To be just weary of all the aggression on the roads??

[JukkaSarasti]

Last week I was called a "wanker," a "cunt" and a "stupid fucking bitch". Just bad temper, no accidents or anything remotely close to one.

I drive a small nippy car, I'm genuinely courteous and very watchful. I try to let people out/in and always say thank you. I mean, what is it? I'm so, so tired of the unfettered aggression. Is it me or is it getting worse out there? There was a guy last week who was clearly lost/in the wrong lane, so I just slowed down to let him in and the guy in a van behind me started honking and then accelerated to overtake us both while screaming out of the window! It was in a village, by a school.

What would it be like if pedestrians were like that? We'd all be kicking shit out of each other every five minutes! I mean, I'm no Driving Miss Daisy but jeez people, why all the unbridled fury!? Or maybe I'm just hormonal this evening and taking it all too seriously....

I got a dashcam and a sticker on my back window that says that there is a camera recording. I drive a teeny 1 litre car and attract tailgaters, they still attempt to tailgate me but once they have read the sticker most of them back off a bit. They must realise I have a tiny engine, what do they want me to do when my foot is already flat to the floor trying to get it going?!

I do find the dark nights make road rage worse, I think it's because you can't make eye contact with other drivers so they don't give a shit who they cut up/pull put on. I don't trust indicators any more.

Sparklingbrook. Lots of knobhead parking here too cars littered around junctions. I mean, you don't need to see do you? Cars backed up to driveways, cars over pavements. Gives me the rage.

I have had that, someone pulled out of a side road, and was then right up our arse honking on horn. We were doing 20 (limit recently reduced from 30 due to a death on a pedestrian crossing).

Of course we did what any careful, sensible driver would do - slowed down to 5mph.

Parking is always an issue but when space is limited then every bit of space has to be used, even right up to driveways. Parking on grass verges annoys me though, these are green spaces for the enjoyment of all and not additional bays.

Eevee,
Agreed that no one should get that worked up but I can see why what you did would annoy someone. Basically what you describe is poor pisitioning on the road which left somebody in a potentially exposed position (If they were crossing the carriageway to exit). So it wasn't just the delay but the threat of being hit by another driver which lead the the man's annoyance. We all make errors from time to time though and he shouldn't be red and screaming.

What annoys me the most is vehicle's not filtering properly when thinking down to single lanes. Generally when two lanes merge 1 for 1 is a god rule of thumb but tgee is always the man in the Audi or the woman in the 4x4 who wants to push in. Admittedly driving an old rust bucket I tend not to make eye contact and just drive, I don't care about a scratch and usually these idiots a sitting in a highly financed or leased car and do care! Not that I'm a ball if rage... just insistent!

I have extreme driving anxiety. I hate it. People indicate really badly round here and seem to have a particular problem with the concept of parking with consideration.
We are a new estate and people park on the road instead of their drives so 'they don't have to move their cars at 7'. 7 is not bloody early.

If I've ever been really angry with another driver, it is because they have put me in danger.

On the North Circular once in stationery traffic. Ambulance with sirens blaring needs to go past us so we all move to let it through. As soon as it is through, we all move back to where we were except for one bloke who decides to ambulance chase. Caused me and a few others to slam on our breaks. I lost it and made lots of knob head signs and used some choice words as I could have easily banged into his car and it made me really fearful.

Also middle lane hoggers are some of the worst. Can't count the times I've moved into the inside lane , that is clear of traffic, doing 70 but passing cars in the middle lane. They are a menace and can't read the road.

Never look at another driver - ever.

Easy.

Then you don't see if they are mouthing obscenities or gesticulating.

Also I don't often let people in after a friend waved someone across a junction and they were hit by someone zooming up beside her. A lot of people joining main roads are coming off rat runs I know as I used to do it so let them wait.

And if you can hear them swearing then keep your window shut and music loud.

This thread seems to be full of people getting cross at people getting cross.......

