Like many couples, my wife and I spend a fair amount of time every week commuting: she to the west of our home, I to the east. In doing so, we have come to different conclusions about the drivers with whom we share the road. Living in Michigan, we assume that prevailing trends in vehicle buying are not shared with other states in our union, let alone countries abroad. In other words, people in Michigan still buy “American,” whatever that means anymore. With that being said, if I see a Chevy Equinox or GMC Terrain in my travels, there’s about a 3-in-1 chance that its driver will do something annoying, such as sitting too long at a four-way stop, changing lanes abruptly and for no reason, or weaving because they’re on a cell phone. Encores, Traverses, and Acadias are almost as likely a subject, but much of the time, I’ll find myself yelling “EQUINOX!”
On the other hand, my wife’s automotive nemesis is the Ford Escape. It must be that Michigan’s tastes in SUVs change the farther west one drives. The other day, however, I followed a rolling example of her frustration as we entered a parking lot, and an Escape driver who couldn’t hold a speed also followed the lines on the road in their head rather than on the actual road.
It might be that we’re all simply bad drivers, but it can’t be that simple, can it? I therefore ask you this: What vehicle do YOU see on the road that is certain to flummox you in your day-to-day driving?
Freakin’ Altimas man
Weirdly, drivers of Altima coupes are exempt.
+ 1 X 10^23!!!!!
I have ranted about Nissan drivers being a bunch of “Rouges” for YEARS!
But I’ve seen more than a few Altima coupes doing stupid things here in the Baltimore/Washington corridor for years too, but most of the time, when it’s an Altima (or Sentra) it’s a bas model sedan.
Big Altima Energy.
Here in my part of Central California, I would say white pickup trucks in general. But if one make and model had to be chosen, it’s Nissan Altima for the win with no close runner-ups.
I know stereotypes are a bad thing (hey, most would consider me a member of the loony left) but I’ve learned to be scared when an Altima is behind or near me. And for that matter, it was an Altima driver who several years ago backed out of a driveway and into the side of my car as I was standing still waiting for a red light …
I won’t indulge in speculation as to why the Altimas have the drivers they do, but it’s an incontrovertible fact as far as I’m concerned.
Yeah, it used to almost always be Altimas, but now most of the bonehead moves are done by old geezers like me driving some huge 2500 size diesel pickups or a Suburban type SUV. If it’s a car, it’s an Escape or a Charger, almost always both are black or silver.
9 times outta 10 I cannot tell the new cars apart! They ALL look the same to me! Blandish and…BLAH! No chrome, no CHARACTER!
Me too! If I can’t read the emblem on the back….forget it.
Driving behavior is how I tell modern cars apart, there’s no character anywhere else.
No one answer. Newish Buick drivers might be slow on the uptake; Japanese compacts festooned with stickers are situationally unaware, because they are telling you the only legit use for a car is to state a political agenda. I find the most annoying drivers in the Northeast to be BMW owners who have bought in to the mystique. And BMW feeds it by offering them brutishly fashioned musclecars in cartoon colors that look like they just drove off a fascist frieze. The attitude trickles down to the average Beemer driver, who is on your ass, daring you to brake check him. Jeremy Clarkson, no shrinking violet, said, with a shake of his fist, “BMW drivers want to WIN!”
If I have to choose just one, I’ll go with the RAM (or earlier Dodge Ram) pickup driver. In the southeast US, these are drivers so aggressive and random that one can observe the behavior before even being able to process what kind of truck it is, but when you do, it’s almost always a Ram.
Here in SWFL, Lexus drivers are the worst, especially those in ES 350s. Those cars have become the favorite of cotton-tops here, replacing the Buick LeSabre. They hog the left lane, doing just under the speed limit, because their turn might be three miles up the road. When the turn off happens to be to the right, they’ll veer across three lanes without compunction. Right behind them are the local dudes in their Ford 150s with tires so wide they take up 1 1/2 lanes. They loooooove doing them diesel dumps on unsuspecting Audi convertibles.
Out here, in NW Oregon, it’s Toyota owners that are most annoying.
Amazon delivery vans.
60% chance that one will do something frustrating, oblivious, annoying or dangerous. 90% chance when it’s driving around with its side sliding door open.
Dodge Rams (excluding models older than 1994).
Crap started to go down hill about the time automakers started including tachometers as standard equipment. Which nobody needs with a automatic transmission.
