How often do you get beeped?

[Saffrondoormouse]

I’m an anxious driver who had an accident a couple of years ago and I’m currently undergoing CBT therapy for this and other anxiety issues. My homework this week is to ask people the following questions in order to get a bit of perspective:

Have you ever been beeped while driving?

If so, how often on average do you get beeped?

When you get beeped how often is it for something that was your fault?

Thank you so much!

I've had my licence for several years but I've only been driving regularly since for 3 years. In that time I've been beeped once for being in the wrong lane, politely pipped at for not moving when the filter light had turned green (I had pulled up too close to the traffic lights to be able to see it) and once by an awful woman who nearly crashed into me as she was weaving in and out without indicating

I've been beeped twice. Both times at roundabouts. One time I was not the one in the wrong and the other time I misjudged the speed another car was going so I was in the wrong.

I’ve had my licence for 10 years but don’t drive loads. I can remember being beeped at 3 times, each of them was my own fault as I had misjudged the speed of vehicles I was pulling out in front of and caused them to have to slow down.

I've been driving since 1981 and I'd say it is fairly rare for me to get beeped by another driver. I can't remember the last time, but it was probably some arsehole BMW or Audi driver who was driving too fast at a junction and decided that I cut them up, despite it being my right of way.

The only other time I think it might happen (again extremely rarely) is at traffic lights, when the person behind is being really impatient and beeps their horn at the very instant the light goes green.

Why do you ask?

Once when I stupidly didn't have my lights on leaving asda car park
And once when I didn't pull away from traffic lights at a speed of 0 to 100 in 0. 2 seconds. By some rally driver behind

I have however beeped people who have cut me up often on a certain roundabout

I’d say I get beeped at about twice a year. Yes usually for something that’s my fault but not a big deal if you see what I mean. I would usually think I “oops yes, my bad.”

I also beep others about twice a year, mainly for pulling out in front of me eg on a roundabout. Or if someone in front hasn’t realised a light has gone green after a few seconds. (I consider that a helpful pip not an angry beep.)

My kids seem a bit terrified of beeps and always ask “is that at you?” when we hear one but 99% of the time it isn’t.

An old friend of mine used to tell her kids “ah it’s mummy’s friend saying hello” when people beeped her.

I hope you feel less anxious about driving soon.

Yes I've been driving 20 years, beeped a few times, usually as above, when I've misjudged a gap and pulled out in to too small a gap. Not dangerously so, more annoying to the other driver.

A few times a year maybe? Sometimes my fault, sometimes not. I don’t let it bother me to be honest!

I beep others to either let them know I’m there (to avoid being hit). I wouldn’t remember how many people I have beeped to be honest, but it’s probably about as many as beep me!

I get beeped regularly, but that's because impatient idiots driving up my backside at nearly double the speed limit on my road get annoyed at me driving to the limit and then indicating and slowing down to turn into my driveway.

I'll flip this!

Background: average 40,000 miles a year, mix of city/country/town/motorway driving.

I get beeped a few times a year.

Usually for:

Not going as the light turns (I usually appreciate this beep, the one at the end of my street only lets about 3 cars through)

Filtering correctly at a zip merge (fuck you people who queue needlessly)

Occasionally for:

Pulling out on someone at around about (never even been close)

Being in the correct lane at the same roundabout but someone thought they'd be sneeky and I've not given them room to be.

It's entirely normal to beep, and be beeped.

I've used mine in anger several times (if I've had to emergency break, I'll beep)

But I'm actually a really tolerant driver - the amount of miles I do means

A)I've seen all kinds of driving
B) I know what it's like to be in a strange place and your satnav not keeping up
c) I appreciate that a minor fuck up is entirely normal.

No one is a perfect driver, and on MN everyone professes to be.

I'm a bloody good driver, no points on my license, never been in an accident that was my fault, only pranged one car (6 weeks after passing my test). But I appreciate everyone has different confidence levels,
E.g. I don't mind someone going super fast, if they appear in control

I do mind someone going super fast if it's obvious they can't drive well , or its really not an appropriate area (motorway, fine whatever, residential area what the fuck are you thinking?)

I cant remember the last time it happened, if I'd done something wrong I'd do a sorry wave and not give it another thought

I drive a lot and rarely hear people beeping each other, does it happen a lot to you?

@TenThousandSpoons

I’d say I get beeped at about twice a year. Yes usually for something that’s my fault but not a big deal if you see what I mean. I would usually think I “oops yes, my bad.”

I also beep others about twice a year, mainly for pulling out in front of me eg on a roundabout. Or if someone in front hasn’t realised a light has gone green after a few seconds. (I consider that a helpful pip not an angry beep.)

My kids seem a bit terrified of beeps and always ask “is that at you?” when we hear one but 99% of the time it isn’t.

An old friend of mine used to tell her kids “ah it’s mummy’s friend saying hello” when people beeped her.

I hope you feel less anxious about driving soon.

Despite it being a monotone sound, I fully think you can tell the difference.

A short been - helpful
Long beep - angry.

I think I’ve only been beeped at once in about 4.5 years of driving. It was some idiot who objected to me not pulling away while the light was still bloody amber, so leant on his horn. I drove the route regularly and was definitely looking at the right lights etc, he was just massively impatient.

