Ten Worst Driving Habits
September 10th, 2009
The experts at Driving Solutions gave us their thoughts on the ten worst driving habits that they’ve seen when teaching thousands of drivers.
They summarized the ten worst as follows:-
1. Tail Gating
2. Using Devices Whilst Driving
3. Keeping to the Left Lane
4. Poor Seating Position
5. Speeding
6. Indicating
7. Motorway Merging
8. Poor Vehicle Management
9. Driving for the Conditions
10. Drink Driving
Do you agree?
Are there any that you think are more annoying than these listed?
Would you like to add your own pet hate to the list?
We’d love to have your opinions so click below and let us know your pet driving hates.
Level 2, 9 Help Street
Bruce Harvey says:
My pet hate is people who combine a turn and a pass into the one manoevre, performing a left turn from the left lane and moving straight into the right lane for example.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Lisa Kennedy says:
In contrast to speeding, excessively slow drivers are also dangerous. When qualifying to pass a driving test, confidence and awareness of surroundings should be taken into consideration. I have seen so many near accidents caused by a single driver who does not reasonably keep up with the traffic and/or props in the middle of the road to change lanes.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Peter says:
I totally agree with the 10 top list alot of people in WA that come from the UK are the biggest attributors to the poor driving and yet they have the best road rules.
And again when are people going to be polite just remember “treat people the way you expect to be treated” and a lot of the rage on the roads will disappear.
Regards
Peter
September 17th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Susan says:
Having lived and driven in two countries before moving to Melbourne two years ago, it amazes me how many cars cross an intersection AFTER the light has turned red, posing an incredible danger (particularly as they speed up to do it), not only to cars who choose to stop at the red light in front of them, but also to cars waiting to take a right turn. It also amazes me the lack of courtesy Melbourne drivers display to other drivers, particularly when it comes to letting anybody in front of them from a side road. Traffic in London is a lot heavier than in Melbourne, but still each car lets in at least one car from the side before moving on.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:45 am
Peter says:
With regard to the motorway rules in the UK you have overlooked one simple fact. They keep to the left lane where ever possible and only overtake on the right. This means that the outside or right hand lane should only be used for overtaking. This stops people sitting in the middle lane doing well underneath the speed limit. Also if you are overtaking it makes life easier.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:54 am
graeme bagshaw says:
I agree with those listed, however what about the very bad habit of placing hands palm upwards to turn into streets etc. Just try to quickly turn wheel opposite to where you were heading( to avoid an accident) you just might break or strain your wrist, & the reaction time will be extended. Driving instructors do not teach or condone this dreadfull habit.
September 17th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Sean says:
Indicator, noun. An object that geives a prior warning of an event!
People who indicate whilst or after they have begun changing lanes.
Trucks, one nearly squashed me the other day. Didnt look, just moved in on top of me.
The LAW states that, if you are on a freeway, the car trying to enter has any portion of their car in front of you, then you are obliged to let them in, regardless of the fact that you may be going 110kms and the joiner is dong 45kms. This is the law, sucks to be knowledgeable.
September 17th, 2009 at 5:02 am
Michael Horn says:
Having just returned from yet another business trip to Europe I must say that I feel a lot safer driving on a German autobahn (the safest roads in the world) at 200km/hr just to keep up with the traffic than I do on any freeway or, for that matter, any other road in Australia. I am not talking so much about drivers although there is a distinct difference but refer to the bad design and lack of maintenance of many roads in Australia compared to Germany and Europe. Obviously, speeding is a lot more dangerous on bad roads and the low speed limits in Australia prove that the government takes the cheap and nasty way out. Build roads that are well designed, well sign-posted and expertly maintained and accidents will drop. And, please, stop confusing drivers with all those unneccessary traffic signs at every corner and inbetween. Europe is reducing them everywhere and it makes for far easier and safer driving. Today’s cars are better than ever before, driver education has greatly improved but the government still thinks that we only deserve Third World roads. No wonder they try to shift all blame on drivers; it is because they are failing in their job and we all pay for it!
September 17th, 2009 at 5:05 am
Paul says:
Driver impatience putting others at risk!
Have you ever experienced a driver overtaking a stationary vehicle, or vehicle that is attempting to reverse park on the opposite side of the road, and instead of being patient for 30 seconds and allowing the vehicle in front to park, they overtake the vehicle and end up approaching you at speed (oncomming now on your side of the road) and you end up giving way to this imbecile to avoid an accident. This has happened one too many times of late and I think it deserves a rate.. As do drivers that pull out wide to take a simple left or right turn as though they are driving a semi trailer!!
September 17th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Jeremy says:
I would add to motorway merging the mirror image of this bad habit in the way some people pull off to leave a motorway or arterial road. I often see people leave it to the last minute to turn left directly from a lane rather than move into the turning lane as soon as it becomes available, if you get what I mean. This just slows down any following traffic and annoys the hell out of them for no reason.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:07 am
Chris Swan says:
1. As an addendum to speeding in general, there seems to be an attitude that whatever the speed limit is, it is OK to exceed it by 10-20km/hr. Moreover, if I am doing 100 in a 100 km/hr zone, it always raises the ire of tailgaters, who seem to insist on their right to this unofficial excess.
