Five Most Discourteous Habits on the Roads

There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not complaining about drivers on Central Florida's roadways. I'm frequently overheard saying that Orlando must have the highest concentration of the world's stupidest and most inconsiderate drivers.

Here are five infuriating -- and sometimes illegal -- habits of Central Florida drivers.

1. Failing to Use a Turn Signal
There is nothing more annoying than driving along in your lane on the highway, only to watch some idiot cut in front of you without using a turn signal to indicate his intent to switch lanes. Really, people, the turn signal is located maybe two inches at most from your left hand while driving. Is it really so difficult to use it?

In the state of Florida, it is required by law (Statute 316.155 When signal required.-- ) to signal a turn from a direct course or when changing lanes on a highway. It is also state law to indicate a turn with your signal no less than the last 100 feet your vehicle travels before making the turn. If I could go one commute without saying "Hey, nice turn signal, jerk," I'd be much happier.

2. Running Red Lights
You know the situation must be dire when there are signs posted several hundred yards from intersections notifying drivers that the fine for running a red light is $183.50. Orlando intersections have now become a sort of "enter if you dare" area. Nine times out of ten, even when my light turns green, there is at least one car skating through a red light that I have to watch out for. If the light is yellow, slow down and prepare to stop. If it's red, STOP. You are really not saving yourself more than a few seconds' travel time by running it, and you are putting yourself and many, many others in danger.

3. Blocking the Left Lane on a Road or Highway
There has been a lot of debate over this topic lately in Florida, as lawmakers recently passed a statute (Statute 316.081 Driving on right side of roadway; exceptions.-- ) making it permissable for law enforcement to ticket a driver for "blocking" the left-hand lane of the road.

Simply put, just get out of the way. Yes, you have a right to drive on the roadway. Yes, you have the right to pass someone in the left-hand lane. But you do not have the right to impede traffic just because you think everyone should be going as slow or slower than you are. I have seen far more accidents on the highways in Florida because of this than anything else. Instead of slowing down traffic, you will actually infuriate the driver behind you, causing him or her to seek any opportunity to swerve into other lanes of traffic to get around you (likely not signaling).

Besides, I was always taught in driving school that it is safer to have a bad, reckless driver in front of you, where you can see what they're doing and stop if they crash, than behind you.

4. Failing to Yield Right-of-Way at a Four-Way Stop Intersection
To begin, stop signs mean stop, completely. Stop signs do not mean keep rolling forward until you're sure no one is coming or everyone else is stopping for you, and then floor it.

At the four-way stop, the first car to reach the intersection should proceed first, AFTER he has made a full and complete stop. If two or more cars reach the intersection at the same time, the law states (Statute 316.123 Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection.-- ) that one should always yield to the car to his right.

5. Failing to Merge Smoothly
This can apply to both vehicles entering a highway from an on-ramp, as well as vehicles approaching an on-ramp who are already on the higway. Vehicles entering the highway should attempt to accelerate to the highway speed as they enter the highway, to safely merge into traffic without causing people in the right-hand lane to slam on the breaks to let you in. Additionally, people on the highway should anticipate others entering from the on-ramp and decelerate so as to allow them to merge smoothly.

If traffic is congested around an on-ramp, the courteous action is for each car already on the highway to allow one car to merge from the on-ramp. There is nothing more infuriating to me as a driver than for people trying to merge onto the highway to attempt to cut you off (frequently by driving through the on-ramp onto the shoulder of the road to pass you). It is also highly frustrating if you are attempting to merge onto a highway with your turn signal on and drivers to leave less than an inch between themselves and the car in front of them so that you cannot merge.

These are my top five most annoying driver habits, but there are definitely others. The bottom line is that people just need to be more courteous on the roads. We'd have less accidents and much better stress levels.