Bad driving habits.

Using my phone. Speeding. It should be illegal not to speed in this thing.

I am also guilty of stopping in the crosswalk for right hand turns. Cycling is getting more popular in my area, so I should probably work on not doing this.

Using the phone... This is work in progress for me. Thankfully the car is too loud for me to talk in, and I've stopped physically typing texts as of Jan. I will only answer texts with text to speech while moving now.

Speeding... I think subconsciously I feel safer in this tiny machine when I'm "in front" ...of course in the city anything other than light traffic means I am perpetually passing some just to land behind others. In back roads I get in front then just drive whatever speed is enjoyable, which is usually still faster than those behind me, but not so fast as to miss the scenery or be dangerous in turns. Also, having the c56 mated to my 2ZZ actually encourages me to use lift... Once you get over falling out of lift between first and second, you soon realize every other upshift near fuel cut puts you back at 6200-6400. Third gear pulls with a c56 can put you over 90mph right quick... And it's just damn hard not to enjoy that pull.

Several minutes of idling in my driveway every morning so the engine is warm enough to hit lift by the time I get to the highway on ramp. A waste of fuel that enables my speeding habit. 

On the other side thou... I am very happy with my seatbelt habit. First thing I do after sitting down in the car. I used to live in the country as a kid, and not put my seatbelt on until we got onto the highway. One morning my dad hit a deer at 45-50mph in the back roads, and I faceplanted into the dashboard. Lesson learned. Seatbelts have saved my ass more than I'd like to admit ever since.

I've noticed that the MR2 really requires "aggressively defensive" driving. Like staying on the defensive, not driving aggressive, but being forced to pull aggressive maneuvers to remain in front and in control. Not related to speeding (which I do in this car a little too much), but I find it safest.

I learned one “good habit” - while driving poorly.   You know when you’re going faster than everyone else, and there are cars lingering in the fast last, and you pass them on the right side?   Well it turns out that if you snap back over into the fast lane and scrape the front bumper off the fast-lane-hog...they can get really aggressive.   However, if you just hang in the slow lane as long as possible, then pop into the fast lane at the last second - the fast-lane-hog could care less.  It’s some wierd macho/challenge/insult thing.   You still passed them.  They’re still jerks for hogging the fast lane.  But they don’t get angry at you and speed up to show you a lesson, and crowd your rear bumper because now they’re going 20mph faster than they were when you just wanted to get around their selfish selves.

Posted by: @haloruler64

I've noticed that the MR2 really requires "aggressively defensive" driving. Like staying on the defensive, not driving aggressive, but being forced to pull aggressive maneuvers to remain in front and in control. Not related to speeding (which I do in this car a little too much), but I find it safest.

It use to be like this for me but off late not so much because people have become worse at driving.  I have noticed that Im the only one who speeds and I only drive 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit. Everything is in slow motion and I can navigate and predict what is going to happen by observing poor car behavior.  

When I take off from a stop light Im way out in front that I pretty much have at least 10 car lengths or more of empty space to get into any lane im in and Im not even trying.   People in my area are driving under the speed limit and taking their sweet time to accelerate from a traffic light, its pathetic.

I haven't even seen a ricer in ages.  

I am pretty disciplined behind the wheel. I always have my hands at 10 and 2. I never trust my green light completely and I am the A hole who when the light turns yellow slows down to make a stop usually with 3-4 people  breezing by me through the red. Rolling stops at stop signs are my biggest sin. Playing with my GPS when I am in unfamiliar territory is another that I try to avoid. I drive 5-15mph over on the roads I know except the highway where i drive around the speed limit in the spyder. I get no trills out of going 80+ on a highway and honestly the drive is more enjoyable than the destination in most cases. I use the car to its safe potential and I know my limits as a driver. in the (wait for it) 15 years of Spyder ownership, I can certainly feel my reflexes and awareness radar have eroded some and I drive accordingly. Yeah I am old now

Posted by: @dev

Posted by: @haloruler64

I've noticed that the MR2 really requires "aggressively defensive" driving. Like staying on the defensive, not driving aggressive, but being forced to pull aggressive maneuvers to remain in front and in control. Not related to speeding (which I do in this car a little too much), but I find it safest.

It use to be like this for me but off late not so much because people have become worse at driving.  I have noticed that Im the only one who speeds and I only drive 5 or 10 mph over the speed limit. Everything is in slow motion and I can navigate and predict what is going to happen by observing poor car behavior.  

When I take off from a stop light Im way out in front that I pretty much have at least 10 car lengths or more of empty space to get into any lane im in and Im not even trying.   People in my area are driving under the speed limit and taking their sweet time to accelerate from a traffic light, its pathetic.

I haven't even seen a ricer in ages.  

 

 

 

 

I've found that while people are worse at driving than before, they're also more distracted.  I make the same assumption in my spyder as I always did on a motorcycle, that no one else notices me.  I always try to be in a spot that is easily seen.  Especially when around the soccer mom in the SUV yelling at 3-4 moving heads in the back seats while doing 15 over the limit.

I do have some bad habits though, I usually speed a little, sometimes I reach over to the passenger side on my daily to grab my coke, and probably a few other things I don't even realize I do.

I to am guilty of the rolling stop sign, I have a ticket to prove it. Although back in the day when most cars were equipped with standard (not automatic) transmissions it was an accepted practice.

my biggest sin is my non patience’s with poor drivers and overly cautious drivers. I specifically am bothered by the person at an intersection who is so nice to stop and let others turn out onto the road that has ten cars behind them.

I to go 5 to 15 over the limit especially on twisty roads, rarely exceed 70 mph.

If you are in the habit of stopping in the crosswalk, don't drive in suburban Maryland.  Here the "Red Light" cameras routinely issue tickets for going past ....the stop line.  Don't even think about driving to the crosswalk.  Second pet peeve as a MD daily driver, "Red Light" cameras will also issue you a ticket if you fail to complete a complete stop prior to making a "Right Turn On Red."

Worst driving sin: failing to program my dash mounted GPS before I leave the driveway. I can't begin to count the number of times I start driving --- thinking that my destination has already been "Saved" by my GPS --- only to find out that, for whatever reason, the destination is no longer saved.  Them I am left to either: try to program the GPS at the first stop light; or pull over and do it without endangering myself or others.

I too lament the unacceptably poor skill levels of current drivers and that is before factoring the "Driving While Distracted" folks.  The problem, IMHO, is that somewhere along the way the concept that driving is a privilege offered by the State, has become that driving is a right.... and even the worse drivers get a license... and said license is nearly never revoked.

Bad habits? Not really, under "normal" circumstances. I typically drive 5mph over the posted "limit", but not in school zones(I love pissing people off doing 25 when so instructed). I do drive over the posted limit on the local interstates...most cars are driven 15-25 mph over, here in Indy...it's an unwritten law there is no SL on them. I rarely see a car pulled over.

That's all I'm saying, there may be some undercover LEO's lurking ...

Oh, T-bone, you're a young punk 😉 😉