2. Speeding trucks! Damage on collision of two bodies is proportional to momentum (M=mxv) where m is mass and v is velocity. In other words- big things going fast do more doamage than little things going fast. By all means fine a rider for speeding on a motorped. But throw the book at a B-double driver doing the same speed.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Tom says:
Agree that lack of investment in roads is a major problem making all other comments secondary. State transport ministers make every driver a target for all problems to cover up lack of investment in safer roads and justifying punitive fines for simple issues while ignoring simple effective remedies. For example all roads, particularly new roads, should have adequate median separation, all sides should have fencing to reduce ‘single vehicle accidents’ where drivers are killed/seriously injured by unprotected trees, utility posts, road furniture etc. Road kerbs should be designed to separate roads from pedestrians and to direct vehicles back on to a road in an emergency. All cyclists should be required to obtain a license, pay to share the roads and show identification on their bikes so that they can be made responsible for their dangerous actions while using roads.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:32 am
Mani says:
I hate drivers cutting into right lane before turing left or vise versa
September 17th, 2009 at 6:53 am
Bazza says:
I do over 100,000 kilometres on highway per year, and my pet hates are: –
People who hold up traffic for miles and when they come to an overtaking lane they speed up to about 10 k over the speed limit so no-one can pass – only to immediately slow down to their old 20k under the limit until the next overtaking lane.
People who drive in clear conditions with their fog/driving lights on (this is illegal but the local traffic police tell me they do not book people for it)
Worse still, is people with their high intensity tail lights on – you have no clue as to when they apply the brakes even if you can see through the glare.
I have also noticed that I have a remote control to the car in front. If it is travelling in the right hand lane of two and holding up traffic and I flash my headlights, it automatically accelerates the car in front, which then slows down again but never never pulls over.
September 17th, 2009 at 6:58 am
R Partlett says:
Driving below the speed limit in good conditions
Giving a left turn signal well before enering a small roundabout and proceeding straight ahead.
Do not procceed into a roundabout if the car on the right is still travelling towards the roundabout i.e. giving away to the right on the basis that they have the right of way.
Unable to synronise their driving with other cars when there are a number of cars
Cannot drive – too timid – can’t judge –
Many “P” plate drivers are usually much better.
I am 73 and in the main I do not join in the criticism – might look a little aggressive but it easy to see what their doing and theit timing is very good..
September 17th, 2009 at 7:20 am
Owen says:
People who know a lane ends, or goes right, but go into it to cut in front of a line of traffic waiting patiently. A good (well, annoying) example of this is on the Swan St Bridge in Melbourne for people heading straight on past HiSense Arena, who go into the middle lane that goes right onto CityLink, but cut in to continue on straight.
September 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Peter K says:
MY PET HATE!!
THOSE DRIVERS WHO PUT THEIR RIGHT HAND INDICATOR ON WHEN APPROACHING A SMALL ROUNDABOUT AND END UP GOING STRAIGHT AHEAD INSTEAD OF AROUND IT. SOME ALSO PUT THE LEFT HAND INDICATOR ON TO EXIT BUT ARE ACTUALLY INTENDING TO ALSO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD.
IF YOU INTEND TO GO STRAIGHT AHEAD ON A SMALL ROUNDABOUT, DON’T USE INDICATORS.
September 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Ronnie says:
The biggest danger on the roads today is the use of mobile phones. There may be laws against their use but every day I see people texting and talking as they drive and what’s more most people seem to find this acceptable. After any accident it should be standard practise to check if the driver was on the phone at the time of the accident and if so severe penalties applied similar to the penalties applied to drunk drivers.
September 17th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Ian says:
“Having just spent a few weeks in the UK, this issue is even more apparent and almost seems to be a cultural difference between the two countries.”
Frankly, that is absolute rubbish. I drove around 2000 miles in the UK up to two weeks ago and the lane discipline and general driving standard was terrible. A distant truck in lane 1 meant that lanes 2 and 3 were full of crawling drivers, whilst lane 1 was empty. The standards of driving in the UK have plummeted as a result of passive policing and speed cameras. Indicators were used exceedingly rarely and trucks pulled out without notice of any sort.
My pet hate is people that are incapable of smooth progress at a consistent speed.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:34 am
Margaret says:
I dislike bring intimidated by truck drivers who apparently cannot cope with a small car ( . . .and one driven by a woman!) going past them on a dual carriageway, and come thundering up, travelling almost on top of the line between the lanes, to go past and re-assert their “right” to be ahead.
I also feel that truck drivers who cannot drive skilfully enough to keep their vehicle fully within their own lane (apart from when they are changing lanes, of course) are a serious danger to other traffic, particularly small vehicles. They need to either take some more driver training, or give up driving large ad potentially lethal vehicles and find some safer occupation.
September 17th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Paul says:
Leaving a space between you & the car in front is all very well, but you know that some dickhead will always change lanes into that space, even if there are no cars behind you.
And why do they teach learner-drivers to change lanes by swerving now?
October 8th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Steven Diala says:
My non-favourite bad driving habits, hmm let us see….
1) The rear view mirror is not your vanity for applying your make-up in traffic, lady
2) Keep those arms in the cars, please folks
3) Cutting bikers off is a really bad idea lady
As a motorcyclist I’ve been jostled and bullied and pushed off the road like you just can not believe. People’s cars are so full of toys that they seem to think they are in their lounge playing playstation whilst driving.
Some of them should rather remain in the lounge, doing just that, because people might get hurt.
Catch you all later.
Steven
April 16th, 2010 at 5:38 pm