How aggressively do you drive?

[Hilary Algar]

When driving a vehicle (car, truck, SUV, crossover, etc) how aggressively do you drive and what are some of the side-effects?

[Jack Batty]

I only try to whip the aggression when it's needed. I'm perfectly happy to be the second guy in line when merging; I'm at peace yielding when I'm turning left; I'm perfectly calm if someone passes my on the highway.

But if you must be the first person in that merge line - even when you're 30 feet behind me - or when you have no clue that left turning traffic must yield, or you're driving 10 miles under the limit in front of me ... I tend to get a little lead-footy.

[IvoryTowerDenizen]

I've only gotten one ticket, over twenty years ago, for speeding. My car gets lousy gas mileage period, but I get what is expected, not worse.

I drive fast, but I don't tailgate, cut people off, make reckless left turns etc.

[don't ask]

I speed all the time. I was booked a month ago.

I'm an excellent driver.

[Acid Lamp]

I drive moderately aggressive, but really only when others are going well under the limit or other behaviours that are inhibiting traffic. My last ticket was for illegal u-turn and no seatbelt. Before that it was years.

[FairyChatMom]

I'm mostly a very mellow driver. Then again, a Scion xA isn't exactly the car for a badass... Probably the nastiest thing I do is not let an idiot merge in when he/she refuses to play nice like all the other drivers. You take your turn like everyone else, dammit! You don't get to jump the line just because you feel entitled.

I rarely exceed the speed limit by more that 5 MPH and I stay to the right. I signal, I accelerate and decelerate smoothly. I've never flipped off another driver. I do admit to questioning the parentage of certain other operators, but it's within the privacy of my own vehicle.

My observations over the years have been that those who drive like idiots generally are waiting when I get to the next traffic light. Hardly seems worth the aggravation they cause themselves.

[enipla]

Originally Posted by Jack Batty

I only try to whip the aggression when it's needed. I'm perfectly happy to be the second guy in line when merging; I'm at peace yielding when I'm turning left; I'm perfectly calm if someone passes my on the highway.

But if you must be the first person in that merge line - even when you're 30 feet behind me - or when you have no clue that left turning traffic must yield, or you're driving 10 miles under the limit in front of me ... I tend to get a little lead-footy.

Pretty much this. Different situations cause for different driving techniques. Driving in Denver is way different than driving in Breckenridge.

[dalej42]

I've been in 4 car crashes in 20 years of driving. I'm a boring passive driver. My work commute is about one mile, so I don't drive very much anyway. I last got a ticket in the 1980s when I didn't know about small town speed traps.

[Chefguy]

I'm only aggressive in a passive way, as in slowing down when somebody is tailgating me in a residential area. Haven't had a ticket since about 1990, when driving a bit too fast on a county road in Minnesota. Haven't had an accident since 1964. I get great mileage no matter what, since I drive a Prius.

[gotpasswords]

Haven't had a ticket yet. AFAIK, as long as you're not a maniac, and don't actually pass a cop on the highway, they'll ignore you up to about 80 MPH. Good thing, as the commute traffic flow often gets to 75 in a 60 zone.

[jz78817]

What insurer do you work for, Hilary Algar?



^ this means my comment is in jest

[Amblydoper]

Originally Posted by dalej42

I've been in 4 car crashes in 20 years of driving.

Isn't that a lot? I think that's a lot. My only wreck was when I was 17, and I haven't had a collision in 13 years. This needs another poll!

[John DiFool]

Depends on what you mean by "aggressive". I will punch it on highway on-ramps (partly for the rush, yes, but also being pragmatic too so that I am up to highway flow speed ASAP-I consider people who dawdle at 45 MPH at the merge in that situation as being far more dangerous). I will take some corners a little fast, if conditions are good, nobody else is around, and there isn't a 1,000 foot dropoff. But I don't tailgate, I don't weave in and out of traffic, I'll yield to someone else typically as my first impulse, and I don't use my phone while in motion. I voted "slightly aggressive".

[Rushgeekgirl]

I'm not aggressive at all. I rarely go over the speed limit and then it's less than ten mph. I am the one who annoys other people by allowing people in but I just don't see what the big deal is. If people left on time they wouldn't need to be in such a hurry.

I've never had a ticket or an accident in 25 years of driving. I got a parking ticket once when my car broke down in a school zone. I probably could have fought it but eh.

If I'm in my daughter's car I get good mileage but in the van it's not so great, but you can't expect much from an '88 Econoline.

