What makes you nervous as a driver?
Discussion
soad said:
Horse riders and farm tractors. Oh, and tanks on the road (granted, not in England).
Probably not allowed anymore, but when I were a lad, dad would take us out for drives over Salisbury Plain when there were exercises on...I remember quite clearly pootling along the road with tanks either side 
People that rush up to stop/give way lines, or have half their nose across the lines.
Priuses, or anything with the London minicab badge. A Prius with a minicab badge means that something stupid is going to happen.
Being alongside trucks on the motorway for any length of time, I like to get past even if it makes doing 60 in a 50 zone for roadworks for a short period.
Trucks in general, application of the indicators means they ARE moving out NOW.
Drivers that sit alongside me when trying to join a motorway and make no effort to speed up/slow down to join.
Drivers that think they have the right to 'enforce' the rules of the road how they see fit, like this - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
People.
Priuses, or anything with the London minicab badge. A Prius with a minicab badge means that something stupid is going to happen.
Being alongside trucks on the motorway for any length of time, I like to get past even if it makes doing 60 in a 50 zone for roadworks for a short period.
Trucks in general, application of the indicators means they ARE moving out NOW.
Drivers that sit alongside me when trying to join a motorway and make no effort to speed up/slow down to join.
Drivers that think they have the right to 'enforce' the rules of the road how they see fit, like this - http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
People.
Edited by Janesy B on Wednesday 4th May 11:44
What terrifies me is the fear that I may be wiped out by some inconsiderate mouth-breather who has appointed themselves as the fourth emergency service due to some personal "emergency" and therefore believes that they are entitled to do 100 in a 30 zone to reach their house/the hospital/the scene of the accident/the vet (yes, really) a minute or two sooner.
See: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
See: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Edited by boz1 on Wednesday 4th May 17:17
People not driving according to the road conditions, rain/snow/ice/fog etc
Tailgaters as mentioned who are far too close to my rear end, i slow down excessively especially if i am turning off or just slow down generally
People not giving driving their attention due to phones/radio etc
When i am a passenger and i don't know the driver and car
Tailgaters as mentioned who are far too close to my rear end, i slow down excessively especially if i am turning off or just slow down generally
People not giving driving their attention due to phones/radio etc
When i am a passenger and i don't know the driver and car
Kentish said:
I'm not a nervous driver but this morning I was being tailgated by a young man in a corsa who was looking down at his lap most of the time
Had exactly this on the commute this morning, clearly paying no attention but was still rolling along slowly in traffic behind me.That, and tailgating.
Tailgaters - Both ones that are tailgating me and those who tailgate others on dual carriageways/motorways. Sadly I think a lot of people just drive this by default - But makes me nervous if I have to slow suddenly or in traffic.
People driving with their mobile phones - I've seen a few do this in my rear view mirror, whilst we're in traffic. Just waiting for the inevitable *bump* when they hit my car (which has already happened to me once before by a younger driver).
People driving with their mobile phones - I've seen a few do this in my rear view mirror, whilst we're in traffic. Just waiting for the inevitable *bump* when they hit my car (which has already happened to me once before by a younger driver).
Loads on flat bed trucks often scare me. Things like scaffolding poles or timber lengths strapped down or other large hurty objects. Have seen a few horrifying images of the aftermath of things like that working loose. I tend to leave a bigger gap than I might otherwise.
Otherwise, all the usual stuff mentioned on here. Standing water, black ice, tailgating simpletons, horses, sheep. I wouldn't say anything here makes me nervous but certainly raises the caution levels.
Otherwise, all the usual stuff mentioned on here. Standing water, black ice, tailgating simpletons, horses, sheep. I wouldn't say anything here makes me nervous but certainly raises the caution levels.
Muddle238 said:
When I'm at the back of a queue of traffic, and the car behind either;
a) seems to be really late on the brakes coming up behind or
b) stops what appears to be about a metre away from my rear bumper
c) both of the above at the same time
.. especially at the top/bottom of a motorway/DC exit slip, if they get shunted then there's no space for them to stop again and it's going to smash up my car. I always leave a gap in front of me if I'm joining a queue of traffic, just incase the numpty behind doesn't stop in time or shunts me, I have space available without crashing into someone else. Eyes are always in the rear view mirror to make sure the car behind looks like they're slowing down accordingly and if not, I have an escape route. Then I watch the car behind them, to make sure they don't punt the first one into me and so on.
The same as mine I mentioned above. Doing what you say actually saved me from being thumped into on the M62 by a an Artic. I jumped into the hard shoulder after he didn't appear to be slowing, he stopped fully locked up almost jack knifed with the front of my car level with back of the tractor unit. Scary!a) seems to be really late on the brakes coming up behind or
b) stops what appears to be about a metre away from my rear bumper
c) both of the above at the same time
.. especially at the top/bottom of a motorway/DC exit slip, if they get shunted then there's no space for them to stop again and it's going to smash up my car. I always leave a gap in front of me if I'm joining a queue of traffic, just incase the numpty behind doesn't stop in time or shunts me, I have space available without crashing into someone else. Eyes are always in the rear view mirror to make sure the car behind looks like they're slowing down accordingly and if not, I have an escape route. Then I watch the car behind them, to make sure they don't punt the first one into me and so on.
M3CS said:
My girlfriend has an annoying habit of making 'surprised' sounds when she is reading Facebook on her phone as I drive along, such as an audibly sharp intake of breath when she reads how so-and-so has broken up with so-and-so.
It always makes me think I have missed something important, as if we are about to have a crash! Is she just odd or does anyone else have passengers who do similar?
My wife is the same. I remember driving in snow, approaching the park in the center of town. The lights ahead were green but the road from the left is at the bottom of a steep hill so most would have trouble stopping for a red. I cautiously carry on through the green when my wife shrieks and I stamp on the brakes, ABS going mental and me shouting "WTF?"It always makes me think I have missed something important, as if we are about to have a crash! Is she just odd or does anyone else have passengers who do similar?
Her reply, after the confusion as to why we'd come to such a sudden, partially sideways stop? "Sorry there's a dog in the park, playing in the snow"
I now (conditions/safety/other drivers permitting) always over react with brakes and/or steering when she does the same. She still hasn't learnt her lesson.
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