What If/Bad Drivers

[WittyAspie]

Most of us seem to get along well with each other most of the time. But what if we had to put up with each other’s driving? I wonder if we would be able to maintain amicable interactions if we found out that someone’s driving style really irked us.

Most people think their driving habits are just fine. But experience tells us that some of those people are just wrong. If all the people who think they are good drivers were actually good drivers I wouldn’t have to avoid a collision at least once a week.

Would finding out your good friend is a terrible driver hurt the relationship?

Would this community be as friendly if we were privy to the way members drive?

Is it appropriate to call someone out for driving that is dangerous and potentially deadly? What if someone isn’t dangerous, just a bad driver?

Would it be wrong to avoid befriending someone you know is a bad driver?

Should road tests be periodically readministered for current license holders?

 

[SchrodingersMeerkat]

I'm still learning how to drive. I haven't killed anyone yet so I guess I'm not bad.

 

[kay]

Depends on the bad driving. Reckless, careless, treating a car like a toy sorta bad driving would ruin any friendship I might have. I do have a friend who is a bad driver, but not in that way. He is a extremely slow driver who is almost over cautious, slowing down at every intersection to an almost stop. But I used to drive in a similar fashion (because I had trouble finding intersections and stopped at traffic lights no matter the color) so I can't complain much about his driving.

 

[Judge]

I leave such questions to the professionals who ultimately quantify them in the form of insurance premiums, underwriting guidelines and a willingness to continue to insure them over both greater and lesser amounts of time. What I or your friend thinks of your driving doesn't really count. What your insurance underwriter thinks is quite another matter.

Then again, for those who are "white-knuckle drivers", they generally can't stand anyone who is in the drivers seat other than themselves. Where at times they might be their worst enemy while other times they really might be at the mercy of a truly bad driver. They make me nervous at times just to ride with. Whether as their passenger or their driver.

More road tests? That's a "DOA" fiscal consideration most taxpayers/registered voters aren't willing to entertain.

 

[Mia]

I've been in several cars, belonging to friends, whose driving skills are reckless at best. They drive the same way in all weathers, snowstorms, sunny dry days, hydroplaning along in the slush as we flipped over in one instance. I never got in a car that she was driving afterwards. Her father and siblings all drive the same, have had actual accidents. Totaled their cars, and bought others. Were still friends, but I meet her, rather than travel anywhere with her.

Another, was the most aggressive driver I've ever seen, she tailgated so close to other cars, to get them to speed up that I've not been in her car since. Afterwards, thinking I was simply a chicken, other people who know her, would never get in a car with her.

Drive perhaps too carefully, cautiously, stay within the speed limits. Value my health.

 

[WittyAspie]

I leave such questions to the professionals who ultimately quantify them in the form of insurance premiums, underwriting guidelines and a willingness to continue to insure them over both greater and lesser amounts of time. What I or your friend thinks of your driving doesn't really count. What your insurance underwriter thinks is quite another matter.

Then again, for those who are "white-knuckle drivers", they generally can't stand anyone who is in the drivers seat other than themselves. Where at times they might be their worst enemy while other times they really might be at the mercy of a truly bad driver. They make me nervous at times just to ride with. Whether as their passenger or their driver.

More road tests? That's a fiscal consideration most taxpayers/registered voters aren't willing to entertain.

Premiums can be wildly different depending on where you live. Moving from California to Texas caused car insurance to increase by 2-3 hundred dollars a year. After living here for a bit I can see why.

 

[WittyAspie]

I've been in several cars, belonging to friends, whose driving skills are reckless at best. They drive the same way in all weathers, snowstorms, sunny dry days, hydroplaning along in the slush as we flipped over in one instance. I never got in a car that she was driving afterwards. Her father and siblings all drive the same, have had actual accidents. Totaled their cars, and bought others. Were still friends, but I meet her, rather than travel anywhere with her.

Another, was the most aggressive driver I've ever seen, she tailgated so close to other cars, to get them to speed up that I've not been in her car since. Afterwards, thinking I was simply a chicken, other people who know her, would never get in a car with her.

Drive perhaps too carefully, cautiously, stay within the speed limits. Value my health.

Did refusing to ride with those friends hurt your friendship?

Did you mention their driving while in the car or just wait until it was over and refuse to repeat the experience?

 

[WittyAspie]

Depends on the bad driving. Reckless, careless, treating a car like a toy sorta bad driving would ruin any friendship I might have. I do have a friend who is a bad driver, but not in that way. He is a extremely slow driver who is almost over cautious, slowing down at every intersection to an almost stop. But I used to drive in a similar fashion (because I had trouble finding intersections and stopped at traffic lights no matter the color) so I can't complain much about his driving.

I have actually found some overly cautious drivers to be the most dangerous. I have seen some really unpredictable behavior from people who were too scared to know what to do. Their extreme caution made them the most hazardous driver on the road.

 

[Judge]

Premiums can be wildly different depending on where you live. Moving from California to Texas caused car insurance to increase by 2-3 hundred dollars a year. After living here for a bit I can see why.

Yes, where you live as factored into the rates. So is your age, your experience as an operator, other operators on your policy and the type of car you drive. Lots of factors for which don't necessarily account for your driving habits. Moving from California to Nevada caused my rates to climb. Moved into a state notorious for bad drivers, let alone a zip code with a much higher population and accident frequency compounded by out-of-state tourists.

However all this is compounded by a bad record in the eyes of your insurer in terms of "safe driving points" which amount to surcharges for at fault accidents and moving violations. And also a possibility of being further surcharged by being placed into a non-preferred or even wildly more expensive substandard market.