[guizot]

Originally Posted by Amblydoper

This needs another poll!

Asking people to rate own their driving is going to be pretty pointless no matter how you do it--this poll seems either to be some kind of psychology experiment, or to have been designed on a cocktail napkin during a lull at the bar.

[Cat Whisperer]

I drive too aggressively; I'm actively working on becoming less aggressive behind the wheel. I don't get a lot of tickets (my last one was about two years ago for rolling through a stop sign, and before that, a couple of years ago making a right turn where it wasn't allowed). My repercussions for driving too aggressively are that I get too upset, and I upset people around me.

[SenorBeef]

I'm totally laid back as a driver.

People get themselves worked up and so pissed off and in a bad mood all day, dodging and weaving through traffic, swearing at other cars - and they probably beat me by what, a few minutes a trip*? Relax, put on an interesting podcast or good music, and get there when you get there.

The first two "do not pick this option" got 7 votes, but the last one got 8. One guy was able to resist pushing that button twice, but the third time you tempted him, he just couldn't resist.

*If that. It's funny how you always tend to see the guy who was weaving through traffic and cutting you off to get ahead of you stuck at the same red light you are after that.

[Clothahump]

Mr. Cruise Control is my bestest friend. He works better than all the radar detectors in the world in terms of keeping me from getting tickets.

[EmAnJ]

I'm somewhat aggressive, but you have to be here. By aggressive, I mean I will push my way in to traffic if someone is being an asshole, I step on it on the on ramp to get up to speed, and I get annoyed by slow drivers on the left or people who don't know how to merge properly.

My last ticket was right after I got my driver's license 15 years ago for not wearing my seatbelt properly (I didn't have the shoulder strap on). I've never been in an accident.

[Sudden Kestrel]

I'm a really laid-back driver, but I do almost all - okay, absolutely all - of my driving on country roads or small-town roads. I drive just a bit above the speed limit and stay in the right lane, use my signals religiously, move over for stalled/emergency vehicles, etc. I refuse to get mad while driving these days, but in my youth I frequently had one hand on the wheel and the other flipping some poor schmuck the bird.

I have never had a traffic ticket. I get 34 mpg.

I think I must be boring.

[Lanzy]

Somewhat aggressive tending towards very agressive, speed pretty much every day. Lane change a lot but I signal when I do, believe most people dick around in the road too much.

No tickets for 25 years.

If I robbed stores all the time I would carry a gun, I don't but I have a good radar detector.

[drewtwo99]

Somehow I get the feeling that this poll had nothing to do with wanting to learn about driving habits.

For the record, I did NOT select those options.

[SenorBeef]

You're right, it's secretly a marketing survey about pizza topping preferences.

[chela]

I slow down for tailgaters, I figure if they're in a rush and have the nuts they can go ahead and try to pass me. If they choke and don't pass it's gonna be a long trip down the highway.

lately it's the people who drive with their brights on that are irritating - Last night some yahoo was riding my bumper with his brights on, so I slowed a bit to give him a chance to pass, he didn't so I turned on my rear fog lights, and he backed off. god did that make me feel smug.

[flatlined]

Originally Posted by Cat Whisperer

I drive too aggressively; I'm actively working on becoming less aggressive behind the wheel. I don't get a lot of tickets (my last one was about two years ago for rolling through a stop sign, and before that, a couple of years ago making a right turn where it wasn't allowed). My repercussions for driving too aggressively are that I get too upset, and I upset people around me.

Start carrying a gun. I'm not joking, I used to get all road ragey over nothing. I took a lot of gun safety classes before getting my CCW permit and one of the things that sunk in is that now that I have the power to use lethal force, its my responsibility to stay out of situations where I might do so. The road rage went away. Now I will pull over for tailgaters, slow down and give them room to pass me.

Go away, fool, just go away

Originally Posted by Clothahump

Mr. Cruise Control is my bestest friend. He works better than all the radar detectors in the world in terms of keeping me from getting tickets.

QFT. I lurves Mr. Cruise Control. I depends on him so much. He is the best stress releaser ever!

[Critical Mass]

All in all, I'm pretty passive. I drove a tractor trailer for a couple of years and my motorcycle is big and heavy - the two wheel version of a land yacht. Aggressive driving won't make for a long career with either vehicle. Driving these vehicles teaches one to be patient and thinking a number of steps ahead so there aren't a lot of surprises.

Living in a medium sized town doesn't require too much accelerator punching.

