For me its being in traffic behind someone who has to open a quarter mile gap from the car in front of them.
Don't know why i find it irritating but i get the impression control freaks like doing it. Then if on the off chance i think, ok lets overtake you, they get all upset and flash their lights even though i left them standing and at no point put anybody in danger.

the 40mph club are quite annoying

On an interstate highway in the US there are two lanes. The outside lane is travelling en masse at slightly below the limit. I'm on the inside lane and there is a driver in my lane going exactly the pace as the outside lane for 20 miles or so!

Move over you stupid F@#K*R! or get on with it!

It is mildly irritating (I want to do bodily harm). But, patience HAS LITTLE VIRTUE!

Sorry mom, I didn't mean that.

it's the people who nip out of a side road in front of you (even though there is no car following you) causing you to brake, and then proceed at 25mph....

<hitwall>

The clutch in my mums car!!!!

I was going to say that! I had one of those yesterday. The stupid git in a Mundane-o with those awful chunk alloys they fit looked at me, then pulled out anyway. With so much luggage in the back that it obscured the rear window totally. I was doing a little over the limit, admittedly (and I really do mean only a little), so there was no issue in avoiding him, but he then sat at about 30 on a main trunk route (A272 in Sussex) in a portion where overtaking isn't possible - unless you ignore the white lines, are suicidal or just over brave. In my case, none of those three apply!

Also, people who go to the third or fourth exit on a roundabout from the outside lane. People who don't indicate on roundabouts and wonder why you pull out infront of them assuming that they're going straight over when in fact they wish to go further round.

Horses. There's thousands of miles of bridleways in Sussex, why do they need to use the roads? It's not like you can go green laning any more - I can't go off road, you stay in the bloody countryside!

People who occupy the outside lane of a dual carriageway/motorway when there's a car three miles up the road going 1 mile an hour slower. Just beacuse you're doing exactly the speed limit doesn't give you the god given right to prevent people overtaking just because you think they shouldn't be going quicker anyway!

Mums who insist on driving Jonny Schoolboy 30 yards down the road in a Range Rover Sport/X5/Cayenne just to show Mrs Smith that their hubby earns more than Mr Smith, causing huge traffic jams, excessively fat kids and breaking wing mirrors off people's cars.

Baby on board stickers. I don't give a crap if you have a kid, I steer clear of all cars by the same distance, no matter if they're child infested of not.

Cars with insanely loud music. 95% of the chavs who have spent 10 times their cars worth on 'ICE' play such crap it isn't worth hearing!

All these 'Think' signs that have appeared on the A272 in the last month regarding casualties. All I 'think' about is how crap the road surface is in places, and how much better the road would be if they'd spent a few grand on tarmac as opposed to irritating yellow signs!

That's because they haven't worked out where second gear is!

Nothing irritates me when I'm driving...

I don't drive to work I commute on a little jam busting Honda 125... and at the weekends I just put on some nice music and enjoy the fact I can still be allowed to drive to where I am going rather than been forced onto cramped public transport... yet.

So not much then Norbert?

Have to agree with most of them though <clap>

In fairness, they are a warning to you that the driver may be suddenly distracted so best for you to steer clear...

I hear once that they first appeared to let medics know if a car involved in an accident has children on board throw clear... but I doubt this myself

Well, maybe, but surely it's a driver's responsibility to make sure they don't become distracted? That's why hand held mobile phones have been banned....

You can turn off a mobile or connect it to a hands free set up.... not as easy to do that with children.... <think>

but if you do ever invent such a device you will become a very rich man... <thumbsup>

"what irritates you the most when driving?"
I don't drive :)
I am certain other drivers will irritate the hell out of me. Thats why I don't <whistle>

Mini-bus taxi drivers <grrr>

These guys are a major menace on the roads in South Africa. They stop suddenly without warning to drop off or pick up their fares. They block intersections when dropping off and picking up passengers. They drive aggressively, tailgating and changing lanes without warning. They assault fellow motorists, and have been known to pull guns on those that displease them. They drive unroadworthy vehicles, and are responsible for scores of deaths. The traffic police are scared of them. Etc.

Here's an example: I was returning home early on Saturday evening (in the dark) on a three lane motorway. There are roadworks on one section and so there is no emergency lane. A motorist had stopped in the left-hand lane and put their hazards on. I checked my mirrors, and there was a one vehicle behind me in the middle lane approaching at a reasonable rate, and nothing in the right hand lane. I indicated to move over to the right, and did so. The taxi driver (for it was one of them) came up behind me, flashed his lights at me, and then proceeded to try to force me into the left lane while hooting <yikes>

Quite agree. I think all children in cars ought to be accompanied by a responsible person (who is NOT the driver) in order that the driver may concentrate on driving, and not pulling out onto a roundabout infront of me while looking left because they're faffing about with their kid. Yes, this did happen to me, a few months back, the dozy cow didn't even bother looking the right way. However, as a bike rider being used to such cretins in cars, you tend to be able to work out where a car is going before the driver does, it's a kind of built-in security device. I would recommend that anyone who has never ridden a bike before should try it - you'd be astonished at how much more care and attention you pay to things when there's not the security blanket around you that is your steel cage, inpact protection system and airbags!

What annoys me is:

The afore mentioned 40MPH club (40 in a 60, 40 on the motorway, even 40 in a 30)

Prats that speed up when you are overtaking and hence endangering both your lives. Then these people have the cheek to flash you even though the actual manouver was perfectly safe with no oncoming traffic and clear sightlines, as if overtaking is illegal.

