

Eagle Eye wrote:Definitely has to be people that don't indicate, especially at roundabouts. If you are exiting, you DON'T continue to indicate right meaning you are continuing to go around the roundabout past me, when you are not! And then people wonder why they get cut off by buses at roundabouts....

Also, people who stop in bus zones or at bus stops.

People who do not give way to you when you have your right indicator on when moving out from a bus stop. Then there are those cheeky ones that decide to overtake you on the other side of the road while you are moving out, and even more so when going up a hill you can't see over, or the wrong way around a traffic island! So in general, people that are too lazy or arrogant to spare 5-10 seconds for the bus to pull out.

And finally, people that think you are a car, i.e. they pull in front of you but only 5-10 metres in front! FFS an articulated bus cannot stop in 10m at 50km/h! Give a bus at least twice/thrice the gap a car needs please!!!!!!!! :evil:
And the ones who insist on trying to squeeze past the turning heavy vehicle with the DO NOT OVERTAKE TURNING VEHICLE (with its blinkers on, well derrr, what do you think that the blinkers actually mean, that I plan to jump over the moon?) and when they get squashed or hit by the tailswing, dance up and down calling the driver all the names under the sun and then file an accident report to their insurer completely distorting the facts. Thank heavens for the video system in STA buses but we still get into trouble because we are professional drivers who have crystal balls so we know what those !@#$%^&* other drivers are about to do without signalling! I now lane-share everywhere where there is any potential danger. Drivers can wave their arms and honk their horns as much as they like. I'd rather not fill out the paperwork and know I will have to see a Staff Supervisor and explain it all again (or have to call for an ambulance and the cops) just because those drivers are just too impatient (or stupid) to see the danger that they are putting themselves in. So, I hold up traffic. I get delayed and the bus runs late. Tough! It's called DRIVING SAFELY!
All opinions expressed are my own.
User avatar
STA 1440
Posts: 1511
Joined: Mon Mar 20, 2006 10:38 pm
Favourite Vehicle: PMCSA B10M 1440/2405
Location: The city of artics, Adelaide
Contact:

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by STA 1440 »

Wankers who sit on 85-90 in 100/110 zones... Regardless of whether there is a huge stream of angry traffic building up behind them!
User avatar
Albatross
Posts: 371
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 10:05 pm
Location: Around.

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Albatross »

What about the fact that it's the law for me to do that and I lose my licence for 3 months if I don't?

We've created a culture whereby people think that safety equals "not speeding" and it doesnt matter what else they do, as long as they do under the speed limit they are safe. Never mind the fact they are a shocking driver in all other respects, because they do the speed limit they think they are the safest drivers on the road.

Fact of the matter is that over a 10 hour journey, a difference in average speed of 10 km at 100 km/h equals less than 30 minutes-meaning that if someone leaves at 110, 100 and 90 km/h respectively they each will arrive within one hour of each other. And each 10 km/h slower you go can save up to 10% on petrol.

That last fact alone has me laughing at those hoons who speed past me at 150 km/h.
Happy Bus User
Posts: 360
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: Brisbane, QLD

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Happy Bus User »

You should be in the left hand lane (going slow in that lane is OK). But as per my original post, going slow in the middle or right hand lanes of a multi lane road is just wrong.
Peter1805
Posts: 1691
Joined: Sat Mar 13, 2010 4:36 pm

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Peter1805 »

F'wits who don't know the law about giving way to buses pulling out of bus stops, but who not only don't know the law, but also proceed to hurl abuse at the bus driver.... It is hard to resist hurling abuse back - in fact, so hard, that occasionally it feels good to pull the window back and let the offender have a blast of angry bus driver... helps to wake up sleeping passengers, too.. :x

But then you realise - I can see his face - that of a bulldog chewing a bumblebee - but neither I can hear him, nor he can hear me... so what's the point. :|
User avatar
deepthought2006
Posts: 732
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:57 pm
Location: At home, Sydney's north

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by deepthought2006 »

Happy Bus User wrote:going slow in the middle or right hand lanes of a multi lane road is just wrong.
Only if there is nobody in the lane to the left of them and if there is nothing stopping them from moving into that left lane.

In other words, there are times where a "slowish" driver (i.e. a driver sitting on the legal speed limit) will need to overtake a slower-still driver and, by necessity, will need to move into the right lane to make that overtaking manouevre. If there is not much speed differential between the two vehicles, the overtaking move could take a while.

