Friend comments on my driving

[countrylady2]

I have been driving for 19 years. I am a good driver - I indicate, stick to speed limits, check my blind spot and don’t cut people up. I have never had an accident.

My friend passed her driving test 5 years ago. Every year she has a car accident and damages her car. When she gets annoyed in traffic she puts her hazards on as a road rage response which is dangerous. She stalls a lot too. She is quite lucky as her parents bail her out and pay for repairs or buy a new car of she doesn’t want to go through the insurers when she scrapes bollards and walls.

Whenever I take us out in my car she starts dictating tell me to indicate way too early down the road which I ignore her as there are multiple side roads we don’t need so indicating early is dangerous. I tell her I don’t need to do that. She tells me to go down certain roads even though I know all roads in a 15 mile radius after living here over 30 years.

I feel quite offended that she tries dictating to me how to drive when she has car accidents every year and bad road rage. I was a passenger twice before in her car and did not feel safe and she stalls a lot. What is the best response?

When I was a newly qualified driver, I had dh as a passenger. He pulled the same stunt as your pal (although with more justification). I stopped the car and told him he either stfu or walked. He stfu.

Next time pull up at a bus stop and tell her to get out. And mean it.

Pull in at the side of the road and explain that she has 2 options. Option 1 takes a lot longer and she might get cold, tired and possibly wet doing it. Option 2 involves keeping her bake shut.

This works a treat on DH. I only had to actually stop once- since then, an out-loud musing of long long it would take to walk to our destination results in peace and quiet.

I agree - tell her to shut up or get out.

Yes!

Why are you her friend???? She sounds awful!

Is she controlling outside the car, too - or is this just a driving thing?

I'm here to say the same thing as Hirples, Santa and Powershower

Driver does the driving, shotgun shuts her trap.

Some drivers are TERRIBLE passengers. Was she like this before she passed her test?
My mam can't drive and freaks out whenever I drive her somewhere. She screams like she was looking at the Sistine chapel.

Yep. She shuts up or finds some other way to get around.

We,ve all got that one friend or family member that does this.

As other pp say, pull over, tell them to shut up or get out. They soon stop doing it.