Bimmers and hulking “suv’s” in general
This area must be equal opportunity as annoying drivers can be found driving nearly anything.
However, back when I had my ’63 Ford Galaxie with its manual transmission in this hilly area, invariably when stopped (facing uphill, naturally) one type of car was always the one on my tail, waiting to see if I rolled backwards. What was it? A Toyota sedan – primarily Camrys with an occasional Corolla. It was like moths to a flame.
All kinds really but I do find myself saying “GD Subaru” kinda often
In my area it is always an older Nissan, of indeterminate model (because I have never cared to differentiate them in my mind), with at least one dented panel and at least one missing plastic wheel cover.
Agreed JP. I would also like to add any Chevrolet Impala or Malibu. Whenever I see one of these that is at least 5 years old or older it will have 2 or more “donuts” or temporary spares as a permanent tire as well as 2 or more damaged or dented panels. Any time you see a road rage incident, police chase, hit and run or armed robbery in Indianapolis chances are a POS Impala or Malibu was involved. A close second is the 2002 to 2008 Trailblazer or GMC Envoy. These have not aged well and are quite popular with drivers who like to frustrate other drivers. It seems that Chevrolet has really gone down market and as they age become the cockroach of the roads.
Also from Michigan here, there is no one brand that really sticks out as being more likely to do something goofy. I find instead, its the time of day when I am commuting that determines my level of angst.
For instance, my best commute buddies are entering the freeway with me by 6:30am.
I can tell you with no reservations that if someone is excessively accelerating from a stoplight in this area, it will more than likely be a Charger or a Challenger.
A dubious honor previously held by several generation of Mustangs.
Fart-can exhaust says it all.
Lol, what is truly disturbing is insanos on screaming rice burners doing a 100+. Always have to watch rear view carefully.
Far more irritating is the various boobs who are not going all that much faster but inside on running two gears to low so their engines are shrieking .
-Nate
Likely candidates for annoying, lazy, inattentive driving – Citroen Picasso (compact MPV), Nissan Qashqai or Micra, battered Prius minicab, older Hyundai
For pushy driving, which is even more annoying sometimes – Audis, BMW with wider wheels but still one exhaust (so a dressed up 318 not a 330), white van man (the Amazon driver effect Aaron referred to)
No one make or model is the specialty of frustrating drivers, so I will categorize what I encounter in Flatlandia USA:
1) The Hoon (thanks to the Aussies for giving us this word). A young man usually in a Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, or Charger, but a young man in a fast car (or a slow car he INSISTS on driving fast) speeding, tailgating, and weaving through traffic quickly changing lanes. Bonus points if he’s modified the stock exhaust to REALLY annoy you. 🏁
2) The Weaver. Weaves back and forth between lanes as they watch Google or Apple Maps on their phone, or talks on their phone while holding it in the palm of their hand. Bonus points if they speed up and slow down while weaving. 🤳🏻
3) The Auld Phart. Used to be seen in old Buicks, Toyotas, and sometimes Hondas but has now graduated to CUVs. Ten under? In the far right lane of a four or six lane highway, OK, a nuisance but one that can be passed. In the passing lanes? A moving blood clot. Also shows the singular inability to understand you need to be at HIGHWAY SPEEDS if you are merging onto a highway from an on ramp. 🥱
4) The Intimidator. Believes tailgating you in their enormous Pickup or SUV will get you to drive faster. 😠
5) OH MY GOD A ROUNDABOUT!!!! QUICK, WHAT DO I DO?!?!?? I know, I’ll drive through at 10 MPH. 🙄
Here in and around NJ, those who don’t understand keep right, pass left always have PA tags. I call them “Left-Laner Pennsylvaner’s”
The Rhode Islanders call their bad-driving neighbors “Massholes”. But the general lane changing strategy in that part of the country seems to be to get half a car length ahead (rear bumper even with car door) and then switch lanes into the other car, forcing it to slow down and/or move over a lane.
Q: What’s a Vermonter’s definition of “an instant”?
A: The amount of time between when the light turns green and when the Masshole behind you honks.
European-luxury-brand SUVs with MA plates are the worst of the worst. And the bigger, the worse.
mmack,
“… the singular inability to understand you need to be at HIGHWAY SPEEDS if you are merging onto a highway…
Indeed. This is a recurring fear that I witness from behind and have no recourse to do anything but wince, hang back a bit (hopefully with no one behind me), and actually feel bad for the 18 wheel semi drivers who are seeing a slow and/or oblivious merger manuever, and trying their best to avoid physical contact.