I travel to larger cities often. I find when I'm in huge cities like Chicago or Montreal that by my standards, I'm driving aggressively. But it's really just to keep up with the volume and pace of the traffic. It's a bit of a rush navigating big city traffic because it's not a daily thing for me.

[Hilary Algar]

Originally Posted by jz78817

What insurer do you work for, Hilary Algar?



^ this means my comment is in jest

[drewtwo99]

I have a feeling we're all getting wooshed here, somehow... those "do not choose this option" options are really bugging me.

[Hilary Algar]

Originally Posted by SenorBeef

You're right, it's secretly a marketing survey about pizza topping preferences.

[Hilary Algar]

Originally Posted by guizot

Asking people to rate own their driving is going to be pretty pointless no matter how you do it--this poll seems either to be some kind of psychology experiment, or to have been designed on a cocktail napkin during a lull at the bar.

Pointless? Not sure about that--just wanted to know how those on the SDMB rate their own driving and its possible side effects. It's certainly no psych experiment nor was it designed on a cocktail napkin--guess you're just going to have to trust me (or not) on that one.

[Hilary Algar]

Originally Posted by drewtwo99

Somehow I get the feeling that this poll had nothing to do with wanting to learn about driving habits.

For the record, I did NOT select those options.

Sorry to let you down, but that's really all I wanted to learn--the driving habits (and their side effects) of the SDMB.

[Hilary Algar]

Originally Posted by drewtwo99

I have a feeling we're all getting wooshed here, somehow... those "do not choose this option" options are really bugging me.

I saw someone else on this board using "do not chose this option" to break up the catergories on a multiple response poll.

Next time, I'll think of a better way to break up the categories.

I can promise you that "wooshing" was certainly not my intent here.

[guizot]

Originally Posted by Hilary Algar

Pointless? Not sure about that--just wanted to know how those on the SDMB rate their own driving and its possible side effects. It's certainly no psych experiment nor was it designed on a cocktail napkin--guess you're just going to have to trust me (or not) on that one.

Well, it's just so subjective. "Me? I only tailgate when there's a car in front of me, so I'm not an aggressive driver! No way!"

That kind of stuff.

[Voyager]

I've had no traffic tickets in 15 years of living in California, and only two in over 40 years of driving. I've been in two accidents in 15 years, neither of which was my fault, and that was official. I always let people in coming in merge lanes. I am aggressive in two respects. I am not very nice to idiots who feel they have to leave five car lengths ahead of them in traffic moving 10 or 15 mph - this just encourages people to change lanes which slows up traffic. I also actively discourage those in exit only lanes which are moving faster from jumping into through lanes at the last minute.
As for mpg, I drive a Prius. But I do move it when the light changes.

[BeaMyra]

I'm pretty passive. I am the lady in the right hand land. I try not to go too slow, but I'm sure I'm the old lady you all are cussing out. But I am in the right land

[Dung Beetle]

I’m either not on a timetable to get somewhere, or if I am, I’ve allowed myself plenty of time. And if I’m listening to an audiobook, I don’t care if I ever get there at all. I do the speed limit and rarely change lanes.

My husband, on the other hand, is totally pissed at all of y’all for using his roads. Motherfuckers!

[UncleRojelio]

Originally Posted by Amblydoper

Isn't that a lot? I think that's a lot. My only wreck was when I was 17, and I haven't had a collision in 13 years. This needs another poll!

Yeah, I was fixing to say. For a boring, passive driver, that is a lot. Maybe you should try to be more aggressive.

I haven't been the driver in a collision in 33 years of driving and I tend to drive like a demon possessed. Driving aggressively requires hyper-alertness which tends to keep you out of trouble.

Oh, and my last ticket for a moving violation was over 20 years ago. (Sped through a red light a second too late for the cop following me.)

[olivesmarch4th]

I said, ''slightly aggressive.'' I used to be an incredibly passive driver to the point of being dangerous. When I moved to South Jersey and drove in Philadelphia regularly I learned that if you don't assert yourself at least a little, you will be eaten alive. Philly made me a better driver.

I usually go 5 over the limit, my last accident was at age 17 (I was struck while stopped at a red light) and I have never received a traffic ticket.

Also, I get close to 40mpg. I'm trying to figure out what that has to do with aggressive driving.

[the lone cashew]

It ranges from little-old-man to psycho killer, just depends on where I am going, what I am going there for, whether I am running late or not, and how much caffeine I have had.

