Dabbing brakes every time there is oncoming traffic?

[Chicane-UK]

Anyone else seen this phenomenon? I was following someone last night along a bit of unlit road near where I live yesterday, and *every* time a car came in the opposite direction, as they got almost level they'd dab their brakes.. then carry on as normal. Probably passed 20-30 cars on the stretch of road and they did it for every car coming the other direction.

Who are these people?

It did look like two people in the car chatting and I suspect it's purely down to not paying attention / making driving the secondary priority - and gassing being the priority!

[Jasandjules]

I live in Suffolk. It is common here. As is braking for any corner, road sign, street light etc........

[mike325112]

My other half is an optician, her theory is that they can't see properly and therefore panic when the see a car. I think its just because they are stupid...

[HellDiver]

mike325112 said:

My other half is an optician, her theory is that they can't see properly and therefore panic when the see a car. I think its just because they are stupid...

I don't think she's far wrong. Serial brakists often wear glasses, or have never cleaned the inside of their windscreens since they got the car. Or they're too stupid to figure out how to turn on the demister.

You'll often be able to see the glare of the oncoming headlights on the serial brakist's screen.

[dwilkie]

One of the seaside towns round here (Lee-on-Solent - I'm looking at you LukeBird ) always seems to be full of people who do this.

It's also full of people who pre-date the invention of the car... So I've already made my conclusion!

[blueg33]

Common disease on any unlit road. Drives me nuts!

Not sure its glasses. I wear glasses and don't do it. I think its poor night vision and slow reaction of the pupil to glare

[Johnnytheboy]

Common in Dorset in holiday season.

[R26Andy]

This is frustrating the majority of the time but sometimes I think it justified when on a dark winding road and some muppet comes the other way with aftermarket HIDS/fog lights/full beams or even something like the new Mercedes with rediculously bright xenons. My car has auto dimming mirrors and had a merc on the M74 still dazzle me from about 1/2 mile back.

Edited by R26Andy on Tuesday 11th January 10:30

[TEKNOPUG]

Nervous drivers 'tis all. Beware.

[mike325112]

blueg33 said:

Common disease on any unlit road. Drives me nuts!

Not sure its glasses. I wear glasses and don't do it. I think its poor night vision and slow reaction of the pupil to glare

Its not glasses per say (I wear them myself) its the ones who don't get the eyes tested for about 10 years!

[anonymous-user]

Round here, people do this when traveling in a straight line, during the day, even when no one is comming the other way! It must be a "reasurance" thing?? It's also seen much more these days now that cars have LED brake lights, which are 10x faster to light up than conventional filament bulbs! (hence the slightest brush of the brake pedal for 20ms, and you get lights!)

[unpc]

I thought everybody knew that it actually makes your car thinner when you apply the brakes.

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

It's called 'Comfort Dabbing.'

Makes me want to tear them limb from limb.

[Tyre Smoke]

I've seen it on main roads too.

Usually accompanied by the driver hunched forward over the steering wheel. Sign of a nervous driver with no idea of the width/size of their vehicle.

[Torquey]

I had the corner braking recently. More like lighting the brake lights up but not decreasing in speed, as there was much speed to lose when travelling at 20mph on a NSL at night.

I received a good 30 seconds of main beam flashing as I overtook at 40mph. 30 seconds is the time it took to clear the perfectly straight piece of road with no oncoming cars.

[idge]

It's almost as bad as the constant foot on and off the accelerator syndrome. ON A COMPLETELY EMPTY STRAIGHT NSL ROAD!?

When you're sat in the passenger seat its impossible not to look and imagine what is going through their mind

[Lordglenmorangie]

It's clear these people do not have proper control of the vehicle , how do they satisfy an examiner on the driving test ?

[rob1234]

Lordglenmorangie said:

It's clear these people do not have proper control of the vehicle , how do they satisfy an examiner on the driving test ?

It's probably my mother...

And she passed her test in 1963, when she a)probably didn't do it and b)wasn't tested at night.

[anonymous-user]

idge said:

It's almost as bad as the constant foot on and off the accelerator syndrome. ON A COMPLETELY EMPTY STRAIGHT NSL ROAD!?

When you're sat in the passenger seat its impossible not to look and imagine what is going through their mind

Especially if your have the misfortune to being passengering in an automatic car!

shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH !!!!!

[idge]

Max_Torque said:

idge said:

It's almost as bad as the constant foot on and off the accelerator syndrome. ON A COMPLETELY EMPTY STRAIGHT NSL ROAD!?

When you're sat in the passenger seat its impossible not to look and imagine what is going through their mind

Especially if your have the misfortune to being passengering in an automatic car!

shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, shift down, shift up, AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH !!!!!

Ha. New transmission at every annual service?