Many of my cohort (The Auld Phart) avoid high speed merging roads for this reason alone, and I must admit I find it a bit disconcerting as well.
If ever there was a time to be on full alert, scanning all the mirrors, be aware of all close traffic, and not be afraid to hit the gas hard at the right time, it is during the high speed merge maneuver. It is probably the most full-alert-moment needed of any driver, sort of like a Navy pilot doing a night-time cable capture on an aircraft carrier.
And yet, I see slow and oblivious highway mergers all the time. All makes, all models, cars, SUVs, CUVs, and and trucks.
It’s not the vehicle; it’s the *$#%!&^* drivers.
A fast highway will have usually have at least two lanes in either direction. In my opinion, a good driver that is already on the highway will/should be able to see someone about to merge and prepare by temporarily moving into the left lane well ahead of the merge zone in order to make the merge as safe as possible for both parties.
Conversely, a good merger will not be afraid to use their vehicle’s performance. But some vehicles just aren’t able to make the ideal speed, often in conjunction with a poorly designed (usually too short or too steep uphill) ramp and/or inclement weather conditions. And let’s face it, lots of people already on the highway are traveling in excess of the posted or safe limit, thus artificially increasing the necessary “safe merging speed”
Much of the problem seems to be drivers not looking far enough ahead and/or being too possessive of “their” space and then being unwilling to make allowances for others, it’s a give and take.
Another merging issue is when you have 4 full lanes and not heavy traffic yet someone is going 80+ in the right lane
Yes, this, and I merge onto a freeway where one sees this every morning. The cars come over a rise and then down upon the entrance of which many cars are getting up to speed. Most all hesitate because they can see these cars coming down upon them in total violation of the slow lane which is 65 and slower. Usually I’m at the end of the line with all the cars pausing in front of me. Can’t get up to speed so I just pull right out in front of those speeders every time. Most get irritated. Tough cookies. Meanwhile all those in front of me can now get on the freeway.
This is a problem, my old Mercedes Diesel taxi struggles to reach 45 MPH when coming up an on ramp and the local truckers all want to go 85 + in the slow lane .
-Nate
It’s been said that merging onto a busy freeway is the second most difficult task in everyday driving.
The first, which is no longer as common as it used to be: Passing a slower vehicle on a 2-lane highway (one lane in each direction) with heavy traffic or limited passing zones.
Mmack (bro NBC?) watch out for the not-too-old, not-too-new Camry or similar vehicle with the rear corner dinged up and caved in a bit on the side. They often come with both sides matching in damage. That’s the merging driver to watch out for.
Don’t get me started on roundabouts! Here in central Ohio, they’ve gone roundabout crazy. I can think of some places that have serial roundabouts, two or three in a row.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… before a traffic engineer can specify a roundabout, they must agree to have a set of electrodes attached to their delicate parts which will activate every time a vehicle enters said roundabout.
Now, get off of my lawn! 😉
There is an intersection where they put yet another roundabout that I was going through for the first time. I didn’t know they had installed it, I thought they had just replaced the nearby bridge over a small creek that becomes a dangerously fast moving torrent when it rains heavily. So, I was behind some woman in a “Melty” F150, and she apparently was shocked enough to almost lose control as she went into the roundabout at the 45 speed limit. The Charger going through honked at her and flashed his lights. She ended up driving into the nearby Sheriff’s substation which exited right in the roundabout. I half expected the Sheriff’s Explorer getting fuel to come after her when she slammed on her brakes and made a very quick U-Turn to get out of there. She then decided to tailgate me all the way down the road until I turned off. Later on, someone I know who lives near there said they hear brakes being slammed and horns honking a lot there, that one stretch of road now has 4 roundabouts in about 3 miles. And the locals still haven’t figured out how they work.
There’s always a Subaru in the way
Any make of 4 wheel drive truck that parks with one wheel on a short stump or rock. If no stump or rock is handy they’ll often park on a snowbank, usually at an extreme angle. They often drive to intimidate others. Rolling Coal is their idea of something but I don’t know what.
I’m going to have to join the camp that says it’s not just one type or make, but rather the skill set of drivers in general seems to have declined and so whatever vehicle I notice the most of seems to be the most frustrating at that time.
