What Do You Rate Yourself as a Driver?

tomleonhart on 26/09/2019 - 17:05
Last edited 26/09/2019 - 17:07

I'll leave these definition up to interpretation.

I rated myself as average. Reason:

  • Never had an accident other than being reversed into in a car park.
  • Always stick to a speed limit.
  • Sort of courteous
  • Have never been fined. (or never got caught?)

I would rate myself as Godlike but in the last 2 months, I had 2 close calls. One time I almost got T-boned by a red light runner, second time I almost T-boned another car as she pulled out in front of me as I was joining the highway. Both time I definitely should have been able to see it happening. So just an average driver it is.

So what would you rate yourself and your reason ?

Poll Options

  • 20
    Terrible
  • 21
    Below Average
  • 90
    Average
  • 96
    Above Average
  • 54
    Awesome
  • 212
    Godlike
Automotive

Comments

  • prinsenhof on 27/09/2019 - 17:44
    +1

    I'm a godlike driver because I used to play gran turimso on the playstation 1 when i was kid.

    Still using the same technique today. Bump the steering wheel bit by bit to stay in the lane.

  • DiscoJango on 27/09/2019 - 19:04

    missing a poll option: i would describe myself as "Takumi".

  • crentist on 27/09/2019 - 19:51
    +1

    Godlike. I just put my foot down, take my hands off the wheel, let the car steer itself and the roads part in front of me.

    Best is when the car decides to go to Maccas drive thru

  • ATangk on 27/09/2019 - 20:40
    +1

    Anyone remember ridge racer? The game where you can steer the car to the left and it will drift around a corner to the right？That is why im godlike.

  • baskinghobo on 27/09/2019 - 22:00

    I would say above average but because I like to speed sometimes it would go down to average/below average

  • [Deactivated] on 27/09/2019 - 22:02

    God like, while I often speed and get caught, I haven't been in an accident that I caused, often I avoided an accident that someone else responsible for.

    And I have driven over 20 years and over 300k kms.

  • mezje on 27/09/2019 - 23:09

    God like, regularly do track days, did delivery driving and a defensive driving course before I got my Ls.

    Live & breathe it

  • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2019 - 02:36
    +3

    After 23 years of driving and working as a professional driver, I am still learning.

    • Bad Company on 09/10/2019 - 10:14

      If your professional driving is driving a taxi, I'm sorry to break the news to you………

      • [Deactivated] on 09/10/2019 - 21:01

        I drive Australia Post vans. I know what you are talking about.

  • CHIEFMEGADETH on 28/09/2019 - 08:05

    Average.
    Is it me, or when cars from far away catch up fast. and try and overtake me, or overtake me. Makes me feel like they're doing it on purpose? lol, Sometimes I speed up and stay ahead of them. Or keep up for a little bit. Then I say to myself. Relax, Stop driving like every car wants to get in front of me. And drive carefully
    I know they're just trying to get where they're going.

    Also, I always use my blinkers when turning changing lanes. Why is it so hard for so many? It's about letting everyone around you know. That youre following the rules and vigilant and are awake.

    • DiscoJango on 28/09/2019 - 08:44

      This is a psychological thing. Have you ever noticed that a car from far away will catchup to you, and if you then move over, they will just sit there, and not speed like they did?

      I believe its because people like to follow, literally like sheep, other cars, which is why they got close to you, you were the leader. Once you moved over, and for example there are no longer any cars in front of them, there is no longer a point of reference to follow, so then they just sit there driving normally.

      • stringbean402 on 28/09/2019 - 14:30

        Yeah shits me off in long highway drives… much safer to drive alone yet people feel the need stick around you like a bad smell.

        Particularly hate sitting behind someone, overtaking and then they speed up and sit behind you. It is a sheep thing… people love to follow.

        • DiscoJango on 29/09/2019 - 07:34

          I think its also got something to do with using less brain power?

          As in, when your following, you dont need to think as much on your own. Car in front turns, you turn, car in front slows down, you slow down.

          However if they are the 'leader' with no cars in front of them, they then have to be the 'aware' ones and needing to think for themselves.

    • Ughhh on 29/09/2019 - 10:56

      Also, I always use my blinkers when turning changing lanes. Why is it so hard for so many? It's about letting everyone around you know.

      Not hard, I would say it's more lack of respect to other drivers rather than not knowing the purpose of those sticks.

  • Bid Sniper on 28/09/2019 - 08:49

    Though I was ok then had V8 supercar driver and his manager instruct me on a trackday. I was taking corners as hard as I could, ass clenching fast. Manager slapped me with his notebook and told me he was falling asleep, told me to hurry F up…

    There are a lot of measures of a good driver. Advanced driver training I think is a must. Whatever you think you are you need proper training. Took my wife to a few that she ran with her own car, helped her alot.

    Persoanlly, above the low bar is average in Sydney but still big scope for improvement.

  • TheBilly on 28/09/2019 - 09:25

    Terrible - on the road. Never had an accident but I keep loosing my licence - 4 times and counting.

  • SlavOz on 28/09/2019 - 09:30

    'Good' driver is too subjective. I'd definitely say I'm experienced and confident. Only been driving for about 10-11 years but having driven all around the world on all sorts of roads and conditions, and had experience with tiny sports cars, mid-sized SUVs, and oversized trucks I can definitely predict potential hazards and know how to react if they occur.