Therefore the only options available are:
(1) the driver on the limit is swamped by the constant flow of "speeding" vehicles in the right lane has to just sit there forever at the speed of the slower driver in front (CREATES FRUSTRATION POSSIBLY LEADING TO ACCIDENTS LATER);
(2) the driver on the limit exceeds the speed limit to join the flow of vehicles in the right lane in order to be able to overtake without hindering anyone else (ILLEGAL BUT SAFE);
(3) the driver on the speed limit overtakes in the left (slow) lane (POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS);
(4) the driver on the limit takes advantage of a brief gap in the traffic in the right lane, moves into the right lane and proceeds to overtake the vehicle (now on their left) at the maximum permissible speed, despite creating a bank-up of traffic behind (CREATES FRUSTRATION POSSIBLY LEADING TO ACCIDENTS LATER).

That's what's wrong with policing here in Oz. Speed limits are generally set far too low on good-quality roads and more importantly, are considered to be absolute limits and NEVER UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER TO BE EXCEEDED, if you want to keep your licence intact. A higher speed limit on multi-laned high-quality roads allows for a much safer, freer flow of traffic. Safer because the fast and slow traffic are not getting in each others' way. Slowcoaches can sit quite happily in the left lane, high speed traffic is uninterrupted in the right lane and middling speed traffic is not coming into conflict with BOTH the slow and fast traffic as they can speed up to overtake in the right lane and then slow down again afterwards and move back into the left lane and keep to driving at their comfortable speed and saving fuel. And don't get me started on the idiotic line marking policy and the allowance of on-street parking on main roads in this wonderful country of ours that actually encourages traffic to move into the right lane and stay there. As tonyp would say: "in Europe they do it right, it makes sense, it's safer and, more importantly, it just works".
All opinions expressed are my own.
User avatar
moto51
Posts: 175
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:17 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Coach Design MAN 24.420 14.5m
Location: Gerringong, NSW but would rather be in a coach
Contact:

Annoying driving habits

Post by moto51 »

I'm all for raising the speed limit on some roads, more training may be required for some but it'd make a nicer flow of traffic, look at the motorways in Germany, they are shorter than ours and some have no speed limit. As Jeremy clarkson says, speed has never killed anyone, sudden impact has killed heaps.

I hate those who insist on pulling out of one intersection near me onto the highway when there is a f@&$ing bus or truck coming, I couldn't count the number of times the driver has had to slam on the brakes so that some idiot can nearly right off his car.
Explain your reasoning for putting the slowest, worst bus on the longest route. Surely it'd be more efficient to have a newer one. Where's my 8 speed M.A.N?
User avatar
deepthought2006
Posts: 732
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:57 pm
Location: At home, Sydney's north

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by deepthought2006 »

Why brake?? :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
All opinions expressed are my own.
User avatar
moto51
Posts: 175
Joined: Tue Oct 27, 2009 4:17 pm
Favourite Vehicle: Coach Design MAN 24.420 14.5m
Location: Gerringong, NSW but would rather be in a coach
Contact:

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by moto51 »

Because the idiot will right off the bus, and probably a few people, ain't no bullbar or solid front on the one that mostly does our route.
Explain your reasoning for putting the slowest, worst bus on the longest route. Surely it'd be more efficient to have a newer one. Where's my 8 speed M.A.N?
User avatar
National Link
Posts: 999
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:17 pm
Favourite Vehicle: DVR Locos CL 9-Q and BL 26-E
Location: Somewhere in the Real World!

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by National Link »

Peter1805 wrote:F'wits who don't know the law about giving way to buses pulling out of bus stops, but who not only don't know the law, but also proceed to hurl abuse at the bus driver.... It is hard to resist hurling abuse back - in fact, so hard, that occasionally it feels good to pull the window back and let the offender have a blast of angry bus driver... helps to wake up sleeping passengers, too.. :x

But then you realise - I can see his face - that of a bulldog chewing a bumblebee - but neither I can hear him, nor he can hear me... so what's the point. :|
Perhaps the same could be said about those who don't give L Plate's a chance? I've been lucky to avoid them/not had anyone do that for my last couple of drives, but perhaps that may not be so when I next take the wheel.
One Thousand ATDB Posts Can't Be Wrong.

Any views expressed are my own and do not reflect any views of my employers.
User avatar
Eagle Eye
Posts: 2461
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:24 pm

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Eagle Eye »

deepthought2006 wrote:... high speed traffic is uninterrupted in the right lane...
I agree with most of your thoughts there, now let's talk about high speed roads for a sec (i.e. 80+ km/h)

The only problem with your argument is that the right lane is NOT for higher speed traffic to drive in and sit in. ALL traffic is required to use the leftmost lane UNLESS overtaking. Overtaking is not an excuse to sit in the right hand lane. You may move to the right lane to overtake (no matter how long it takes to overtake), but once you have passed the said slow vehicle(s) you must return to the left lane. IIRC the only time you are permitted to travel continuously in the right hand lane on high speed multi-laned roads is if traffic is congested (i.e. busy times), if there is some blockage in the left lane, or if you are turning right.