At one point, I noticed the most Priuses and would have gone on record saying that THEY were the most frustrating. Then, as Priuses became less noticable, my attention shifted to Teslas. Now, it definitely seems to be any of the GM crossovers (whereupon I will agree with Aaron’s impression for sure). But really, this is all selection bias on my part.
What I do think is frustrating is indeed perpetually frustrating…and that’s inattentive driving, made worse with speed and poor road manners. I encounter a lot of that and it seems to come in all sorts of different vehicular packages.
It’s easy to tell who is on their smartphone while driving. Weaves, speeds up and slows down, leaves a ton of room ahead, but still sometimes needs to panic stop before running into the guy in front of him.
So many cars, so little time, but since some above are grouping by type, I’ll do the same.
Again, this it the Baltimore Area:
Extremely aggressive idiots… more often a Nissan as I mentioned above (and previously when this subject has come up).
Left lane campers: Prius… the winner hands down, although Subarus too hold this distinction (and hold up traffic as well) – Exception to the too slow Subaru Rule: the WRX.
We don’t have the big aggressive monster truck as bad here in the Northeast as bad as those in the south, but we do have our share. Coal rollers are the worst.
The BMW effect is also present around here… add Audis to that bunch as well. Mercedes drivers seem to behave much better.
The Muscle Car Contingent… for the aggressive, it’s almost always a V8… in order of bad behavior: The Dodges, then the Mustangs, followed by the Camaros.
Tesla drivers are a mixed bag. Some are aggressive because they can with all that massive acceleration capability, but many times it’s a driver oblivious to their car’s capabilities, and the don’t get out of the fast lane….
…segueing into ANY driver who is distracted while driving. They’ll left lane camp (like the aforementioned Prius drivers ALWAYS seem to do), but what’s worse they can’t hold their lane. Remember the Corolla commercial from a few years ago with the girls driving the car and they drift across the centerline and the car nudges them back? (And Toyota was proud enough to tout this feature!?!?) – yes, it is for whom this feature exists. Why promote this behavior?!?!?
Thanks for the opportunity to rant, Aaron. I know here at CC, we try to be civil, but this sometimes feels really good to get this subject off of one’s chest.
1. Altimas
2. Newish Dodge cars
3. Ford Raptors
Never saw a Nissan Murano that wasn’t piloted in a slapdash, scofflaw manner. Vehicle should have been named Morono.
Fairly consistent annoyers in my locale, two and polar opposite ends of the personality spectrum.
Honda Odyssey: Overprotective, timid, always in the way, slow, last to pull away from a red light.
Dodge Charger: Aggressive alpha thugs that drive like arses.
My personal nemesis is the 2016-2021 Honda Civic – the normal trims, not the Type-R or Si. Their drivers think their 158-hp grocery-getters are F1 cars and are exempt from turn signals. Couple that with the fact that they are depreciating (as much as they can in this point in time) – the pool of drivers they attract keeps getting worse.
BMW
Subaru
Old clapped-out Honda
Depends on the part of town Im in as to who the a holes are and their preferred wheels
In da hood I24 thru Antioch its the Altima drivers, always with body damage. Same with older model Impalas/Malibus that are beat to hell. Chargers/Challengers are also crazy aggresive but keep their cars looking nice. Older Infiniti G35/Nissan 350z are popular among the Kurdish youth who like to raise hell
Anywhere else in TN its the big ass pickup/lifted brodozer. Especially diesel dodge rams. Always tailgating you and must drive 90-100mph. Owners must have a micropenis, it isnt the big truck that I mind, its the aggresive/dangerous driving, gotta show the world that they are “the alpha male”
Older Camrys, say 97-2010ish. Slooooooowwwwww drivers. It’s almost a guarantee that when your coming up on a stoplight with a semi truck up front one lane and a Camry in the other, the semi truck will accelerate up to speed faster. Most other drivers bet wrong and pile behind the Camry, but I’ve learned the pattern. Nissan Versa is the runner up.
All new model privately owned “crewcab” pickup trucks in the suburbs. Seems like 75% of men have them and they moved up to them from a compact as their previous vehicle, as they have no situational awareness of their bulk. I guess I should give them a break though, I’m sure they have a ranch to attend to in Naperville (I may have yelled that line out the window before)
I agree with others, Altima drivers are almost universally deranged. “Where’s a cop when you need them?” often comes to mind when I see an Altima weaving, tailgating et al. Also the most likely source of car if you smell weed on the road. Altimas somehow are actually are the exception to the rule that smoking makes you chill.