    It's shocking how many drivers have no awareness of the way other vehicles operate. Cruising in a trucks blind spot or slamming your brakes in front of them thinking they can stop as easily as you etc. I once had the driver behind me freak out because my car would roll back slightly on a hill start during congestion (in a manual car). He yelled out his window "get your car out of reverse!". I cried.

    • Eeples on 29/09/2019 - 23:17

      You are not supposed to roll back even in a manual.

      I would be freaked out.

  • pwnd on 28/09/2019 - 10:46

    I am sure there are some “godlike” drivers here that rate themselves too highly.
    Was behind a Triton Ute yesterday on my way home along Logan Motorway.
    He was towing a drift car and had another mate in a Silvia following behind him. I am sure they both thought they were a+++ race drivers.
    Both knobs drove the length of the motorway in the right lane despite no traffic or overtaking.

  • PaKoRa on 28/09/2019 - 14:20

    I like to go slow….sideways. Dorito life.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 29/09/2019 - 22:33

      As long as you are under the speed limit, that's fine

  • Shadowsfury on 28/09/2019 - 14:55
    +1

    Above-average but far from perfect.

    Situational awareness seems to be something missing the most from our roads, of which I like to think I have much more than the average driver and get comments from others in the car with me on occasion about noticing things before they happen, smoother flow of driving, etc.

    Situational awareness meaning knowing where other cars/bikes are around you, predicting where they might be (e.g. if they going faster or slower than you), knowing when you get out of the right lane, predicting actions - e.g. if one lane is banked up and the one next to it is clear, expect someone to switch lanes (whenever I see this I slow down a little and have one hand on the horn ready to use it if someone pulls out in front of me), noticing which drivers don't indicate.

    One accident comes to mind - freeway (100kmh) grinds to a halt in my lane. I don't need to slam on my brakes as I saw it coming so let my foot off the accelerator and slowly closed the gap to the front car, still leaving maybe 15m to the car in front when I stop. I look in my rearview mirror and think the 4WD behind me looks to be going quite fast, and a couple of seconds later he suddenly he slams on his brakes, so I close the gap I had left. In the end, he still hits me but no noticeable damage to the car (and tow bar knocked out his number plate). Had I not noticed and felt he wasn't going to stop in time, would have been much worse.

  • spaceflight on 28/09/2019 - 20:02

    I have never had an accident but lots of people around me have while I have been driving.
    The worst was 3 in one morning. I made it to work after lunch because I had to give 3 police statements.

    • OzzyOzbourne on 29/09/2019 - 22:32
      +1

      How did you manage to cause so many accidents?

  • TheBird on 28/09/2019 - 22:29

    I did 6 months where my team was responsible for teaching road safety.

    It really opened my eyes to how unsafe most drivers drive.

    I'd rate myself as aware, intolerant but patient now.

  • p1 ama on 29/09/2019 - 01:30

    It depends on what your criteria for a good driver is.

    Driving on modern roads is easy, I don't think the problem is that drivers lack technical ability, but rather they lack awareness and courtesy and are too often selfish or simply not paying attention. I reckon we'd cut the accident rate massively just by making everyone pay more attention and learn better manners.

    I used to do a lot of racing and motorsports when I was younger. That teaches you great technical ability, so I'd say you can only differentiate good and bad drivers by their lap times.

    Asking how good drivers are on public roads is like asking how good someone is at walking…(I'm not saying I'm a great driver, just that the criteria is not able to separate the good from the rest).

  • CalmLemons on 29/09/2019 - 12:04

    With an option like Godlike on there, why bother even having a poll

    I was taught by a German instructor. Always use my indicators, unlike most drivers.

    One thing I remember is, anyone can press down on the accelerator, but only idiots accelerate towards a red light.

  • dbun1 on 29/09/2019 - 17:32

    Lots of people rate them selves as very good drivers, but if you get a chance to watch them drive they are below average.

    Very few people these days understand the rules around line markings, who gives way when u-turning etc. that or they just don’t care.

    Probably a mix of both with the ever increasing self entitled attitude.

  • [Deactivated] on 29/09/2019 - 18:08

    Mr Magoo's instructor.

    In reality above average. I hate pain and careful to avoid it.

  • Mosher on 29/09/2019 - 21:33
    +1

    I consider myself as good as Paul walker

  • WhoGiveAShxt on 29/09/2019 - 22:33

    From my perspective, there are three levels of driver.

    1. the first level of drivers know where are the roads and what trees look like. They understand cars should be driving on the road.

    2. The second level understand how not running into other drivers on the road.

    3. The third level of drivers know how not be hit by other drivers.

  • Eeples on 29/09/2019 - 23:14

    My driving has improved in these ways….
    1. I spend very little time in other driver’s blind spots
    2. When I’m tailgated I pull over, if safe, to let them thru.
    3. I gently hold my breaks going into a Stop sign to indicate to the drivers behind me I really am going to stop… not roll thru,
    4. I park away from other cars
    5. Look both ways when the light turns green, if I’m on poll.

  • trapper on 09/10/2019 - 14:39

    Anyone whose only driving experience has been driving safely on a public road isn't realistically ever going to much above 'average'.

    How would you perform in an emergency situation avoiding other vehicles/objects/people or even just loss of traction due to water/ice/oil etc if you have never experienced that kind of thing before.

  • Snake 4 on 09/10/2019 - 21:53

    Many people don't understand the rules…..full stop.

    You see it on here with every road rule question or I had an accident today who is at fault question.

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