We have this perception that it's on an 80km/h road, it's ok for the left lane to do anywhere from 70-80 without any complaints, while the right lane is for people who want to do, say, 79-80+. This is not true. The LIMIT of both lanes is 80km/h, and cannot be exceeded at any time. You cannot have the mindset that 'I'll travel at 80 or higher the whole way, so I'll just stay in the right hand lane'. The right hand lane is for OVERTAKING ONLY. People that say 'I'm not a slow driver, so I can use and stay in the right lane' are wrong. Left lane unless overtaking.
User avatar
Daz
Posts: 1088
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 1:44 am
Favourite Vehicle: 4964F Heritage
Location: The Hawkesbury

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Daz »

Funny, I don't think I have ever been overtaken in my car...

Daz
Did you hear the scarecrow got an award? He was out standing in his field.
User avatar
deepthought2006
Posts: 732
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 10:57 pm
Location: At home, Sydney's north

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by deepthought2006 »

Eagle Eye is quite correct, there does need to be greater emphasis placed by the authorities (and the media) on the basic principle of "keep to the left".

Once clear of any traffic that is being overtaken, and having no traffic in the next-left lane up ahead (if any such slower traffic will be overtaken within a very short period of time, then PULL OVER TO THE LEFT and indeed, keep moving to the left until in the kerbside lane, unless that lane is a designated "Slow Vehicle Lane" or is designated for some other special purpose. In the case of a "Slow Vehicle Lane", it can be dangerous for high speed traffic to use that lane, as it is usually provided for good reason, such as where any slower traffic will be travelling significantly slower than the general flow and sight lines mean that one comes upon them very quickly, with little reaction time. It could be argued, in fact, that the speed limit should not be increased at all in these locations.

To clarify what I meant in my post above: in general, speed limits and road design should allow all traffic to be able to proceed at the speed desired by the driver, without interruptions and without interfering with other traffic that may want to travel faster, up to the design speed for the stretch of road. The high speed traffic should be able to be uninterrupted while travelling in the right lane, in other words, while those high speed vehicles pass the slower vehicles in lanes to their left (and just up ahead).

If there were higher speed limits (say 130km/h) on the well-designed, freeway quality multi-laned roads, in other words those roads which have been designed to be safe at higher speeds than the current speed limits allow (and therefore excluding some parts of the F3 in NSW), then a greater range of driver competence and vehicle speeds could be accommodated, with much, much greater safety, too, for the reasons that I have stated in my post above.

One other point of clarification: with higher speed limits where it is safe, there would be fewer vehicles travelling "stuck on the limit" and therefore fewer holdups (and moving chicanes with their inherent dangers) for everybody. At present, someone like me who drives to the current speed limits (road conditions permitting) would be able to continue to drive at that speed if I wanted to (to save fuel, for example) but when coming upon a slower moving vehicle (that is, one travelling below the speed limit) in front that I wished to overtake, I could do so and if necessary, I could accelerate and merge safely into the faster line of traffic in the lane to my right without impeding that higher speed traffic and causing bunching and a risk of nose-to-tail collisions. Once past the traffic that I was overtaking, I would exit from the right lane and resume my previous speed, allowing the higher speed traffic to continue on their way without them having had to slow down.

Some might say "why not just wait until there is no higher speed traffic in the right lane or at least a long enough gap and then overtake, or just accelerate to the speed of the faster traffic and then overtake?". Well I'm sorry, but that doesn't work. I would be (and have been on many occasions) stuck behind that slower driver for ages, simply because I was unable to merge into the faster traffic due to that constant line of faster traffic travelling in excess of the speed limit and I didn't want to force them to slow down to my speed while I overtook the slower traffic. Plus, I need my licence for my work, so exceeding the speed limit is just not an option.
All opinions expressed are my own.
ajw373
Posts: 1184
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 6:10 pm
Location: London/Canberra

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by ajw373 »

Happy Bus User wrote:What are your most hated driving habits of other people?

1. Driving slowly in the middle or right lanes of a multi lane highway. :roll: No, you're not being "safe", you're being a hazard on the road. If you're gonna stick to a slow grandma speed, GO TO THE LEFT LANE. I had the horrible experience of being stuck behind a hippie in a van going at 80 in the 2nd right hand lane on a 4 lane (each way) on the Pacific Mwy in a 110 zone yesterday.
2. People who fail to indicate. You're turning left, so indicate it.
3. People who fail to indicate or give way at roundabouts. Seriously, am I meant to guess where you're going or something?
4. People who speed in side streets. The limit is 50, not 80. I don't want to get injured just because you want to get somewhere marginally faster.
5. People who tail gate. Nope, not gonna go faster just because you are on my tail.