Exactly what you said about Camrys is what I wanted to say about Equinoxes. Somehow they will always lose to every semi, dump truck, school bus, UPS truck, U-Haul, tractor, etc.
BMW
Lexus
Fart can Honda’s
I feel like I’m the old spinster librarian telling the kids to pipe down as I’m not really a fan of these types of posts, as they invariably result in stereotypes and confirmation bias (if you think XXX drivers are all jerks, you will keep noticing XXX; it’s a variation of the CC Effect).
Note how disparate the answers are; am I to believe that Altima drivers are all jerks in one state, Camry/Corolla drivers in another, and BMW drivers in another yet, and so on? Sorry, but you’re all just confirming your own biases.
But don’t let me stop you, even though this actually goes against our commenting policies, I’ll give you all a pass today. 🙂
Yeah, sorry Paul. Probably a bonehead move on my part even asking…after witnessing the Escape driver the other day, my curiosity got the best of me, I guess.
I already knew the answer anyway…since most people in my area have access to GM employee discounts through a relative or two, we see a TON of GM SUVs, hence my seeing their drivers do stupid things on a daily basis.
I’m the spinster driver in my manual ’17 Cruze. I try to signal not to tailgate away from a stop, by removing my foot from the brake before the light changes. Use handbrake if necessary. Some drivers don’t get it… haven’t got rear-ended yet but it’s been close. First gear is very short in those & big gap to 2nd. Don’t like to rev it out in 1st. Long wait to change gears. Sorry. Toyota & Hyundai/Kia drivers are most common tailgaters, though they’re most often driven by young women who (more often than men anyway) may have never heard of a manual transmission much less understand how it works.
Fair point, well made
To make amends, I’ll always wave at a fellow Alfa Romeo driver
Good points Paul! I know when I was growing up in Pittsburgh, PA and environs (known as the Tri-State Area), natives always griped about the bad Ohio drivers.
Yes, it’s always the Other Guy who’s a jerk!
Well, yeah! I’m a much-better-than-average driver, just like everyone else (except the Other Guy).
Sorry Paul…
Before writers post articles, doesn’t an editor or senior writer here, review their work, and topic? I’d recommend writers have others review their ideas, just to cover themselves. Even if a quick review.
Something I learned working at magazines and newspapers. Always important to have another set of eyes review an article/topic before going to final.
No offence to the writer or policies, it’s just a safety check. I remember an article where a writer was highly critical of the PT Cruiser. And the post section push back here, was strong. The writer somewhat hung himself out to dry, if he posted, without running his story idea by somebody else.
Even if Aaron is articulate and writes well, having another set of eyes on a topic, is a good idea.
The writer critical of a specific customized Cruiser. While many posters felt the workmanship, if not the aesthetics, was very well executed.
^^ Thanks Paul. Though I will offer my observation, of commercial delivery drivers, that UPS are the best, FedEx a notch less careful, and Amazon, DHL and OnTrac are at the bottom. I suspect that has to do with training, monitoring and the use of contractors.
One good thing about the super high diesel fuel prices: it hurts those exhibitionist anti-eco “coal rollers” in their stupid bro-dozers right in the pocket… and that’s no confirmation bias, those people are a-holes, pure and simple!
Out here in Southern California, most Prius owners drive like they’re driving a Prius. I’m not saying that all Prius owners are bad drivers, just that when I do come across a bad driver, more often than not they’re driving a Prius.
Jimmy see my comment the Aqua is a more economical hybrid than the Prius.
Another southern California resident here. The 3 worst where I’m at are:
1. Any Prius
2. Most any BMW (excludes the 7 series and some of the little EV cars).
3. Every Tesla.
When I lived in SoCal, I noticed a consistent behavior that wasn’t specific to any make or model- A large contingent of drivers BRAKED during a lane change.
I’m not sure why, but cars in front of me would consistently move into my lane while slowing down, forcing me on the brake to match their new (slower) speed.
I think it may be a case of “Changing lanes is scary,” and their unconscious reaction was to lift the throttle and rest their foot on the brake pedal. I don’t notice it as much here in Denver, but I spend very little time on the freeway now that I have retired.
When I was learning to drive, my father took me out on Philadelphia’s Schuylkill Expressway for my first highway driving experience. I distinctly remember passing a truck, and then unconsciously slowing down as I switched back into the right-hand lane.