I got beeped at the other day for slowing down to let a van out of a side street. I thought it was the polite thing to do while the other side of the road he was turning into was clear, it took about 5 seconds to let him out but the van behind me got annoyed and beeped and now I feel I've committed a sin .

Been driving since the early 80s and I honestly can't remember the last time I was beeped, that's not to say I don't make mistakes because I do, everyone does. I do live in a fairly rural county though with lots of rural driving and some, but not a huge amount, of urban trips so maybe that makes a difference?

Been driving since 1987 and don't really get beeped. I do when I drive in London (which I don't very often!) but that's standard and it's usually by a black cab driver when i'm not decisive enough at traffic lights or pull out properly into a line of traffic! Other times its when I'm deep in thought at traffic lights and miss the green light changing. I've never caused a really big 'beeeeep' ---yet!

if it makes you feel better, when I was learning to drive my instructor told me that if someone has time to press their horn then they didn't need to take evasive action and therefore didn't need to use it! Obviously there are exceptions but generally this seems to be the case. On the flip side, I've never used my horn at a driver who has cut me up, usually because I'm too busy taking evasive action .

Once in a while, usually seems to be if I'm somewhere unfamiliar and eg make a late-ish lane change approaching a roundabout or hesitate a bit when looking for a turning or address. Maybe once or twice a year. It happens.

As a driver- as above. Occasionally by arseholes who think they’re superior to me and my granny car, and sometimes because I’ve misjudged something.

As a (female) cyclist- all the fucking time. Men who think it’s funny to beep loudly right behind me and watch me jump. Men who think it’s funny to overtake beeping and yelling through their open windows. Sometimes by (male) drivers who think my presence is holding them up, or I’m taking up too much space on the road.

Always men though.

Not that often, but nor is it rare. Last time was when some Muppet tried to turn right from the left hand lane of a roundabout and beeped at me for having the temerity not to have read his mind.

There have certainly been ocaisions it's been my fault, mistakes happen.

I've been driving for 20+ years and I'm a fairly confident driver. I try not to hang about or hold other people up and I don't generally get in other people's way because I read the road and get in the lane I need to be in before the last minute.

I rarely get pipped at. The most recent time was a few weeks ago when I was waiting to join the A1M at a junction with a very short slip road. Most people at that junction wait at the top of the slip road to make sure there are no lorries blocking the carriageway and that any vehicles in lane 1 can move to lane 2 to let you on. I do that too because there's nowhere to go at the end of the slip road apart from the carriageway and having to stop would be dangerous.

A few weeks ago, I was waiting because several lorries were in both lanes and I didn't feel it was safe for me to join. An arsehole in a van blew his horn at me and made angry hand signals because I was holding him up. I didn't do anything (apart from tell him to fuck off but only to myself) or go anywhere though until it was safe and then, when I could go, I just sped up and zoomed off (we have a powerful car that can outrun most other vehicles).

@Saffrondoormouse

I’m an anxious driver who had an accident a couple of years ago and I’m currently undergoing CBT therapy for this and other anxiety issues. My homework this week is to ask people the following questions in order to get a bit of perspective:

Have you ever been beeped while driving?

If so, how often on average do you get beeped?

When you get beeped how often is it for something that was your fault?

Thank you so much!

I’ve had my driving licence for over 20yrs.I drive daily.

I have been beeped in the past. Honestly, I don’t keep a record so couldn’t give you an exact number but it’s likely less than 10 times in 20+ years of daily driving.

Some of them have been my fault - eg I’ve zoned out for a second at the traffic lights and not noticed the change to green the second it happened (causing the driver behind to give a little ‘let’s go’ toot), or say driving in a new place and ballsing up lanes at a complicated junction. I apologise with a nod, smile, raised hand and move on. Other times beeps have been knobheads being knobheads.

Either way, I don’t think about the beeps once the incident is done and dusted. I hope you can get over anxiety, OP 💐

I've been driving for almost 20 years. Have been beeped a handful of times. The last one was at a busy roundabout and the guy behind me obviously thought I was being too hesitant. Not helpful.

I only beep other people if I feel like I'm in danger - did this on Tuesday when someone almost reversed into my car in a car park. Or occasionally a short one if e.g. they haven't noticed lights have changed.

Have you ever been beeped while driving? Yes

If so, how often on average do you get beeped?
Probably 1-3 times per year

When you get beeped how often is it for something that was your fault? I’d say 1/2 of the time for minor errors - lapse of concentration etc the rest of the time people being aggressive/impatient.

I've been driving for 30 years and can probably count on one hand how many times I've been beeped at.

However I do beep at others. Not because I'm an arse but because there is a confusing junction near us and people wrongly stop at a part of it when they actually have right of way. So I am known to beep then. Or if someone a waiting a traffic lights but too busy checking their phone to realise they should have moved 60 seconds ago.

ive been beeped maybe 10 to 15 times or so

Probably half of those times i wasnt in the wrong, twice people thought i was in the wrong lane but I wasn’t, once was because I didn’t drive off a a zebra crossing when the person behind me thought i should (I obviously could have knocked down the woman who’d nipped back in front of me to pick something up but I didn’t think that was a great idea)

Other times were undoubtedly down to me not paying attention. I am quite a cautious driver though and probably don’t drive a lot compared to others