r/CarsAustralia • u/Jumpy_Try1282 • 22h ago
š¬Discussionš¬ NPC drivers rant
Okay, i need a rant. Im sure there will be plenty of people who dont agree or don't understand and thats okay you're the exact people im talking about.
This next paragraph is a shit fight but i did my best while being bounced around in a truck sitting passenger to someone who does all of the below.
Why do people not look ahead? Staring directly at the car in front of them all day and wondering why they're constantly slowing down and speeding up. YOU'RE The problem!
Why do people not leave a gap between them and the vehicle in front? Constantly having to react to what traffic in front of them is doing and wondering why they use so much fuel and prematurely wear their brake pads. YOU'RE The problem!
Now those are the main 2 questions i have, but also,
Why do people do everything out of habit with brain switched off and no use of their own discretion?
Why do people drive so aggressively and abruptly? You'll get home at the same time even if you dont go full lock right hand down just to change lanes. Aggressively accelerating, braking and steering is not getting you there any faster i can guarantee. Lets just be comfortable and avoid giving our passengers whiplash.
People who dont use the limo/chauffeur stop. I cant even put into words how that makes me feel.
People who reactively brake under any and every circumstance rather than just coasting and planning the next move.
People who sit in the right lane when not overtaking or turning off. That one speaks for itself.
There are a million other things which feel nit-picky and more just me being hyper aware of patterns in people's driving.
Now in saying all of this. I am a very patient driver. I still sit back and watch it unfold with no desire to rush around and put people in a dangerous situation, but i still notice i always end up ahead of people who look like they're trying so hard to quickly get where they're going and i believe its just due to timing, planning, and being alert of surroundings rather than just thinking my right foot will solve all problems. If anyone agrees , disagrees or doesn't know wtf im talking about im happy to hear all about it. Cheers
38
u/TheMrMacaroni 22h ago edited 21h ago
Iāll take a stab in the dark and say:
- poor driving skills
- poor cruise control education
- declining driving skills
- zoning out/no awareness/thinking about lifeās stresses
- mobile phones
- selfishness
- indifference to etiquette and/or road rules
- being just dumb cunts in general
- elderly drivers
- scared drivers
- speed/red light camera anxiety
Combination of any or all of those above
2
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
I would say you're 100% on those answers mate. The cruise control one is one that i didn't mention but do feel strongly about.
3
u/eepeqez 20h ago edited 20h ago
- poor driving skills
Not really an explanation, just a description of the problem. What but not why.
- poor cruise control education
You'd be amazed how many people have never investigated how to use cruise control and consider it something for other people who do long trips on highways.
- declining driving skills
Trust me, these are not new issues.
- zoning out/no awareness/thinking about lifeās stresses
Again, a description of what they're doing, but not an explanation of why they do it whilst performing the single most dangerous thing they do in their daily lives.
- mobile phones
Smart phones really do seem to have introduced a new uniquely addictive distraction.
- selfishness
- indifference to etiquette and/or road rules
- being just dumb cunts in generalAgain, descriptions of personality types we're all tempted to agree with - except that one driver I know well, who is largely oblivious to the traffic around them is smart, well educated (3 degrees), and generally very polite in daily life. And yet they simply do not see situations developing in traffic ahead. And to add to that, over 40 years ago the ARRB (Australian Road Research Board) did some research comparing driving accident rates with intelligence testing done in Tasmanian schools and came to the conclusion that the safest drivers were commercial truck drivers of slightly below average intelligence.
I think what matters isn't so much being smart as being interested in the traffic ahead and how it behaves. I started riding motorcycles the day I was old enough to be legal; if you've any sense of self preservation you soon learn to read the traffic around you, what I call my sense of psychic paranoia. I drove taxis in my 20s, which again encourages (but certainly does not require) you to take an interest in not just the traffic immediately around you but also the daily ebb and flow of traffic around a city, and the timing cycles of traffic lights, in order to get around. I took an interest in what was going on around me!
