The bad driver stereotype.

[David C]

Speaking purely hypothetically since I've never drove any performance cars such as Lexus, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Acura, etc one of the reason I came up with to explain a level of behavior that is almost only observed from those "performance" car drivers is the performance of the car itself. Driving a Yaris that has a small engine that lacks the power to accelerate swiftly at any speed and the stability to precisely maneuver at higher speeds, I find the car actually holds me back when I want to floor it because I feel like other people are always in my way. Of course for me I have a calm driving habit by nature, so it doesn't happen often, but I could easily imagine how empowering a more powerful and agile car would be for the average driver who is getting itchy from the crowded or sometimes too slow roads.

As for those who don't signal, turn on their lights, clear the snow off the car properly, etc, they just don't care or are clueless or never had anything important taken away from them to realize how fragile everything you have is.

Also the myth of people driving big SUV or pickup trucks being aggressive on the road is true. It does give you a sense of owning the road and feeling like nothing can stop you unlike driving a smaller car. The worst thing is those drivers are your friend, your family, your colleagues, etc that you never though would be so pushy on the road till you hitch a ride with them.

When people feel important, it's hard to convince them otherwise when you're not in a vehicle that's bigger than them. Unfortunately that's how our society allowed car markers to market their products as a superior feel and road status.

My colleague drives a big RAM 1500 pickup and he loves it. I do agree it's fun to have a truck even more when you live in the country and have to drive in snow several months of the years. However he has to be passenger in the Sprinter van due to personal reasons and I'm the one driving him. I drive the big Sprinter like I drive my Yaris, or should I say I drive my Yaris like I'd drive a heavier/bulkier vehicle, always keeping a safe distance, always signaling and giving room to maneuver, no sudden maneuver, no hard braking or fast acceleration, etc, trying to be as economical as possible on fuel without being a slow driver. I get about 8-9L/100km gasoline in my Yaris, the Sprinter (twice as big engine being a 3L V6 turbo ~180hp and twice as heavy, tall and long) gets 14-16L/100km diesel. If it was my colleague driving, you'd be at over 20L/100km. I do about 300-400km in my week going to work and leisure, it cost me between 30-40$/week. He does similar mileage for commuting to work and I don't know how much more for leisure and he spends 60-80$ of gasoline in his pickup every other day.

At the end of the day, it's not that people are bad drivers (bad drivers are those who hit their car, can't park or reverse, can't stay in the lane, etc) it just that they are either clueless, don't care or haven't figured out how much money they are wasting. I try to ignore them when they are ahead and sometimes give them a hard time when they're behind.

The way I see the roads is everyone paid and is paying to have the roads build and maintained. We are then all on equal footing to enjoy using the roads as we see fit, and the driving laws are there as a guideline and to draw the line between safe and unsafe. However it's only you and how you behave on the road that defines how pleasant using the roads is. I won't block someone in the left lane from driving faster even if I'm already driving 140, however I expect the driver to keep a safe distance while I wait for a safe opportunity to move out of his way, no matter if I'm driving a big truck, small car or a sport car.

Laws of physic don't cancel out because you paid over $50k for your car and those who aren't making sure they are visible and clearly signaling their intention only have two things waiting for them; cops or towing, and the worst is they'll never see it coming.