[MeanOldLady]

I haven't owned a car in years, but for most of my adult life I've had one and was a regular driver. I'm a pretty aggressive about it, and have only been ticketed once for speeding. Asshole cop wouldn't let me charm my way into a warning! I'm retardedly impatient in general, and am also aggressive about everything from grocery shopping to bicycling. When shitheads are clogging up the sidewalk gawking, I walk around them quickly, and am annoyed by their slowness. I've always gotten great gas mileage, but I've only owned small, fuel efficient cars. I drove from Palo Alto, CA to Long Beach once on 1.75 tanks of gas. That's roughly 400 miles for anyone who doesn't know.

[Chimera]

I killed 37 people just driving home from Walmart a few minutes ago.

No, seriously, I used to be very aggresive when I was younger and would average 1-2 tickets per year. The wake up call was a road-rage incident where another driver was chasing me all over the road in moderately heavy traffic, waving a tire iron at me and doing his level best to either hit me or make me hit him, all because I went around him on the freeway on-ramp because he was only going like 15mph and not accellerating. I pulled out my own tire iron and waved it back before going "WHAT THE FUCK AM I DOING?"

I'm still slightly aggressive (fucking hate people who can't read the damned speed limit signs and drive 10-15mph under the speed limit), but I have not had a ticket in about 15 years. I generally ensure my smooth and even driving by using the cruise control as much as possible.

[MeanOldLady]

My earlier post should say I haven't owned a car in a year. Actually, it's been almost exactly one year. My car became someone else's problem in late November 2010. Anyway...

Originally Posted by Chimera

No, seriously, I used to be very aggresive when I was younger and would average 1-2 tickets per year.

Jebus. Even though I speed like crazy and am an aggressive driver, I've only even been pulled over something like five times ever, and have been able to weasel my way out of a ticket all but once. My aggressive driving is hardly noticeable, though. I don't zip in and out of lanes unnecessarily, there's no sudden accelerating, or tailgating. All that stuff just draws a lot of attention to you, which I try to avoid since I'm almost always speeding. The only time I'm not speeding is when traffic doesn't allow for it.

[kayaker]

I'm honestly unsure about what "aggressive" means in this context. I'm rarely armed and will flip off another driver, but avoid fisticuffs.

[Barkis is Willin']

I selected slightly aggressive driving behavior. I don't actively try to screw over other drivers, but I do have a low tolerance for poor drivers. Over the last five years, I've probably averaged 1 ticket per year, even though I haven't had one in about 2 years. There was a 3 month stretch where I got 3 tickets. It was mostly bad luck, 2 of them were literally for being 5mph over the limit. My last 3 tickets (including those unfortunate 2) have been received outside my home state.

[Vinyl Turnip]

Percentage of drivers who drive like complete assholes: 67.43%

Percentage of drivers who think they drive like complete assholes: 0.00%

Percentage of drivers who think everyone else drives like complete assholes: 99.72%

[jayjay]

I don't DRIVE aggressively. I tend to do a lot of complaining and yelling and such at idiot drivers when I'm driving, but I don't actually DRIVE that way. I drive defensively.

I'm wording this so carefully because if supervenusfreak ever reads this, he'll be on the floor laughing that I said I'm not aggressive while driving. So I wanted to clarify that I AM aggressive while driving...I just don't drive aggressively.

[Cat Whisperer]

Originally Posted by flatlined

Start carrying a gun. I'm not joking, I used to get all road ragey over nothing. I took a lot of gun safety classes before getting my CCW permit <snip>

I'm not sure doing something that wildly illegal here would make anything better.

[Chessic Sense]

I'm pretty aggressive most of the time. I can't stand being passed on the highway. It's not because I want the other guy to be punished, but because it means I could've been going faster. Stop signs are essentially suggestions. Red lights don't count until after they've been red for a full second. Unless, of course, it's after 2 a.m., when red lights become stop signs, provided I can see. Speed limits are determined by tire traction and traffic volume, not signs. I'm also an 'aggressive parker', in that "two-hour limit" really means four hours, and "no parking from X to Y" sounds like a dare.

I've never been ticketed. Dodging cops is part of the game. And perhaps surprisingly, the few accidents I've had have involved snowy hills and a car that started to accelerate to merge into highway traffic, but then abruptly stopped while I was looking over my shoulder.

[Cat Whisperer]

I appreciate your honesty, Chessic Sense, but you don't sound aggressive so much as you sound like a bad driver. There's no way to measure how many times a good driver has saved you from having a collision.

[Antinor01]

By LA standards, moderately so. By Ohio standards, very. No tickets in over a decade.