- elderly drivers
Elderly drivers (and I am now either elderly or very close to it) tend to make decisions slower, and they tend not to be in a hurry. But there's been plenty of research to show that they retain the knowledge, judgement, and habits of a lifetime of driving. My father drove until his 90s. His ability to spot a parking space being vacated in a busy street clearly faded from about his early 60s, but he felt safe right til he stopped driving in his last year (with zero signs of dementia). My mother developed dementia and fortunately simply lost interest in driving before we needed to have the discussion with her.
- scared drivers
- speed/red light camera anxietyI suspect that the scared drivers are scared because they don't see situations developing, so that every time things go even slightly pear shaped, it comes as a stressful surprise to them.
Summary:
Smart phones are a genuinely new problem.Otherwise, these are basically people who just aren't interested; driving is just a task they need to do to get about, they don't see it as particularly dangerous, so they don't feel a need to continuously monitor and improve their driving.
17
u/Because_cactus 21h ago
The one that kills me is the ones who speed match the car next to them on a two lane carriageway, especially when both cars are doing 10-20km under the limit and there are no cars in front of either of them, the one on the left I get less upset with, but the one on the right? Ffs get in the left lane!!!!
3
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
Yep thats definitely one of the problems that occur. I believe some people think their mirrors are for decoration
2
u/Because_cactus 20h ago
In fairness I say they same about some peoples eyes, either decorations or painted on as they clearly arenāt used for sight.
15
u/hozthebozz MANUAL Ford Fiesta baby! 18h ago
As someone that leaves an appropriate gap, I have every asshole use it as their personal slot in (never a wave) so then youre forced to slow down over and over again. Bonus points for when they do it to truck drivers who're deliberately leaving extra space to stop. Selfish pricks.
5
u/Independent-Fuel9886 8h ago
This... every single stop gap seems like an invitation for some fuckwit to jump into the lane,
13
u/qwertyace4 21h ago
So much of that in my experience feels like a lack of attention and lack of care for anyone else on the road, and all it does it make it worse for everyone including themselves. Like indicate BEFORE you turn, not as you turn or not at all. Its not just for legal purposes but so the person behind you can act accordingly, because who knows maybe your mum, dad, brother, sister or partner is behind them and you cause an accident because of pure selfishness? Drives me up the wall š
2
u/Jumpy_Try1282 8h ago
Oh yeah for sure. No one actually wants to think about why they're doing what they're doing they just got told when they got their Ls that they must use an indicator when changing directions because thats the law. No further thought into how they use them or why they're using them. As long as it comes on at some point when changing lanes or turning off they followed their little rule and they're happy with that.
1
5
u/Opening_Celery_6078 9h ago
I am curious about really elderly drivers and their slowness.
Is there a correlation between their speed and longevity?
Did they manage to survive so long because they have the metabolism and processing speed of a Galapagos tortoise?
Do the ones with any go about them die younger?
Have they always meandered at a glacial pace through life?
I am stuck behind the coffin dodgers so often I could probably shout these questions out the window. But theyd never hear me anyway
1
u/Jumpy_Try1282 8h ago
š I like this one. Coffin dodgers is hilarious.
In all seriousness as frustrating as it is i like to create more space for them and use it as a patience exercise. If it was my nan i would like for anyone else to do the same for her. I do think its a different situation when they are actually becoming dangerous (cant stay in their lane, dont indicate, randomly slam brakes) and im sorry but i do not have any answers but you do bring up some interesting questions2
u/Opening_Celery_6078 7h ago
I do as well to be honest, I just like coming on here and having a bit of a laugh. I imagine if it was one of the people I love today, in 40-60 years time. How would I want others to treat them?
