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 get beeped sometimes on the junction near our house- it's a nightmare junction with regular minor bumps so ignore the idiots trying to hurry me.

I beeped someone today as he was pulled up in my space (actually my space- it's our lane behind our house).

I do most of my driving round town, and usually do a fairly busy school run. I don't get beeped at all the time, but it is not at all rare.

On a few occasions it has been deserved/useful (eg. when I have not noticed traffic lights change) but usually it's some arse who is a very bad driver but firmly believes that everyone else should make way for him. This most frequently happens when I slow down to 30mph to enter my village (because that's the speed limit- there are signs and the general rules of the road to support me) and it irritates the person behind me who wants to drive through at 60. This beep is usually accompanied by a speedy overtake (sometimes in to oncoming traffic) and occasionally a hand gesture.

In my experience, other than if it's needed to notify you of an immediate danger, most people will give someone who is genuinely driving badly more space and not beep. Most beeps are irritation that someone else is not driving as fast/dangerously as the beeper wants to.

Couple of times I had an issue with my indicator I was driving to get it fixed so many left turns on that route and somehow despite the fact that I'm slowing down pointing my nose to the left indicating with my car language (and my front indicator) I got beeped at a lot! Thankfully I got it fixed 🤣 but the next time it broke I just drove the long way round all right turns that way 😅

I've had a few aggressive people too for example I'm driving 30 in a thirty zone and a twat of a van was up my ass trying to make me go faster I refused so they overtook me and cut me up on the island I did complain to his company but they said I obviously did something wrong for him to react like that 😏 sure sure mate

1. Been beeped at while driving - yes
2. How often? - a few times a year, maybe 5
3. How often were you at fault? Never (from my perspective) All the time according to white van man who thinks I should curl up and die in the gutter because I dare presume to want to drive on the same road as them, or even dare to drive at the speed limit or, I don't know.. breathe?

In case you think I am exaggerating - I have perhaps been beeped at twice by a woman, possibly 5 times in total by a normal male. Rest have been vanmen or executive posh cars driven by captains of industry I have been driving for nearly forty years

Rarely, but yeah, sure, on the odd occasion when I've been daft. I beep my horn at others more though.

Have you ever been beeped while driving? Yes

If so, how often on average do you get beeped? Not often - once or twice a year

When you get beeped how often is it for something that was your fault? Usually - though if I do do something stupid, I usually mouth "sorry" and pull one of those "ooops, I'm an idiot" faces which tends to lessen people's irritation.

TBH I'm more likely to beep at other people - only to let them know I'm there if they're pulling out in front of me or something. My car is a silvery-blue and is apparently invisible in twilight even with the lights on.

I don't think being beeped at is an indicator of how well you drive - I've had plenty of times where I've been beeped at when actually, I know I havn't done anything wrong, the other driver (usually a man in my experience) is being needlessly aggressive.

I got beeped at 2 days ago. I was parallel parking on a residential road, and a guy coming in the opposite direction got very arsy at the fact I didn't get my car in perfectly first time and gave me no room to rearrange my car's angle to get in properly. I wasn't taking forever either. So he beeped at me as he squeezed past and swore out of the window. Knob. His problem not mine.

I don't beep very often even if someone around me makes a mistake, unless its a very serious one. If I'm on the ball while driving and driving defensively then I don't feel the need to beep.

Couple of times I had an issue with my indicator I was driving to get it fixed so many left turns on that route and somehow despite the fact that I'm slowing down pointing my nose to the left indicating with my car language (and my front indicator) I got beeped at a lot! Thankfully I got it fixed 🤣 but the next time it broke I just drove the long way round all right turns that way 😅

You know there are arm signals you can use if your indicators are out of action? Wind down your window, stick your arm out for right, if you’re going left you rotate your arm in circles.

Highway code, if anyone read it…

I'm usually the beeper tbh, the driving here is diabolical.

I think this massively varies depending where you live. I live in one county which is a fairly "slow" county, and so are the nearby counties. I don't speed, and I am a pretty good driver. Here I would say I get beeped maybe once every couple of years, even when I was driving 10k miles a year for work.

When I had to do a load of rush hour commuting in a different area, with much more agressive drivers, I got beeped a lot! I thought it was me, but I drove home and the beeping stopped so I think it was a feature of the area. It was generally for things like (outrageous) overtaking a car or lorry on a dual carriageway that was going well under the speed limit by driving at the speed limit instead of 90 mph, or not getting out someone's way when they came up behind you at 90 while you were in the outside lane (for a good reason rather than just sitting there).

So I think what it tells you depends on where you live...

I got beeped at today for giving way at a roundabout. What did they expect me to do, literally drive into the person? So many impatient dicks in my area it’s insane. I also got beeped at and nearly crashed into last week for having the audacity to drive at 30 in a 30.

Mmm, I can honestly say I am hardly ever beeped. The only times I can think of are when I’m at a traffic light and perhaps haven’t noticed it’s gone green - this is usually 100% my fault because I’m arguing with the children, or have got bored and am staring out the window so a quick beep makes me jump, immediately wave my apologies and get moving.

Agree with a PP, there is the odd time 2here I do something stupid but usually I’ll realise and wave to apologise, pull faces and generally let it be known that I’ve been a complete idiot.

I tend to beep at people when they are clearly driving without paying any attention - pulling out without noticing I’m there, randomly changing lanes etc.

