How would you desribe yourself as a driver?

[bing101]

Everyone thinks they're the best driver on the road...but that's impossible in reality.

Ok I am 6 to 7 depending on the conditions. But I quit driving for sometime and it might be lower than that now. I used to know how to respond to driving in the rain but that's been gone for a few years due to the pandemic scare reasons.

[bing101]

I guess we'll find out in Maui next week.  All that one lane mountain stuff I do locally apparently will come in handy.

Yes Road to Hana will really test your driving skills and it's Hawaii's answer to Pacific Coast Highway.

[Max Rockatansky]

I guess we'll find out in Maui next week.  All that one lane mountain stuff I do locally apparently will come in handy.

Yes Road to Hana will really test your driving skills and it's Hawaii's answer to Pacific Coast Highway.

We'll see, I have my doubts it will outclass the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road.  It's unclear if I'll have a chance at Piilani Highway, that seems to be more what I'm used to.

[thspfc]

In this thread: people who either a) think that 7/10 is average, or b) don't understand how the vast majority of people, likely themselves included, are simply average drivers.

[webny99]

In this thread: people who either a) think that 7/10 is average, or b) don't understand how the vast majority of people, likely themselves included, are simply average drivers.

What makes someone better than average? It's a good question, not as easy to answer as you'd think.

I think a list would include things like situational awareness and habits that are largely supported by most roadgeeks, like KRETP. So, I get that everyone can't be above average, but also recognize that people here tend to be more invested in driving than elsewhere, even if only as a leisure activity, so it would tend to follow that they would also be better at it.

[epzik8]

My dad taught me the most important piece of information I've learned as a driver, which he himself learned from my grandfather: "When in doubt, yield." That means if it's unclear whether me or someone else should have the right-of-way at a four-way stop or roundabout for example, out of courtesy I should (and usually do) give the other driver precedence over me.

On a multi-lane highway, I always make sure to only switch lanes on a broken line, and not a solid one. I always signal when I turn too. My weaknesses are that sometimes I tailgate slow drivers in front of me, and am guilty of adding 5-10 MPH to every speed limit.

[kphoger]

– I'm fine when I'm sober, but I'm not always sober.

I just remembered this gem:

I drive better after 3 drinks than on 0 - less aggressive and smoother.

[webny99]

A bit of a bump here accompanied by a slight change to the thread title. I changed it from "rate" to "describe" to shift the focus to more of a qualitative discussion than a quantitative one.

I'm all about efficiency, perhaps even to a fault. That includes obvious things like KRETP, but also smaller stuff, like:
When approaching a red light if someone comes up behind me and turns their right blinker on, I'll move left.
If someone's waiting to turn and I notice that I could create a gap for them, I'll speed up or slow down accordingly.
If I'm approaching a four-way stop at the same time as someone else, I'll time my approach to ensure one of us clearly stops before the other, and if it gets uncomfortably close I'll keep inching forward so they come to a stop first; absolutely no hand waving to decide who goes first, especially if there's other traffic present.
Approaching a stoplight that's been red for a while, I'll start to slow down early to avoid coming to a stop or hard braking.
If the car in front of me turns left on yellow/orange/red, I'll *almost* always turn behind them if safe to do so, even on solid red. I will also honk at the the first person in line if they don't go on yellow, especially when there's no protected left turn phase.

[Max Rockatansky]

I was pretty pleased with myself (in terms of driving ability) since I didn't bottom out my Corolla on Rock Creek Road in Tuolumne County.  More so given I was taking an urgent work phone call while driving.  The real time description got an interesting reaction from my lead investigator.  Something along the line of "don't get stranded your presence is needed tomorrow."

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02BhjKxjtjpa6zQQ1VzHDNGLXMS58xeaAjbCRJgnqurKaXck2NeMMgV6M4eb1DM2d3l&id=100063655972258&mibextid=wwXIfr

FWIW the Google Car tried Rock Creek Road earlier this year and gave up once the asphalt craters got bad.  I was thinking Camp 9 Road going to be the biggest challenge that day. 

[Henry]

I'm a great driver, simply because I learned from the best. My father doesn't drive much anymore, but I apply everything he taught me to my own everyday tasks.

[thspfc]

Like 85% of the drivers on the road, I think I'm above average.

[Voyager]

Learning how to drive in the SF Bay Area and living in San Francisco, I am an incredibly defensive driver. Not sure if that's a good thing, though.

[PColumbus73]

I consider myself to be good driver. What's worked for me is to expect dumb moves to happen and not get worked up about it. I.e., watch someone behind me with the expectation that they will dart between lanes, then I'm less surprised when they do (depending on how close they get other cars).

Also, I typically stay within 5 MPH of the speed limit, and I often find that while a lot of people are bunched up trying to 'race' each other, I can cruise in the right lane without much hassle.

[kphoger]

I'd say that I'm an improving driver.  Not because my driving skills are getting better, but because I'm becoming more willing to just let other drivers' shit go without reacting to it.  It used to be that another driver's antics would prompt me to do risky things I wouldn't otherwise do.  That still happens on occasion, but much less so than in the past.

[freebrickproductions]

I'd say that I'm an improving driver.  Not because my driving skills are getting better, but because I'm becoming more willing to just let other drivers' shit go without reacting to it.  It used to be that another driver's antics would prompt me to do risky things I wouldn't otherwise do.  That still happens on occasion, but much less so than in the past.

Same. I like to think that I'm also getting better at driving, I've noticed sometimes I don't speed as much as I used to when I don't really need to.