Any time your loved one goes out into the world, we implicitly trust everyone out there to look after them and treat them properly, so when it's our turn, we treat everyone the same, everyone is someone else's loved one. We all look after each other. ā¤ļø
5
u/Far_Understanding671 8h ago
You forgot to mention merging of any kind, but especially onto the highway. Trying to merge with traffic already doing 100 +, while maintaining a solid 60kmph, then stopping at the merge lane because thereās too much traffic
3
u/Low_Significance_593 DC2 Integra Type R 6h ago
I think one of the biggest problems is speed regulation. This country polices speeding so heavily that people donāt even drive the limit cause theyāre scared of a fine or losing their license, and anyone going slightly above is considered a hoon.
The amount of people i see slow down to be ~20 under the limit when thereās a camera is astounding. Sure call me a hoon but imo this is way less safe than going abit over the limit. If the punishments were less harsh, people would be less scared to drive the limit and thus traffic would flow better
1
u/Yeanahyena ā96 Supra / ā22 Macan GTS 4h ago
Absolutely. I had someone on here say to me how unsafe it is crossing 100km phā¦.
ā¦.ReallyĀ
6
u/FuIImetaI 12h ago
One more point I've noticed NPCs do is when there is a red light ahead and they start accelerating hard and then have to brake heavily. You kind of brought it up, but why the fuck are we flooring it when there is a red light ahead? So many people do it too. If you just slowly accelerated, it usually goes green and you can keep going without even braking. Dare I say it is faster and more efficient that way.
3
u/Jumpy_Try1282 9h ago
Oh dude 100% floor it up to stopped traffic, come to a stop for 2 seconds, get back up to speed again, repeat. I just dont think people actually consider any other option. Completely oblivious to the fact that there may be a better way. I just think oh well have fun spending more money on brakes and fuel and still getting there slower than me š
4
u/BeemerM60 22h ago
I need to buy you a beer
3
u/Jumpy_Try1282 21h ago
I would really appreciate that
2
u/BeemerM60 21h ago
Any timeš. Are you in Newcastle? Do you also ācrabā entering your driveway? One wheel at a time nice and gentle. Bit disappointed you didnāt mention dry steering. If youāre not moving donāt turn the damn wheel!
3
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
I do aim for a nice slow crab walk up and/or down anything with a lip and yes dry steering is revolting when not necessary. But also sometimes can be the difference between something going well or something going ugly when driving a truck in a tight space and in that case it has to be done
1
u/BeemerM60 19h ago
I remember a country mechanic demonstrating the forces in play when dry steering so yes. I avoid it 99% of the time!
0
u/W126_300SE 2014 Skoda Superb 125TDI Wagon 21h ago
Oh goodness dry steering is my pet peeve.
I'm not the person you responded to but I would like to add that I 'crab' when both entering and leaving my driveway. And I always limo stop which for some reason irritates a friend of mine....a friend who tailgates, doesn't indicate properly, and cuts the solid line when merging. I've had to set a boundary that if we're going out, I do the driving.
2
u/BeemerM60 20h ago
Limo stop for me too. My brake pads last forever! And I drive a BMW and always indicate. Giving the Bimmer Boys a bad nameš
2
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
Yep limo stop is a must. Whenever i time a light or traffic turning off or whatever it is with zero braking and coast right through, all i can think of is the fuel savings and the preservation of my brake pads š it shouldn't matter but it does to me.
2
u/No_Win1213 8h ago
People just seem to turn their brains off and go into full autopilot when they get into their car. Come to think of it, the same goes when out shopping, you just see a lot of people with their brains off unaware of their surroundings, stuck in their own little bubble.
1
u/Jumpy_Try1282 2h ago
Oh dont even get me started on walking through shopping centres. Thats a whole other rant š
3
u/lolxdqtxo 20h ago
How am I supposed to see traffic more than the car infront of me when the average car nowadays is an SUV tank
No... the mums, dads and bougies have made their choice and so there will be no gaps, courtesy or otherwise on my watch. This is war.
4
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
I am a bit lost. Is this sarcasm or irony? Or your genuine outlook on driving?
