I think that most of us are fully aware of these bad driving behaviors–including those who fail to drive at the prevailing speed on a highway–but it’s always good to be reminded about these annoying and dangerous practices.
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+1 +1 +1…
I can’t upvote this enought because I see all of them every time I drive. The failure to yeild by merging cars is so common, semi trucks rarely drive in the far right lane anymore in southern FL
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My favorite, given recent discussions:
“It may sound counterintuitive, but driving too slowly is one of the most common driving mistakes that can irritate other drivers. Most people expect everyone to drive at least the speed limit on highways. When you drive below the speed limit, you create an obstacle that requires other drivers to go around you. It’s much smarter to respect the flow of traffic and drive at the same speed as others on the road.”
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One I’d add: running red lights. Very dangerous, and I see just about every drive home from work.
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+1
There is an intersection near my house where the green cycle for the side road is very brief. If you don’t accelerate quickly when the light turns green, only 2 or 3 cars might get through on the green light.
As a result of some people who crawl away from the light, and who insist on leaving 10 car lengths following distance as they go through the intersection at 5 mph, it is fairly common for the light to turn red after just 2 or 3 cars have passed through. Then, one or two cars that should have stopped will proceed past the red light.
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It’s an institution. I noticed this in Columbia, SC when visiting my daughter at the university. Several cars continued to turn left after my lanes had a green light. She said it happens so often that it has a name: driving southern.
Of the 5, I currently don’t do any, but used to change lanes without using my turn signal. Years ago using the turn signal often seemed to be a challenge to the driver in that lane to close the gap and keep me from pulling in front of him. That behavior isn’t prevalent anymore.
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Common around me is the “green light delay” people who wait 10-15 seconds before they even move after the green appears. I always look left and right as I approach the intersection just to make sure someone in a great hurry isn’t blowing the red. I got in this habit around 2000 when red-light runners became common on my commute to work in Ohio.
They are everywhere!
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Yes!
Like you, I do pause–briefly–to make sure that traffic on the intersecting road has stopped. Then, I gun it if I am the first person in line at that light.
If I am not the first person in that line-up, I have to drive at the speed of the person(s) in front of me, but I am also aware that, at low speeds, only a 2 car following distance is necessary–not the 8-10 car following distance that some people seem to think is necessary at low speeds.
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Yeah turn signals are optional in vehicles here in the south… 
I use mine all the time, I was even told by a cop years ago (90’s) that he could only hit me a speeding ticket and not reckless driving cause he watched me as he was trying to catch up and noticed that I used my turn signals every time I changed lanes safely… but he had no issues handing me that ticket for speeding… 
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Folks around my part of the world have a terrible habit of either not accelerating on the interstate on-ramp, or worse, hitting the brake when they can’t immediately merge into traffic.
Last week I saw something truly unique. A car on the on ramp didn’t even try to merge with the flow of traffic. She got to the end of the on ramp and just stopped. A truck in front of me had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting her. Eventually an opening came, and the car sped up and merged…but it was quite a memorable experience.
I was always taught when you turn onto the on ramp, you want to be going as fast as you can in order to safely merge into traffic. Too many people now seem to brake or slow down. I have no idea why.
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That’s what I do, but those slow pokes on the freeway won’t go 120!
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Yesterday I was traveling behind an Acura and a bmw. A traffic light was on red and has been on red for a good while and I slowed down and prepared to stop. The bmw continued straight through.
Lucky for him, it was not a 4 way traffic. It was a 3 way.
That’s legion here too. If I’m first in line I’ve already scoped out approaching traffic while I wait for the green. I leave immediately and I’m 5 to 10 car lengths ahead by the time the next lane over starts moving. It makes we wonder what these people are doing when they should be paying attention to cross traffic.
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I always wait to see if all lanes of the intersecting road have stopped. Then I take my foot off the brake and let the car accelerate slowly and shift through all the gears, to save fuel and prolong the life of the transmission. Those people who want me to “floor it” and stress my transmission aren’t going to pay to fix my car if the transmission goes out.
Also, when I get the green light, and I see something coming, and not slowing down in my peripheral vision, I always honk to warn the other drivers.
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Oh, we know what they’re doing…
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Yeah me too, but for other reasons sometimes… 
America is a country of multiple culture. There are many drivers on the road from different countries.
Most drivers who already are experienced drivers from another country don’t need to take driving class in the USA to obtain a driver license as such isn’t a requirement. A simple road test and written test is all required.
Also, the DMV road rule manual doesn’t cover up everything a driver needs to know.
I first began to drive illegally at the age of 11 on the island, and on private roads. When I first migrated to the USA, I refused to take driving lessons and opted for the road test instead.
I passed on my first try.
I was only told to make a 3 point turn, parallel park, and to drive around the area for 15 minutes.
Most of what I learned today are from personal experience. And I’m still learning as a driver.
I think it is taught in drivers Ed not to pull into an intersection while making a left turn. Sitting behind someone who does not and sitting through 2 or 3 light cycles does bother me. The police cars do it so I do it with no worries.
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Yes, something like that is taught.
My biggest issue on the road today is traveling inside of a roundabout. I’ve watched countless YouTube videos on this issue and not one of them addresses the ones I take and get confused in.
Some roundabouts, like the one I’m having issues with, start with two lanes before entering, and let’s say I want to go to HEAVEN, which the signs says to keep to the left lane, and the right lane takes you to HELL. As I continue on in the left lane, it guides me to the middle of the roundabout before I need to cut across to the right to get to HEAVEN.
Cutting across inside of the roundabout can cause an accident.
So I try this a second time. I start from the right lane, which the signs says it’ll take me to HELL. As I proceed through, the lane guides me safely to two directions without having to cut across lanes. It gives me the option to exit on HELL or continue around to HEAVEN.