Dad screamed at me: DON’T SLOW DOWN – THAT’S ONE OF THE MOST ANNOYING THINGS THAT BAD DRIVERS DO!! (Dad had a great capacity for yelling.) He’s right; it’s annoying. That was over three decades ago – I haven’t done it since.
Something you’ll probably see more of with electrification, since many EVs in one-pedal mode will light the brake lights as soon as the driver lifts off the throttle.
Prius, in the past, and Tesla now, have been at or near the top of car sales in California quite a lot of the time. And BMW probably sells better here than most parts of the country. So if you see a lot of bad drivers in those cars, it probably just means there are a lot of bad drivers in SoCal.
RI drivers, especially on I95 in RI, are among the worst, weaving in and out of lanes. If a turn signal is used, you should consider it a warning that you are about to be cut off, and say thank you for their courtesy. The multiple up/down speed limits on the stretch from Pawtucket to Warwick don’t do any favors to safety either.
Any ultra expensive SUV on the Merritt Parkway in CT, typically Range Rovers, BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexi.
Not limited to any particular model, but anyone that can’t maintain vehicle speed on a highway whenever they encounter the slightest incline is infuriating, especially in the passing lane.
I do this, saves some gas when I’m not in a hurry. But always in the slow lane and when conditions permit.
Ford Ranger they are either holding up a queue of traffic or if you are speeding, riding your back bumper trying to overtake, though Toyota Aquas seem to hold up a lot of traffic they get fantastic fuel mileage and owners seem to want to wring even more from them, I drive something limited to 89/90 KMH daily and I get stuck behind such things.
Most frustrating is the vehicle that does 80kmh on our two lane blacktop then when a passing lane appears suddenly accelerates to the speed limit or slightly above, my daily work ride is governed to 90 and does even less uphill (50,000kg and only 550hp) so the 80kmh pest is impossible to get past acceleration in a vehicle such as I drive is glacial at best, thank gawd for hourly rate.
Here in Australia if there’s anything wrong with the traffic flow – too slow, too fast, stupid merge, no indicators, red-light running, whatever – you can pretty much bet there’s a Commodore driver causing it. But then they’re a huge proportion of the overall traffic sample.
Mercedes here in Southern Ontario. Cutting people off, driving 50 or more kilometers per hour above the speed limit (one was recently clocked at230 kms/h I think, in a 100 zone.
Bimmers are the other offenders. Blow through four way stops, red light runners, block drivers trying to merge onto the highway, and making their cars sound way too loud.
As a counter point, I have heard others complain about the Hellcat cars from Chry, no,
Stellantis. Not that there are that many around.
Camry “drivers”
.Prado “drivers”.
Corolla “drivers’.
Other red flags are 25/50 year auto club membership stickers.
Jesus stickers or the fish badge.
And the last two to a Camry and you’ll do better picking the lane with the B double in it.
And certain demograpics.
George Carlin sums it up the best.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DXWPCE2tTLZQ&ved=2ahUKEwj1_NbLlM37AhVAjYkEHT0WB1QQwqsBegQICBAF&usg=AOvVaw119IhRYyovG7wc0Ntm6iyV
I waited until Paul gave us permission to stereotype here as I well remember we’re not to say Prius drivers are jerks😄. Around Santa Monica and the Westside drivers of Range Rovers are the worst; they take command of the road and do what they please in all circumstances and others are required to watch out for their maneuvers and drive defensively. As with the poster from Rhode Island above, most any driver of a large, luxury brand SUV appears to think the vehicle’s badge and bulk gives them permission to do what they want.
“It seems that Chevrolet has really gone down market and as they age become the cockroach of the roads.”
? You’re aware that GM set the Chevrolet Division at the very bottom of the old Sloan Ladder ? .
“The best in low cost transportation ” etc…..
When Prius were new they clogged the left lanes of So. Cal. freeways ans were smirking at you when you passed them on the right .
‘bro-dozers’ : unmitigated @$$#oles and they’re proud of it too .
‘massholes’ ~ Uh, oh ~ guilty as charged even though I don’t live there anymore .
At least my poor driving is oriented towards speeding traffic up not being slow .
-Nate
If it’s a car either driving in the dark with its headlights off or with its highbeams on all the time – it’s almost always a Toyota of some sort.