:D just my 2 cents!
With point 3 this rule is very misunderstood. Out of interest what is your interpretation of when you must indicate and who gives way to who?
User avatar
eddy
Posts: 3756
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:18 am
Contact:

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by eddy »

deepthought2006 wrote:
eddy wrote:At Wellington NSW they have signs on their two main roundabouts "Blink off when exiting"
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz". "Just doing as I was told, Officer". :D

Actually, I think that's quite a good sign and would be very useful on a large roundabout, as I presume those ones are.
They were not big roundabouts and because of this they would not have to indicate going straight ahead but as the westbound traffic had to make a right turn on them both the eastbound traffic was constantly being brought to a halt because the westbounders were too tired to blink off.
Parrahub, an extra option in the public transport menu http://www.parrahub.org.au/
User avatar
Eagle Eye
Posts: 2461
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 2:24 pm

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Eagle Eye »

Over the last couple of weeks, when it comes to navigating articulated buses through roundabouts (big and small, one-laned and two-), I have given up trying to read other vehicles' intentions, and pretty much ignore indications, because the vast majority of people are still indicating right as they are exiting to their left. If there is half a gap for me to take off, I couldn't care less what vehicles are coming towards me with what indicators on, I am now starting to just cut people off, as long as it's not dangerous of course. This is a slight exaggeration, but if people have their right indicator on, I tend to make the assumption that they are probably exiting anyway, and not doing a U-turn. If they are, tough. I'm a big, long, heavy vehicle and they will have to wait a few seconds for me to get through.

I'm not doing anything illegal, but rather if motorists make it hard for me to enter roundabouts, I will (unintentionally) make it hard for them to exit the roundabout (i.e. they will have to wait for me to get through first).

I don't like cutting someone off in a roundabout, but otherwise I could be sitting at roundabouts for a long time, even a couple of minutes once when I could have gone but for people not indicating they're exiting.

When driving my car, I don't always indicate to exit smaller roundabouts (which you are not required to if the roundabout is small enough) but if there are vehicles approaching from the other side, I will indicate left as a courtesy so they don't have to second-guess me and can proceed because they know I am exiting.

A story for another day: when people indicate left to exit but the driver waiting to enter the roundabout (who doesn't know about indicating left), so doesn't enter the roundabout until the first vehicle has exited, even though they have been indicating since passing the previous exit.
User avatar
Daz
Posts: 1088
Joined: Fri May 29, 2009 1:44 am
Favourite Vehicle: 4964F Heritage
Location: The Hawkesbury

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by Daz »

The law states that you must give way to traffic already on the roundabout. This means that if you enter with your bus before a car, no matter what speed either vehicle is travelling at, they are required to give way to you.

However exercising this right may lead to you being given the finger or copping some abuse from the uneducated.

Daz
Did you hear the scarecrow got an award? He was out standing in his field.
ajw373
Posts: 1184
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2004 6:10 pm
Location: London/Canberra

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by ajw373 »

Daz wrote:The law states that you must give way to traffic already on the roundabout. This means that if you enter with your bus before a car, no matter what speed either vehicle is travelling at, they are required to give way to you.

However exercising this right may lead to you being given the finger or copping some abuse from the uneducated.

Daz
Indeed it does, especially on roundabouts where you can (but shouldn't) approach rather fast. There is one roundabout near where I live that scares the hell out of me, it is at the intersection of Drake Brockman and William Hovell drives in Canberra. Making a right hand turn out of Drake Brockman into William Hovell can be hard because of the speed cars approach the roundabout from the city direction, and of course 3/4's of the people think that you give way to the right on a roundabout, which as you correctly say is not actually the case. The law is to give way to vehicles already on a roundabout, including those on your left.
User avatar
eddy
Posts: 3756
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:18 am
Contact:

Re: Annoying driving habits

Post by eddy »

This is a good link on roundabouts http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/rulesregulati ... oundabouts
Roundabouts

The roundabout sign
The roundabout sign means Slow Down, prepare to Give Way and if necessary stop to avoid a collision.

So, as you're approaching a roundabout, you must get into the correct lane, indicate if turning, and give way to traffic already on the roundabout.

Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.

Giving way
Slow down as you approach a roundabout. You must give way to traffic already on the roundabout if there is a risk of collision. Enter the roundabout when there is a safe gap in the traffic.

Indicating
When approaching a roundabout, if you are turning left or right, you must indicate left or right.

When exiting a roundabout, whether you are turning left, right or even going straight ahead, you must always indicate a left turn just before you exit, unless it is not practical to do so.

Single lane roundabouts
The rules for slowing down, giving way and indicating when approaching and exiting at roundabouts are the same for single lane and multi-lane roundabouts.
Parrahub, an extra option in the public transport menu http://www.parrahub.org.au/
Post Reply

Return to “The Lunch Room”