# How aggressively do you drive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 4, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026 "2011-12-04T12:19:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/21 "2011-12-05T01:09:46Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/22 "2011-12-05T01:16:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/23 "2011-12-05T01:19:19Z")
You’re right, it’s secretly a marketing survey about pizza topping preferences. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/24 "2011-12-05T03:01:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/25 "2011-12-05T03:10:10Z")
> [@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 🙂 > [@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! ---
**Author:** ![Critical\_Mass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Critical\_Mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical_Mass)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/26 "2011-12-05T03:15:48Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/27 "2011-12-05T03:20:04Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > What insurer do you work for, **Hilary Algar?** > > 😛 > > ^ this means my comment is in jest 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/28 "2011-12-05T03:20:05Z")
I have a feeling we’re all getting wooshed here, somehow… those “do not choose this option” options are really bugging me. ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/29 "2011-12-05T03:25:04Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > You’re right, it’s secretly a marketing survey about pizza topping preferences. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/30 "2011-12-05T03:30:45Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/31 "2011-12-05T03:32:44Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/32 "2011-12-05T03:37:08Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/33 "2011-12-05T04:07:14Z")
> [@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. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/34 "2011-12-05T06:49:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/35 "2011-12-05T08:39:07Z")
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 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/36 "2011-12-05T13:54:00Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/37 "2011-12-05T14:23:08Z")
> [@Amblydoper](#): > > > [@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. > > 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.) ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/38 "2011-12-05T15:13:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/39 "2011-12-05T15:24:24Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026/40 "2011-12-05T15:30:44Z")
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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-aggressively-do-you-drive/605026.md?page=3)