And with the headlights off, it’s very often a Prius. I’ve always suspected the owners think they are getting a few more mpg – but it’s just as likely that Prius drivers are so detached from the act of driving that they are mainly oblivious to it.
https://easytodrive.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/1-1.jpg
I have resisted the need to comment other than the brief note above, but I have no self-control, so here goes. Like most (perhaps even all?) CC’ers here I’m a good driver. I care about cars and driving. I’m safe, skillful, courteous and respectful. On the other hand, I’ve also owned a Prius, a TransAm, a BMW, a turbo Subaru, a sports car, and multiple 4 wheel drive trucks and SUV’s with big off-road tires. I’ve also been a tourist driving rental Ford Escapes (though never an Equinox) as well as some Nissans and Kia’s. And now I spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a big converted van, in other words an RV, often on twisty mountain roads. I hope it wasn’t me you guys have been complaining about. Because I’m a good driver, it’s the other guy who isn’t.
In STL, it is usually more about the provenance of the car. Usually paperwork free, except for a temp-tag which expired over a year earlier. The most dangerous- the ones likely to be cutting up a city street at triple digit speeds are always Chargers/Challengers, followed closely by Kias and Hyundais with the rear quarter light broken out. Indeed, I think Chargers/Challengers have replaced white Pontiac Grand Prixes with smashed bumpers as the most likely to endanger one’s life. Street racing with stolen cars by the under 18 set is a real issue here, not sure if it is everywhere else too and has killed many pedestrians and innocent motorists. Of course going from dangerous to merely annoying is the habit of people camping in the fast lane of the interstate at 50mph so that they can text or play games on their phone with a clear highway and nobody to have to worry about in front of them.
A sad, slow line of vehicles trapped behind a Toyota Ecoshitbox is a “Prius Parade”.
More generally, and potentially more-true a few decades ago: Not all Fords cause traffic jams, but most traffic jams are caused by Fords.
Share cars. Evo, Modo, Zipcar, all the same: a large proportion of users don’t drive regularly, so at best they’re out of practice at everything about driving and parking and operating a vehicle. This means poor lane selection and lanekeeping; hesitance and thoughtless behaviour at traffic lights and junctions; no lights after dark or high beams in traffic, and drawn-out, traffic-blocking, sloppy attempts at parallel parking. And because they’re allowed (at least here) to park almost anywhere—permit-only zones, etc—they frequently park even where they actually aren’t allowed.
Excellent points (as always). Why it is so helpful for pedestrians and other drivers, these share cars, consistently have loud exterior branding. Making them, and their poor driving probabilities, easily spotted, and anticipated in traffic.
Canada Post delivery drivers racked up $7.5 million dollars in parking tickets between 2009 and 2019. The cost of competitive delivery.
Imagine, how it reflects in their driving.
Expanding upon Daniel’s post above about share cars, I find the ‘professional’ commercial drivers that operate transit buses, dump trucks, delivery trucks, etc., often are among the most aggressive on the road. Defensive driving skills, too often grossly absent.
‘Professional’ drivers, appearing often as an oxymoron. Obviously, they being a product of the business culture that promotes this.
7 L.A.F.D.Ha ~ for a brief time I got stuck handling all the L.A.P.D. ‘s tickets for violating the ‘FASTPASS’ boondoggle .
What moron doesn’t want cops, firemen and ambulance drivers to respond quickly ?!.
Prolly the same one who flagged every L.A.P.D. BMW Motocycle but never anyone else’s….
(ALL Motocyles are exempt from the FASTPASS fees)
– Nate
Currently the most eye rolling cars I see these days, particularly around the Charleston, SC area, are the Chargers and Challengers. One, they are like Zoolander: THEY ONLY HAVE ONE LOOK! They have done three facelifts (maybe four? I lost count and interest) for Charger and two for Challenger but they still look the same! Two, they all have annoyingly loud exhaust regardless if it’s a lame duck SXT V6 or a SRT 8. Three, most are aftermarket stickered up with hideous wheels adding to the stereotype. Four, there’s usually a wall of these at car shows with “Midnight Mopar” stickers where they all look the same: cheap crappy mods. There’s also always a larger wall of Mustang owners but they are less annoying because there’s always a larger diversity of colors and modifications. Five, turn your stereo down a bit, I would like to hear my own music. Six, they usually drive like complete jerks, heavy on the throttle for maximum noise. This is particularly true for the older, more clapped ones that younger kids can afford and then put on the cheap mods that then usually end up with half a bumper parked in front of the big box auto parts store to get them LED lights or blue spark plug wires.