[LilianaUwU]

I would describe myself as one that doesn't drive.

[kphoger]

I would describe myself as one that doesn't drive.

So...  you're a total and absolute failure of a driver? 

[webny99]

I'd say that I'm an improving driver.  Not because my driving skills are getting better, but because I'm becoming more willing to just let other drivers' shit go without reacting to it.  It used to be that another driver's antics would prompt me to do risky things I wouldn't otherwise do.  That still happens on occasion, but much less so than in the past.

If nothing fundamentally changed about your driving skills, though, that sounds more like you're saying you improved as a person.

Also, reacting to other drivers isn't always a bad thing if it draws their attention to an issue and causes them to adjust or improve. The line of where that can become confrontational can be blurry, but little things like turning on your left blinker behind a left lane camper for a minute before passing on the right, or tapping the horn at someone who's not paying attention during a protected left turn phase. I would say that doing those things actually makes someone a better driver, not a worse one.

[Flint1979]

It depends on the situation. If nobody is bothering me I drive either the speed limit or 5 over. If someone is starting to annoy me then I'll drive faster. What really annoys me though is people that drive slow and can't be bothered to keep up with the flow of traffic. I remember a day last week I was behind this guy that was poking along and the traffic in front of him was there one moment and him being pokey made us lose pace with the car in front of him so I passed him and had to do almost 80 mph to catch up to the car in front of me. This was on a two lane road where the speed limit was 55 but I didn't give a shit about the speed limit, the only time I bother doing the speed limit is when I'm in a city or village where the speed limit is lower or like I said earlier if nobody is bothering me. I learned how to drive in Detroit and my first time on the road in drivers training it was the peak of rush hour, I learned how to drive quick.

[Rothman]

It depends on the situation. If nobody is bothering me I drive either the speed limit or 5 over. If someone is starting to annoy me then I'll drive faster. What really annoys me though is people that drive slow and can't be bothered to keep up with the flow of traffic. I remember a day last week I was behind this guy that was poking along and the traffic in front of him was there one moment and him being pokey made us lose pace with the car in front of him so I passed him and had to do almost 80 mph to catch up to the car in front of me. This was on a two lane road where the speed limit was 55 but I didn't give a shit about the speed limit, the only time I bother doing the speed limit is when I'm in a city or village where the speed limit is lower or like I said earlier if nobody is bothering me. I learned how to drive in Detroit and my first time on the road in drivers training it was the peak of rush hour, I learned how to drive quick.

It depends on the situation. If nobody is bothering me I drive either the speed limit or 5 over. If someone is starting to annoy me then I'll drive faster. What really annoys me though is people that drive slow and can't be bothered to keep up with the flow of traffic. I remember a day last week I was behind this guy that was poking along and the traffic in front of him was there one moment and him being pokey made us lose pace with the car in front of him so I passed him and had to do almost 80 mph to catch up to the car in front of me. This was on a two lane road where the speed limit was 55 but I didn't give a shit about the speed limit, the only time I bother doing the speed limit is when I'm in a city or village where the speed limit is lower or like I said earlier if nobody is bothering me. I learned how to drive in Detroit and my first time on the road in drivers training it was the peak of rush hour, I learned how to drive quick.

Your post makes a good case for automated driving vehicles if emotion as that much of an effect on your driving behavior.

[Flint1979]

It depends on the situation. If nobody is bothering me I drive either the speed limit or 5 over. If someone is starting to annoy me then I'll drive faster. What really annoys me though is people that drive slow and can't be bothered to keep up with the flow of traffic. I remember a day last week I was behind this guy that was poking along and the traffic in front of him was there one moment and him being pokey made us lose pace with the car in front of him so I passed him and had to do almost 80 mph to catch up to the car in front of me. This was on a two lane road where the speed limit was 55 but I didn't give a shit about the speed limit, the only time I bother doing the speed limit is when I'm in a city or village where the speed limit is lower or like I said earlier if nobody is bothering me. I learned how to drive in Detroit and my first time on the road in drivers training it was the peak of rush hour, I learned how to drive quick.

It depends on the situation. If nobody is bothering me I drive either the speed limit or 5 over. If someone is starting to annoy me then I'll drive faster. What really annoys me though is people that drive slow and can't be bothered to keep up with the flow of traffic. I remember a day last week I was behind this guy that was poking along and the traffic in front of him was there one moment and him being pokey made us lose pace with the car in front of him so I passed him and had to do almost 80 mph to catch up to the car in front of me. This was on a two lane road where the speed limit was 55 but I didn't give a shit about the speed limit, the only time I bother doing the speed limit is when I'm in a city or village where the speed limit is lower or like I said earlier if nobody is bothering me. I learned how to drive in Detroit and my first time on the road in drivers training it was the peak of rush hour, I learned how to drive quick.

Your post makes a good case for automated driving vehicles if emotion as that much of an effect on your driving behavior.

I've been using my adaptive cruise control because I give up on trying to keep up on my own.

[kphoger]

Also, reacting to other drivers isn't always a bad thing if it draws their attention to an issue and causes them to adjust or improve. The line of where that can become confrontational can be blurry ...

And one doesn't actually know the answer in the moment until it's too late.

[Rothman]

Dang.  Double quote's popping up again.

[thspfc]

Dang.  Double quote's popping up again.

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Dang.  Double quote's popping up again.

Dang.  Double quote's popping up again.

Annoying.

[kphoger]

Dang.  Double quote's popping up again.

Dang.  Double quote's popping up again.

Dang.  Erroneou's apostrophe's popping up again.