Wagons overtaking 1MPH faster than the guy they are overtaking only to pull in and do the same speed as the guy they just overtook.

Boy racers that zigzag between lanes in trafficjams, they just slow everyone else down.

LANEHOGGERS

i was once behind a member of 40mph club who was holding me up on a 60mph road

we then went into a 30mph zone with speed camera's and I slowed down to 30mph but he continued at 40mph

and guess what happened

needless to say I had the last laugh

Talking of overtaking.....

Idiots who hit the brakes when a bike comes up to overtake them... why??? I nearly re-ended an Escort a few weeks back when the driver hit the anchors, it's not like the next car coming the other way was even vaguely close. The road was dead straight for about 3/4 mile and there was a car just coming into view around the next corner. A trabant could have overtaken in half the distance!!

Also, people who dab the brakes jusr before *every* corner, for no apparent reason....

I dislike

• People who don't indicate, particularly on roundabouts.
• People who ignore speedlimits
• The 40mph Club
• Limos
• Motorcyclists during traffic Jams - that is my paintwork thank you very much.
• Trucks attmpting to overtake each other whilst bouncing on their speed limiters
• Trucks generally
• Boy Racers
• More Boy Racers
• Sheep
• Cows
• Boy Racers
• Children with no road sense.
• Children generally. Hi Mark!
• Cars with blue lights on wot expect you to get out of the way where you can't
• Boy Racers.

Not nessasarily in that order.

Get out the bloody way then! The white line divides lanes, it doesn't tell you where to put your right side tyres.....

<roflmao>

Stig likes...


The Welsh


and thats that!

Which reminds me of a further one:

Car drivers who are frustrated that they can't split lanes so insist on moving as far across as possible to attempt to stop motorcycles from overtaking. Especially on those really wide roads. On one occasion, a car I was overtaking actually crossed the white line in their attempt to do so. However, as the road was very wide, and the car coming the other way saw what was going on and very generously moved across, there was no issue. On a narrower road it could have been more serious, having said that I don't tend to split lanes when the traffic is moving in opposite directions, unless the car I'm thinking of overtaking dives into the verge to let me by. That's often a hazard in itself, the amount of crap they drag onto the road sometimes...!!

and he's not even sure about them!

<rolleyes>

Neither is it a line for you to put your pair on!

That would be why I'm in a racing team with my best friends, who are all English and live in England...? Specifically around Northampton?

i'm only joking kev

and I love the patchwork suit your wearing on your website

<thumbsup>

<roflmao> I know that feeling...

usually they are drifting because they are on the phone of fiddling with the radio... or trying to see past the van on front....

the problem becomes acute when it's from both side going through a tunne for examplel ...

but to be fair, when they see you the give way... most times.

I also hate those people that think that every corner is covered in sheet ice and slow down to crawling pace to go round the bend.

Also, anyone that uses their mobile without a hands free kit should also be kicked off the road, especially since you can get a basic hands free kit from tesco for £5-£10.

But one day it might and then they will be safe... <doh>

<clap> <clap> <clap>

it still amazes me how many people use their phone whilst blasting down the motorway

crazy

Well it's their licence and their points if they want to risk that

please do not attempt to park in my boot though.

That takes the biscuit, i guess they also get shot by other drivers who dont take to kindly to having a gun waved in their face <yikes>

I got a taxi to the pub on saturday morning to pick up my car and the taxi I was in was in proper bad state. Hole in the dash where the radio should have been, exposed wires everywhere, wing mirrors held together with rubberbands, one of the wing mirrors smashed and it smelled funny. Also, the driver wasn't much cop either.

I had a courtesy car today, which as much as i appreciate having it, was well under powered compared to my own.

The post about people driving slow and then speeding up when you overtake them did not catch my radar until today.

F me is it dangerous when you overtake these clowns in an average car.

I had a slow car travelling in front of me on a single lane road and went to overtake, he sped up meaning i was left with no way to get back into lane without heavy braking as the car didnt have the power to respond.

Normaly i just leave them standing, but in the courtesy car it really brought it home how dangerous this.

To me, speeding up during being overtaken is as good as blatant dangerous driving. I'm just glad my car has a bit of grunt.

makes you wonder how many head on crashes got caused by vehicles speeding up and denying the vehicle overtaking a space to slot back in lane.

Interesting thought..... but two things spring to mind.

1. If there was oncoming traffic why make the move to overtake in the first place.

2. Bit even when you start the manoeuvre there is no oncoming traffic but said other car speeds up... it implies that both cars are speeding side by side for some distance (long enough to come up on traffic)... surely the sensible thing to do is slow and pull back in...

or are we talking about hurt pride here.... I'd rather smash into that oncoming lorry than yield to the twat in the other car....

Well, what if....

1. There's plenty of space to overtake assuming the other car remains at the same speed.

2. What if the person behind has closed the gap or is also attempting to overtake?

It's nothing to do with pride. The senario is that you get on to a decent straight in the road, there is on coming traffic, but it is a long way off, hence there is space to overtake. You proceed with your overtaking manouver, only for the guy you are overtaking to speed up, making the manouver take longer and more road than originally intended, hence endangering your life.

The question is, who is the one with pride issues, the guy overtaking and continuing with his manouver (at least while it is still safe to do so, once it become obvious you can't make it, it would be suicide to continue), or the pillock that speed up because he doesn't like being overtaken, and risking lives in the process.

If some one is overtaking me, I let them go. So what if some one is passing you. There is no law that says they have to stay behind you.