In the NY area from the mid 70`s to the mid 90`s it was always a Volvo driver, usually from CT or NJ with a ‘liberal’ sticker on the back bumper. Later on it was generally an 75 year or older Hyundai driver going at least 10 miles below the speed limit on a highway. A few years into the minivan era, it was always a ‘soccer mom’ taking her daughter and friends to the game. Here in NJ, it`s always a huge SUV with a ‘Karen’ chattering away on her cellphone,or some smart *ss kid in a Toyota or Honda ‘tuner’ blasting some rap song on the disco grade stereo system.
Maybe forty years ago, I would have said people driving a Chrysler product.
Now, it isn’t brand specific. It’s size specific. I have found the selfishness and aggression of drivers is directly proportional to the size of their vehicle. There are a few exceptions, pickup and big SUV drivers that will, for instance, stop far enough back from a driveway threshold so that I can see around the front of their truck to see if any traffic is coming before making a right turn. But when I’m being tailgated, it’s almost always a huge pickup or SUV. When a light turns green and I am about to proceed through an intersection, it’s almost always a big pickup or SUV on the cross street that runs the red light. Last week, I saw a school bus run a red light.
It’s more the time of day for me. Rush hour brings out the best drivers here in the Greater Toronto area.
Mid -day brings out timid, middle aged drivers operating pristine older economy cars, especially the ubiquitous Corrola. They drive too slowly in an attempt to be cautious but are oblivious to the many driving errors they’re making.
After midnight brings out banzai driving lunatics who cruise the 400 series highways at twice the speed limit in expensive German cars and shrieking sport bikes . These people terrify me as they swerve and speed through the relatively light traffic, dodging other traffic at 200++ km/h. The slightest error means a catastrophic crash (which happen regularly) often taking out innocent motorists. Friday and Saturday nights see the worst offenders.
Anything driven by Mr. Wheeler.
Out here in CO, the most annoying group of drivers are also the most unsafe. As many have pointed out, brodozer-pickups seem to attract the worst. Lifted, off-road prepped (but always very clean…hmmm?) trucks have handling and braking characteristics greatly handicapped by simple physics. So the worst group of tailgaters and high speed lane hoppers are the least capable of avoiding emergency situations. Go figure.
Given the 680 corridor and the 24 corridor I’d have to say many high end cars which could be MBZ, BMW, Audi and the like chasing each other at speeds around 85 mph weaving in and out among normal drivers. The San Mateo Bridge, on a Saturday morning, is very bad with cars hitting 100+ mph weaving in the three lanes. This from someone I know driving his 300Z at 75 getting blown off the bridge. The next group would be new trucks, large tires, high off the ground like many come, you know the type, driven by males under 40. They are also weaving in and out of 50 mph traffic thinking they can do 80 mph.
Rural Michigan. Had to do long trips at night for many years. Seemed like way too often, the drivers who refused to dim their lights, were driving a full size Chevy or GMC pickup. Far more often than if it was a random sample of vehicles on the road.
I’m not from the US, but in my area (rural southern Italy) the most frustrating drivers basically all drive 188-series (2nd gen) Fiat Puntos. That’s because 9 out of 10 are driven by old people who have some weird passion for going 20km/h under the speed limit and braking at random
Subarus.
I drive 25k miles a year in the minneapolis Metro.
It’s always a Subaru. Around here they’re rolling traffic cones.
I don’t know how I missed this but I did. But I still feel obliged to comment, in order.
Large pickup truck drivers
Large domestic pickup truck drivers
Large domestic 4WD pickup truck drivers
Large domestic 4WD jacked up pickup truck drivers
Large domestic 4WD jacked up diesel pickup truck drivers
Diverging from the above theme, I think I’d have to say Honda Civics. Older and not stock. Likely slammed with aftermarket headlights that are likely illegal and or poorly aimed. Generally driven by young men who may or may not need to shave on a regular basis yet. There are an assortment of makes/models of similar configuration, but Civics seem to dominate. The slammed part while not my taste, doesn’t really bother me, noisy exhausts do, but they have so much company it’s irrelevant, but headlights, which often even they cant see with, in the pursuit of cool, do irritate me, as well as often buzzing by at 90 only to slam on the brakes to catch an offramp. Jeez, if they’re going to boogie, at least do it when traffic is light and there will be less impact on other drivers.
I have to wonder how you know the names of dildos…..
-Nate
(who’s not tiny but drives a 40 year old Diesel Mercedes and is probably hindering traffic)