How Good of a Driver Are You, Really?

Steven Miller

Image: Wikicommons

About This Quiz

We know that you think you are an excellent driver but are you really? We have all been in that situation where you get in the passenger seat, and within seconds of the driver pulling out into the road, you feel like you are literally going to die.

Maybe they are going way too fast and swerving in and out of traffic, or they are tailgating someone or running red lights and basically driving like a total lunatic. Or they could be the other kind of driver, the one that goes totally slow and doesn't pay attention to what is going on and actually looks at you when they are talking to you while they are driving. I mean, let's face it; a lot of drivers are totally awful.

But not you though, right? You are one of the very best drivers out of all the people that you know; there is no reason at all for you to be worried about anyone thinking anything different. You know the rules of the road, you have cat-like reflexes, you always roll with the flow of traffic. You're an awesome driver. Right? Well, let's see. Maybe you should take this quiz and find out.

How many accidents have you been in?

None.

One, but it was minor.
I've been in a few.

I've had a couple big accidents.

Do people honk their horns at you a lot?

It seems like I get honked at a few times a day.

I probably get a honk directed at me once a week.
I get honked at once in a while.

It's almost unheard of for me to be honked at.

Do you check your blind spot before you change lanes?

I almost always do that, unless I'm out in the country.

I sometimes remember to do that.
Yes, I always do.

Oh yeah, I forgot that I'm supposed to do that.

How regularly do you check your mirrors?

I scan my mirrors on a regular basis.

I only look in my mirrors when I change lanes.
I hardly ever do.

I check them out once in a while.

Do you text and drive?

I know I'm not supposed to, but I do it once in a while.

I pull over if I need to make a phone call or text.
I do it all the time.

I always put my phone in the glove box when I drive.

How closely do you follow the car in front of you?

I'm right on the bumper.

I keep at least a few seconds of distance between the car in front of me.
I keep at least one car-length between us.

I try to keep 20 or 30-feet of distance.

Do you use your turn signal before you change lanes?

I always do, even if no one is behind me.

I do most of the time, but sometimes it's just not necessary.
I remember to do it occasionally.

I hardly ever use my turn signal to change lanes.

How regularly do your passengers reach for the "oh (bleep) bar"?

They always seem to have a firm grip on it.

They'll reach for it pretty regularly.
It gets some use once in a while.

I don't think they ever reach for it.

Have you ever changed lanes in the middle of an intersection before?

I've done that once or twice, but I don't do it anymore.

If it's a pretty clear intersection, I'll definitely do that.
I never do that.

Sure. What's wrong with that?

How many speeding tickets have you gotten?

I've never gotten a speeding ticket.

I've gotten a few, and one of them was pretty recently.
I seem to get them on a pretty regular basis.

I've gotten a ticket or two, but it's been a while.

How regularly do you drive with one hand and do another task with the other?

It's pretty common for me to drive like that.

It's pretty rare for me to do that, but it happens once in a while.
I do that pretty much all the time.

I never do that.

Do you stay in the right lane, except to pass?

What are you talking about?

I never hang out in the left lanes unless I'm moving faster than others.
I remember to do that some of the time.

I definitely do that on a two-lane highway.

When was the last time you checked your tire pressure?

I checked my tire pressure within the last week.

I checked the pressure before my last big trip.
It's been a while.

I don't think I've ever done that.

Are you aware of other drivers' blind spots while you're driving?

Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about.

I sometimes realize I've been hanging out in someone's blind spot for a long time.
I sometimes lose track of that, but I'm definitely aware of the blind spots on big trucks.

I'm constantly aware when I'm in a blind spot and I get myself out of it as soon as I can.

Do you tend to gradually decrease your speed when you stop or do you slam on the brakes?

It's pretty rare for me to slam on the brakes.

I'm not slamming my brakes all the time, but it does happen quite a bit.
I try to avoid slamming the brakes as much as possible. I often coast to a stop.

I tend to slam to a stop.

How are your parallel parking skills?

Amazing.

Decent.
Atrocious.

Good.

Do you actually read road signs?

I tend to ignore most of them, but the flashing ones will get my attention.

I miss them sometimes, but it's pretty rare.
I hardly ever remember to read the signs.

I always read the signs I pass.

Do you let your engine warm up before you start driving?

I never do that.

Yes, I always do that.
I sometimes remember to do that.

I generally do that, especially on a cold morning.

Are you on a first name basis with the guy at the local body shop?

I've never met the guy.

I met him once, but I don't recall his name.
I've seen him a few times, but we don't know each other's name.

Yeah, we're really close.

Have you noticed that people take a sigh of relief when they arrive at their destination with you behind the wheel?

Now that you mention it, that is always what happens.

I get that once in a while, but they're just being overly dramatic.
They might do that after a particularly difficult or long drive, but not normally.

I've never had that experience.

What do you do when you hear a siren and see flashing lights in your rear-view mirror?

I slow down and look for a place to pull over.

I usually get super nervous and curse. I can't afford another ticket.
I find a safe place to get to the side of the road so they can pass.

I drive faster.

Have you ever had your license taken away?

I've never even come close to losing my license.

I had it taken away once.
I've lost it a few times.

I've gotten close to losing it, but I haven't yet.

When you see your lane is closing ahead, how long do you wait to merge?

I go ahead for a while and cut in to any gap I come across in the line.

I generally try to get over right away, unless the line is totally stopped.
I go all the way to the end and cut in at the last second.

I get over as soon as I can.

Have you ever dozed off behind the wheel?

I've been woken up by the rumble strips many times.

I never get to that point. I'll stop and rest if I'm ever that tired.
It's happened a couple times.

I did that once, but it freaked me out and I'll never do it again.

When was the last time you passed a car on a solid line?

I've never done that before.

I rarely do it, but if I do, it's got to be pretty wide open.
I do it once in a while, but only if I'm out in the country.

I do that all the time. Those lines are more like suggestions.

Have you ever crossed multiple lanes to make an exit?

I do that pretty regularly. The exit just sneaks up on me.

I do that once in a while, but it's pretty rare.
I've maybe done that a couple times in my life.

I've never done that. It's so unsafe.

How loudly do you blast your music when you drive?

I'll crank my favorite song once in a while, but I tend to keep it pretty reasonable.

I'm frequently told to turn the volume down.
I keep my music at a very moderate level.

It's so loud that I can't hear anything besides the music.

Have you ever driven on the shoulder to get out of a traffic jam?

I've never done that. Those people drive me crazy.

I'll admit that I've done that a few times.
I do that all the time. I pity those suckers stuck in that mess.

I did that once.

How often do you experience road rage?

At least once a week.

A few times a year.
Daily.

Hardly ever.

You're about to go up a long, steep incline. What's your first thought?

Hit the gas.

Turn on the heater.
Put it into overdrive.

Turn off the air conditioner.

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