I find most drivers ok, most of the time to be honest. People let me out, I let them out. I forgive people that cut me up or are slow (happens quite a lot). I make the odd mistake and people are kind. I can't think of the last time I saw an angry driver. I do think driving is a lot more stressful then it used to be due to weight of traffic. I also think that lots of people are oblivious to how bad a driver they are. I would be in favour of a retest every 10 years, would make society less dependant on cars and make driving safer.

Last month DH and I were coming home from a shopping trip at school finishing time so traffic was moving very slowly due to idiot parking and wandering DCs. White van man was trying to enter us from the rear and honking his horn constantly.

A DC stepped off the kerb and practically under our wheels but DH was able to brake in time. Cue more honking and shouting from behind. Eventually we were clear and the van accelerated and overtook us around a central bollard where people were standing ready to cross.

He braked right in front of us and came storming up to the car. DH pointed at the dash cam. He turned white and ran back to his van and drove off very fast.

The police have the film of his exploits and he's due in court soon, I understand.

A few years ago I had a man wave a big knife at me in his rear view mirror after I flashed him for overtaking me dangerously (nearly drove me off the road to avoid an accident with an oncoming car).

Last week a cyclist screamed 'CNT' at me through my open window. I genuinely don't know why, I am a cyclist myself so I'm very aware of all the 'rules' and have no idea. I tried to calmly ask him what I'd done, I said 'I'm sorry, what did I do?' and he just continued yelling obscenities at me telling me to fuck off and that I was 'nothing but a stupid cnt'. Not a good day, I was on my to have my cat put to sleep. Just grateful my small children weren't with me because his language and anger would have traumatised them.

I really don't understand why people allow themselves to get so angry.

About half the people who drive at any one time in my view should not be- about 10% for medical reasons, 20% because of conduct at one time, and another 20% making journeys that could be done on foot or cycled. Unfortunately having a car licence is seen almost as a human right and no politician other than when Ken Livingstone introduced the congestion charge had seen fit to challenge this.

If you cannot control your temper in the ways some of you have described other road users, you should not be allowed behind the wheel.

They do it to pedestrians too. I've been told to fuck off at zebra crossings while waiting for DS to hold my hand. I've tried to mouth to them what I was doing.

The car you drive and the way you drive really makes a difference.

I used to have a flash BMW and drive lots for work, I spent my life being cut up or tailgater by white van man. I am an experienced driver but at times this drove me to road rage, I was also highly stressed due to my job so right on th edge.

Now I drive a sensible non threatening car, do only a few miles and find most people courteous, I get let out of roads and the only time I use my horn is when another driver is being silly/dangerous, like the person who thought being in the wrong lane on a major roundabout was fine and just Drove into my lane, thankfully my brakes and reactions are good.

Sometimes I drive my DDs small learner car thus attracts white van man, and really annoys him when I drive at the speed limit, I just smile and ignore, we have far too many speed cameras to risk going faster.

YANBU, but just two points.

1. Anyone that finds themselves being undertaken must take a long hard look at themselves, and learn how to drive in the correct lane.

1. A pet hate of mine - when you join a motorway the Highway code says you should match your speed with the prevailing traffic. That means FFS do not sit in front of me and join the MW at 45-50mph, then when on the MW accelerate to your desired speed. Happens at least twice a week on my route to work, even though the slip road to join is a sleep downward slope. I get annoyed about it - it puts me in a very unsafe position. However I don't get apoplectic - there's just no need.

Missmargie
Basically you see fit to ignore anyone trying to emerge in traffic... drive a 4x4 by any chance?

Agree there is a lot of unnecessary aggression. Equally though, there are loads of people who just don't seem to know how to drive, and the poor driving of others is hugely irritating.

The poster above who said someone undertook her car when she was doing the speed limit on a dual carriageway, surely you were in the wrong lane - unless you'd just moved over to overtake someone you should be in the nearside lane. Matters not that you were at the speed limit. Ditto the poster who flashed someone for their poor driving and then got an aggressive response - you really shouldn't be flashing others in the first place.