0
u/lolxdqtxo 19h ago
This is my genuine opinion and it would be yours too if you see mainstream car culture for what it really is. A way to show off your social status that you rorted your way up to, a way to get an up on your fellow man so that if you ever crash you will always come out on top with your SUV tank. This is Australia.
5
u/Jumpy_Try1282 19h ago
I mean i can see the direction that the majority of people are headed in like you say but thats kinda what my whole post is about. Doesn't mean you add to the problem by driving poorly and putting yourself and others in a situation that could be avoided...
1
u/SirSteelBuns 3h ago
Now considering these things you mention are the norm, try commuting on a motorbike. You need to navigate all these people very reactively driving, while you may be at any moment, squished. Motorcycling isn't in itself dangerous. The general public, and their lack of awareness and ability, are dangerous. I am genuinely surprised if on any given day, there isn't a near miss from other driver inexperience or inattention. I still ride because it is mostly fun and saves petrol expenses. But hooooly dooooooly being out in the world, all the global problems seem to make perfect sense. These people go to work. They vote. And the scary thing is, its the majority or a very close 50/50, aware vs unaware road users.
2
u/Jumpy_Try1282 2h ago
Yeah mate, i do ride. Just to work some days and for a little cruise when i get the chance but oh for sure its even worse the things you see on a bike ride. And i'd steer more towards 70/30 for that equation
1
u/misssedlinehaul 1h ago
I was behind a Geely the other day, I swear there was something wrong with their radar cruise. Slowed down to a crawl then only took off when the front cleared by a few car lengths.
1
1
u/Skeltrex 7h ago
Itās the most universally held opinion: everyone believes that they are above average drivers.
0
u/thegurio 10h ago
I completely agree - thatās why in over 400,000kms I still have the original set of brake pads on my carā¦ plus my fuel economy is superb.
Donāt get me started on right lane campers, and people who canāt do the speed limit during in the right hand lane - or even worse, and this one I experience every, single, day - people who do 90 in a single lane 100 zone, then can suddenly do 110 on a small dual lane patchā¦
I have just been on tour from Tasmania through Queensland ands all states in between and back again and itās genuinely amazing how differently each state drives.
0
u/akumarux 5h ago
Found the guy in the freeway leaving a giant gap because he thinks he's a professional and doing everyone a service. Mate move over and get off the road. Also your limo stops are part of the problem as you coast at 30kmh for 500m up to a traffic light.
-8
-9
u/philstrom 21h ago
Yes youāre an amazing driver and everyone else is shit. Same thing everyone on the road thinks.
3
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
I knew there would be at least 1 with this comment. And in a way i do agree with you. I believe a good majority does think that. Its also a little bit subjective. "Good driver" can mean a number of things to a number of people. I believe im a good driver but to one of my mates (who tailgates, doesn't indicate, doesn't look ahead) apparently im a slow, boring driver.
-2
u/philstrom 20h ago
Good drivers are aware of their own bad habits and focus on those rather than keeping a running catalogue of the ways they are superior. I can 100% guarantee you do things on the road that piss off other drivers beyond being slow and boring. We all do.
1
u/Jumpy_Try1282 20h ago
And once again, i agree with what you're saying š as much as you may want an argument.
I try to be very aware of my habits and pay attention to where i am and what im doing and how it may be affecting the people around me. I also understand i most definitely piss some people off but it usually seems those pissed off people are the ones who have habits that actually affect the safety of themselves and those around them. I have no running catalogue either its just very easy to notice patterns when you're paying attention to the movement around you.
-2
u/Evening-Order5511 10h ago
There are thousands and thousands of people living here who have been driving in Australia for less time than a green P-plater. We all need to accept that and to adjust to it. Defensive driving is your best optionĀ
62
u/Psychlonuclear 20h ago
The ones that brake when there's nothing in front, nowhere to turn, and they're already 15 under the limit, going uphill.