Texting, tailgating among Canadian drivers' biggest pet peeves
Pet peeves — everyone has at least one or two different things that bug them. When it comes to being peeved on the road, however, it turns out there are a few common ones that ring true across the country, as revealed by a recent survey commissioned by autoTRADER.ca. Over 1,500 Canadians were polled, and some of the results are surprising.
Number 1: talking and texting while driving
In today’s tech-dominated world, we see people of all ages on their mobile devices on the road, leading to the nearly 30 per cent of respondents naming this as their biggest pet peeve. Conversely 15 per cent admitted to texting in their vehicle, and 36 per cent said they sometimes talk on the phone behind the wheel, which is what is leading automakers to offer increasingly advanced infotainment and handsfree talking systems.
Number 2: driving speed
A quarter of Canadians are bothered by driving speed, but not by what you might think — 19 per cent can’t stand people driving too slowly (to the delight of those in B.C., police are now ticketing motorists who crawl by in the left lane and preventing others to pass). Only seven per cent say they’re concerned about speeders. Ironically, 10 per cent of those that take issue with speeders confessed to speeding occasionly themselves.
Number 3: tailgating
If you can’t see the person’s headlights in your rearview mirror, you’re probably being tailgated. About 20 per cent of Canadians consider unwarranted bumper-to-bumper behaviour to be their among their top annoyances. Three per cent have tailgated someone after being cut off in traffic.
Number 4: not signalling
Driving in town, how often have you seen somebody suddenly lane change into your lane sans warning, or abruptly take a corner without so much as a single flash of their turn signal? This is what irritates 18 per cent of drivers in the nation.
Runner ups:
Respondents also reported finding poor parking skills and road rage to be among big peeves. When it comes to road rage, New Brunswick demonstrated the highest levels, with Quebec ranking the lowest.