And above all you have to deal with aggregate rate structures of individual insurers and their collective, overall experience of their policyholders, which may not reflect your driving record at all. So it pay$ to shop around for insurance especially if your record is clean.

But again, if you really want to test the limits of how punitive it all can be monetarily speaking, you don't need to move anywhere. Just accrue any number of at-fault accidents and major violations on your MVR. They can make moving seem like a trivial issue in comparison. Or rack up a DUI and just determine your court costs and fines, before the insurer finds out.

(I underwrote private and commercial auto insurance for nearly 20 years. Can tell you firsthand just how much trouble you can get into whether it's your fault or not. Sometimes mitigated by state laws, sometimes not at all.)

 

[Judge]

I have actually found some overly cautious drivers to be the most dangerous. I have seen some really unpredictable behavior from people who were too scared to know what to do. Their extreme caution made them the most hazardous driver on the road.

Nevada recently passed a law making it an infraction to remain in the passing lane going less than the flow of traffic and not the actual legal posted speed limit. Specifically with those slower drivers in mind who may or may not be involved in such accidents, but often cause them.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I'm still learning how to drive. I haven't killed anyone yet so I guess I'm not bad.

That you know of.

 

[WittyAspie]

Nevada recently passed a law making it an infraction to remain in the passing lane going less than the flow of traffic and not the actual legal posted speed limit. Specifically with those slower drivers in mind who may or may not be involved in such accidents, but often cause them.

In Germany it's illegal to ride in the left lane on the Autobahn unless you are passing someone. And they won't pass on the right either. They will ride up on you, honk their horn, and try to run you over if you don't get out of the way. That being said, I found Germans overall to be pretty good drivers. Despite lots of congestion they don't seem to have the anger that American drivers do.

 

[Judge]

In Germany it's illegal to ride in the left lane on the Autobahn unless you are passing someone. And they won't pass on the right either. They will ride up on you, honk their horn, and try to run you over if you don't get out of the way. That being said, I found Germans overall to be pretty good drivers. Despite lots of congestion they don't seem to have the anger that American drivers do.

Yep. I've seen that on video many times. The proverbial Porsche or Audi suddenly coming up from behind flashing its lights...and you better damn well move over! Of course at some of those speeds your reaction time may be insufficient. But yes...in Germany the law is the law.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Yep. I've seen that on video many times. The proverbial Porsche or Audi suddenly coming up from behind flashing its lights...and you better damn well move over! Of course at some of those speeds your reaction time may be insufficient. But yes...in Germany the law is the law.

No speed limits either. Lots of smash ups... same problem,not slowing down for the weather.

 

[Judge]

No speed limits either. Lots of smash ups... same problem,not slowing down for the weather.

Now that's one thing that really chaffs my hide. SUV drivers who go the legal limit or faster when there is snow or ice on the road. You know, the guy you pass whose vehicle is upside-down along the edge of the freeway looking either stupid or very dead.

That's gotten really old...those drivers who pretend they're driving a tank rather than just a four-wheel drive vehicle which may or may not have better traction depending on the immediate road conditions.

And then we have those so-called "experienced" truckers who try to defy 70 mile-an-hour wind gusts and who end up on the six o'clock news....not for their driving prowess either.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Now that's one thing that really chaffs my hide. SUV drivers who go the legal limit or faster when there is snow or ice on the road. You know, the guy you pass whose vehicle is upside-down along the edge of the freeway looking either stupid or very dead.

That's gotten really old...those drivers who pretend they're driving a tank rather than just a four-wheel drive vehicle which may or may not have better traction depending on the immediate road conditions.

Yeh, drove up to salt lake in a blizzard once, those massive trucks dont slow down!

Next day, checked - 36 inches of snow. So we made it through,what a day that was.
I dont stupid, try to avoid dead at the moment
I slow down, but when the weathers good, im one of the quickest

 

[kay]

Nevada recently passed a law making it an infraction to remain in the passing lane going less than the flow of traffic and not the actual legal posted speed limit. Specifically with those slower drivers in mind who may or may not be involved in such accidents, but often cause them.

What bothers me the most is going down the interstate and a semi does that along side another semi. Gets everything backed up with tail-gaters. Sometimes I'll just take a little break at the first available exit when that happens. I drive slower than most (speed limit) but I always stay on the right on the highway unless passing.

 

[Judge]

Yeh, drove up to salt lake in a blizzard once, those massive trucks dont slow down!

Next day, checked - 36 inches of snow. So we made it through,what a day that was.
I dont stupid, try to avoid dead at the moment
I slow down, but when the weathers good, im one of the quickest

I try to stay the hell away from large trucks all the time. If they aren't throwing stones, they're usually ripe for a jacknife, and I don't want to be anywhere near when it happens. Where "time is money", with safety as a lost cause.

 

[WittyAspie]

No speed limits either. Lots of smash ups... same problem,not slowing down for the weather.

I actually saw very few accidents while living in Germany. The no speed limits zones are outside the cities where there is little traffic.

 

[WittyAspie]

Now that's one thing that really chaffs my hide. SUV drivers who go the legal limit or faster when there is snow or ice on the road. You know, the guy you pass whose vehicle is upside-down along the edge of the freeway looking either stupid or very dead.

That's gotten really old...those drivers who pretend they're driving a tank rather than just a four-wheel drive vehicle which may or may not have better traction depending on the immediate road conditions.

And then we have those so-called "experienced" truckers who try to defy 70 mile-an-hour wind gusts and who end up on the six o'clock news....not for their driving prowess either.

Snow and ice are two completely different elements. (I see my fallacy concerning H2O and I’m leaving it.) One of the winters I spent in upstate NY the roads stayed white for months. You get used to driving on snow after awhile. Ice, on the other hand, offers zero traction and is always unsafe.