On that point, people really need to learn to stop flashing other drivers at night (to say thanks for giving way etc), I'm sick of being blinded on every night time journey I do!

That said, I got beeped the other day by a motorcyclist who was behind me. I was turning right, slowed as there was a car coming towards me, then as it was clear checked mirrors, couldn't see the bike so checked over my shoulder, saw where he was then turned..which probably added a few seconds at most but was clearly time he didn't have! I was annoyed as I thought 'bloody hell, I was doing you a favour double checking where you were!'

It's so weird to hear all these stories - I've never been sworn at by anyone since I've been driving. Had a few horn beeps but nothing major, and a bit of tailgating but only when under the speed limit.

Lots of people don't bother to dim their lights, which is really dangerous.

Collaborate I agree that people merging should be driving at the speed of oncoming traffic, but sometimes the motorway is full of people driving too close together and not letting people out. Recently, I was merging and was pretty much forced into the breakdown lane because there just wasn't a place for me. People on the motorway have to be aware of people joining it and be considerate.

I had a twat in the van in front of me drive completely onto the other side of the road the other day whilst going round a tight bend. I can only think he must have been on his phone. I blared my horn at him to let him know what he was doing just as another car came round the bend towards us and had to screech to a halt. The van driver swerved back onto his side of the road but then drove at 10mph (literally) until we reached the junction 200 yards away. Don't know what that guy was up to.

And everyday I have to go down a very narrow country lane, if there is a car coming the opposite way you have to pull over most of the time to let them through but the only places to pull over are into the drives on the left hand side of the road. The number of people who just roar along at speed and try and bully you into driving into a bush instead of them waiting at a passing place drives me mad. After damaging my wing mirror squeezing myself as close to the trees as possible while some twat forced its way past I've resorted to standing my ground in the middle of the road and making people reverse back to passing places if they deliberately drive past them, it's easy to see there's not enough room for two cars and that there's no bloody place for a car travelling on the right side to pull into but they still act surprised when they find themselves bumper to bumper with you......

There's something about getting in a car that seems to make some people's brains fall out.

I live in a village with a single track road that becomes a rat run at rush hour. It sometimes backs up from the main road, and if it does that then you have to make sure you leave gaps between the passing places (clearly visible from one to the next) otherwise it bottlenecks and no-one can move at all.

Every single time this happens, you get people who have just sat and watched cars trying to untangle themselves, and then they start beeping or revving when you try to leave a gap so it doesn't immediately happen again! Or just driving into the newly created gap themselves and starting the whole process over.

I had a woman the other day who kept revving up to about an inch of my back bumper on a steep hill, despite there being a massive queue in front of us, and then started pulling out as though she was trying to get past. Despite being able to clearly see two vans trying to get past each other in a tiny gap about 10 feet in front of us.

It drives me completely nuts. Especially when it's the same people day in, day out.

I'm the only one that doesn't recognise this widespread aggression? I can't remember the last time someone beeped at me, and in my 10 years of driving nobody has ever got out of their car to confront me.

Other drivers used to pull out in front of me (sometimes dangerously) when I was younger and driving an old banger, but once I upgraded to newer cars most of that stopped. I still get it sometimes as a woman in a relatively small car, but not very often.

I am one of those people who drives at the speed limit, or below if road conditions dictate. I commute to London every day.

I don't know... it's strange how people's experiences can be so different!

A policewoman told my DM that she thinks everyone should have a dash cam as she feels it prevents road rage and the footage is also really helpful when there has been an accident.

My personal opinion is that lone female drivers are seen as an easy target by a lot of men. The worst being White van men and delivery drivers.

A policewoman told my DM that she thinks everyone should have a dash cam

Totally agree. I'll be getting one in the Christmas sales. This is after an accident claim, where it was very clearly the other driver's fault, dragged on for 19 MONTHS!