Topic: Why do some drivers only speed up when someone tries to pass?

[Jaeger]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

[OliverD]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

[PJungnitsch]

Anyone else ever found otherwise normal people they know to have surprising or even alarming driving habits if you take a road trip with them?

Sometimes I wonder if a refresher driving test for adults every so often would be worthwhile. Say every ten years people have to drive with an instructor for an hour or two, city and highway

[Jaeger]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

[ktm525]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

[draghon]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

^ x2

[Jaeger]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

^ x2

Absolutely.

[rrocket]

Anyone else ever found otherwise normal people they know to have surprising or even alarming driving habits if you take a road trip with them?

Not alarming, but just not good!

We have a friend who just isn't smooth in the least. Speed up, slow down,  just NOT smooth. Because of this, you feel sea sick after 5 minutes of this porpoising!

When I drive people I try to be as smoooooth as possible. You could put a glass of water on the dash and I wouldn't spill a drop!

[Firm]

Anyone else ever found otherwise normal people they know to have surprising or even alarming driving habits if you take a road trip with them?

Not alarming, but just not good!

We have a friend who just isn't smooth in the least. Speed up, slow down,  just NOT smooth. Because of this, you feel sea sick after 5 minutes of this porpoising!

When I drive people I try to be as smoooooth as possible. You could put a glass of water on the dash and I wouldn't spill a drop!

That's my biggest gripe as a passenger, people who are on/off with the gas/brake constantly. I get sea sick pretty quick. There's one guy in my industry, a sales guy, who is notorious for that type of driving . Everytime he sets up a sales trip we strategize ways to avoid ending up in a car with him at the wheel 

[blur911]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

Friend of mine did that....he later had to explain to the judge why that was a good idea.  YMMV

[quadzilla]

Don't forget the people who think their heat/cold only has two settings....Max head and max cold. You do know you can pick something in-between....right.

Or people that don't turn off their wipers when it has stopped raining so they keep squeaking. Can you not hear that!

[Seafoam]

^^ I have a close relative that does that. Also doesn't know what a turn signal is.

[ktm525]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

Friend of mine did that....he later had to explain to the judge why that was a good idea.  YMMV

Remind him if the car has lights on the top he may not want to speed up. 

[Jaeger]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

Friend of mine did that....he later had to explain to the judge why that was a good idea.  YMMV

Remind him if the car has lights on the top he may not want to speed up. 

 

[PJungnitsch]

Don't forget the people who think their heat/cold only has two settings....Max head and max cold. You do know you can pick something in-between....right.

Could see how that would be confusing!   

[Firm]

One thing that's much worse here in the South vs. what I experienced in Ontario is truckers camping in the left lane. I checked, and Tennessee does have laws similar to Ontario against truckers using the left lane, though it's not as strict because it does allow for them to use it for passing slower vehicles. Anyway, truckers here, at least 50% of them, just sit in the left lane at 65mph, while the majority of traffic is doing 75-80mph. Creates a rolling bottleneck effect that's extremely irritating.

[BWII]

Anyone else ever found otherwise normal people they know to have surprising or even alarming driving habits if you take a road trip with them?

Not alarming, but just not good!

We have a friend who just isn't smooth in the least. Speed up, slow down,  just NOT smooth. Because of this, you feel sea sick after 5 minutes of this porpoising!

When I drive people I try to be as smoooooth as possible. You could put a glass of water on the dash and I wouldn't spill a drop!

Co-worker is like that.  It's like driving with someone with a stuttering foot. Dry roads, middle of winter...won't use CC because WINTER!! (FFS arsehat!)  It's like having that annoying meme kid in the seat behind you on an airplane...kick...kick...kick...constant let go of the gas, stab the gas! Let go...STAB! Not excessive speed gains, but the constant tick...tick...kick!  For an entire hour.  That's the only time I've ever driven with him, and if we'd go somewhere again, I'm driving.  I think I might have volunteered to drive home - company car and all.

I still have a problem myself with keeping a glass of water on the dash...you'd get wet.  I think I'm smooth, but I can't do slow so good.  Better than decades ago...but...that's a Kia...I should be faster than a Soul! Push push!!  Ahhh...stoplight...dammit.

I should probably have a Buick.  GM products have a much softer pedal than a Ford.  Almost can't not take off like a grandpa.

[blur911]

Why do some highway drivers speed up, pass you, pull in front of you, then 2 minutes later they're going slower than you. 

Because they don't use cruise control and don't know how to keep a steady pace. I don't think it's intentional, just stupidity.

Yeah - I had more or less figured on stupidity. 

I was driving home from Ottawa once and on this side of Montreal a woman in an Altima passed me. And then I passed her. Repeat for literally hundreds of kms. I had my cruise set to the same speed the entire time.

I have a one-hour trip each way to my parents' place, which I do several times a month.  This happens All. The. Time.  The only explanation that makes any sense to me is "brain not working".

Yes see it all the time. The only way to fix it is to "break" the driver by hauling ass for 5 minutes to get out of their visual.

Friend of mine did that....he later had to explain to the judge why that was a good idea.  YMMV

Remind him if the car has lights on the top he may not want to speed up. 

 

It was kind of funny, it was a friend's son who was away at university, he called me for speeding ticket advice because he knew I had experience and I also wasn't his dad.

[Blueprint]

In Alberta I recall another annoying habit. Flat and straight four lane, cruise set at 120, someone overtakes in the left, just to settle in front of me and proceed to slow down. Pass them, resume cruise control, and it happens again.

This happens a lot. My take is that most people don't use cruise control and therefore don't follow stable speed patterns on long trips. Sometimes we end up passing the same vehicle five or six times. And then there's the tractor beam effect described above when a zombie driver just sticks to your speed. Floor it for a bit, then reset to your cruising speed and the zombie fades out in the distance.

[JG20]

Experienced all of the above on our trip to Tremblant last week. Worst has got to be the trucks trying to pass each other. One time, as cars were queued waiting for a truck to make it's pass, they speed up as one truck finishes passing. Another truck on the right lane turns on it's signals and proceeds to move left immediately nearly hitting the car in front of me (they had to swerve left into the shoulder to avoid getting hit) and forcing me to brake hard