@ComDummings

I got beeped at today for giving way at a roundabout. What did they expect me to do, literally drive into the person? So many impatient dicks in my area it’s insane. I also got beeped at and nearly crashed into last week for having the audacity to drive at 30 in a 30.

A few people have made comments like this. Except, I’ve never been beeped while going at the speed limit and I’ve never seen anyone else. I have seen the odd person who drives up another car’s butt, but often that’s just because they’re in a hurry and don’t realise - a quick flash of brake lights usually sorts it.

I do wonder if all those people being beeped at for driving “at the speed limit” really ARE driving at the speed limit.

"
I do wonder if all those people being beeped at for driving “at the speed limit” really ARE driving at the speed limit.

If this is aimed at me, then yes I really was because I know my speedometer over-reads and have measured by how much and run a separate, GPS based Speedo so I can see accurately in the car without doing calculations in my head.

I live in a city where there are many dangerous drivers and most roads are 30mph. I do the speed limit, in that instance it was an aggressive bloke and he was in the wrong. I see people speeding all the time in my area and getting irate at people who do the limit.

I’ve been driving for almost 10 years and have been beeped if I haven’t moved fast enough from a traffic light and a roundabout. I’ve also been beeped when j couldn’t see a car coming and they rightly beeped me to let me know if their presence.

Beeping can be aggressive for some drivers but other drivers who do it properly do it for safety reasons.
I’ve beeped my horn a few times when people pull into my lane without looking, causing me to adjust my driving in some way.

I live near a couple of linked large and complicated and very busy roundabouts. Once you know your way round it’s fine and if you get in the correct lane and follow the lane markings they’ll pop you off the roundabouts wherever you want to be.

Many people don’t understand the concept or are confused it they don’t use it regularly. They try to drive straight ahead across lanes.

I’m aware of them and make allowances because I don’t my nice car getting whacked but I get beeped at least once a month for doing exactly the right thing 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have been known to scream ‘look at the fucking lane markings, you moron’ on a bad day 😊

I have been beeped for ‘dithering’ when I’m looking for a turning and once for almost pulling in on somebody overtaking on the inside ☹️

To the smarty pants suggesting I’m getting beeped for driving slowly.

I know I’m driving at the speed limit because my car has speed limit reading tech (reads speed limit lollipop signs and displays them on the digital dash alongside the speed I’m travelling at). Plus I have cruise control so I can set the speed to the limit if I want to (less useful in a urban scenario).

I rarely get beeped, usually when I have failed to see the lights turn green.

I beep others when they are driving like idiots.

You know there are arm signals you can use if your indicators are out of action?

I also thought of that too but these days with the level of traffic and impatience, it would be easy to lose an arm.

As for how often I’m beeped. Rarely. I was beeped on Monday for the first time in ages as the idiot behind me turning left thought I was going too slowly turning right. The left turn is little more than a feed in lane turn, ergo the right turn is more than a 90 degree angle and onto a main road and near a secondary school so it would have been unsafe to do 30 through the lights. Occasionally beeped at lights for not seeing they’re green but I like the be first if there are 2 lanes so not often.

I rarely beep at people, a little pip at the traffic lights occasionally. I have beeped occasionally after an evasive manoeuvre but that seems so pointless.

I get beeped regularly- maybe once a fortnight. But I live in London so it’s normal. I’m at fault about 25% of the time.

Thank you so much - it’s really helpful to read these!

To give you some background I’ve been beeped quite a bit recently maybe a few times a month due to hesitation- I’m a bit over cautious at junctions and I think I often over estimate my size of car so I slow down when passing large vehicles perhaps more than I should. The accident I had involved me being aggressively tailgated then rammed so it really knocked my confidence. I want to book some pass plus confidence lessons when I can afford them.

I’ve been driving 31 years. I can’t think of many times I’ve been beeped at at all, a handful at most.

I beeped someone yesterday for starting off from parked at the side of the road. They hadn’t checked their blind spot and I was almost level with their rear bumper when the decided to pull out into the road!

When driving in a city there are lots of beeps especially in rush hour.

If you're being hesitant you're going to be beeped a fair bit. People are pretty impatient- I remember this from being a new driver struggling to get my biting point right!!!

But I think lots of the time people beep to make sure you've seen the light has changed. Often people are on their phones at the lights so people beep to say "please move"!

I'd be worried by beeps if you've done something wrong like pulled out in front of someone and got close.

Could you get a smaller car so that it's easier to judge gaps?

I got beeped at the other day for pulling into a lay-by. I indicated, slowed down, I’m pretty sure my brake lights work, and as I pulled off they sailed round me with a sharp Beep. Idiot.

I also got beeped recently as a little car passed me on the other side of the road. Genuinely have no idea why. Perhaps they thought I was going to suddenly leap across at them. Or it was accidental. No idea.

I have beeped at a few myself though. Our lane is deceptively narrow in places and doesn’t always easily allow for two cars at speed. I’m so sick to death of having to practically climb into the hedge to avoid twats obliviously sailing past thinking there’s loads of room. I’ve just had my wing mirror glass broken for the second time despite me actually being able to hear the hedge scraping down the passenger side of my car. I couldn’t have gone anywhere else and I still got hit. He got a lengthy lean on the horn. Fucker didn’t even slow down.

I’ve adopted a new policy now. I slow down but stay in the middle of the road. That slows them down enough to see that they have to pull over. Couldn’t give a flying fuck if they beep me, they’ll get absolutely blasted back.