Why do people beep so much during driving lessons?

kell15432

I just posted another question about the EDT lessons and driving instructors, sorry to clog up this driving forum tonight but I have another question about getting beeped at during driving lessons.

So you're clearly in a leaner car having a lesson, it says L literally all over the car. I'm had a few lessons and am getting a tad better but still take a little bit of time taking off at traffic lights and that kind of thing. I'm not a total disaster, but hence the car I am very much a learner. During my lessons, I have gotten beeped at a fair few times. I saw in the mirror the other day it was a woman in her 80s. It makes me feel VERY nervous and a bit like jesus would ya stop, I then feel pressured to drive faster and hurry up just to not anger other road users. The road rage is ridiculous- I'm not in a normal unmarked car wandering all over the road or even waiting at traffic lights for ages- I'm on a lesson trying to learn. Has anyone else gotten this?

Cat.OR

People are a@@holes and forget that they do were once in the same situation and learning. I have a full licence and my partner has recently started to drive , i have noticed a distinct change in how cars treat me when driving alone on the road as they now assume im a learner. very annoying as it should be opposite and people should make allowances as you say. my advice, just build up your confidence and try and rise above it... that will come alot faster than you think. good luck:)

challengemaster

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBxloSkObYc

basically, people are assholes. Don't let it bother you

ProudDUB

Ignore them. There are loads of ignorant idots on the road and trying to intimidate others makes them feel good about their miserable lives. If they aren't hassling learners, they are parking in handicapped spots, tailgating and speeding excessively, just because they can. Don't take it personally and don't let it affect you or how you drive. We were all nervous learners once.

kell15432

Cat.OR wrote: »

People are a@@holes and forget that they do were once in the same situation and learning. I have a full licence and my partner has recently started to drive , i have noticed a distinct change in how cars treat me when driving alone on the road as they now assume im a learner. very annoying as it should be opposite and people should make allowances as you say. my advice, just build up your confidence and try and rise above it... that will come alot faster than you think. good luck:)

Exactly, I assumed that people would see the L car and be more patient so it has been a bit of a shock getting beeped at so much Good tip on building up the confidence and rising above it, thanks That's most likely the best thing to do, as I would hate to ever turn into one of those people who gets mad road rage. I'v seen it over the years, people shouting at each other from their cars over over taking or something. Maybe I just haven't driven long enough yet, I hope that's not the case though! lol

kell15432

challengemaster wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBxloSkObYc

basically, people are assholes. Don't let it bother you

That pretty much sums it up!! I'm not quite 17 anymore m'fraid but I wouldn't wanna lower myself to a confrontation even though I feel like tellin them to feck right off!! If I was Dara O Brian maybe ha yeh people are douches!!

Craftylee

As the others said don't worry about it . People doing it to you are ignorant A holes.

Also, whats your routine for when stopping at a red light btw? Do you leave in first with the clutch down? Or go into neutral?

tradhead

This wrecks my head as well.

The ironic thing is that if you have become a bit flustered and say, cut out when the light turns green and some idiot beeps at you, 9 times out of 10 you will get even more flustered and take twice as long to move off.

The first instructor left a fair bit to be desired unfortunately but the most valuable thing he taught me was how to act in these situations; take your time, do it properly and you'll only have to do it once.

Plasmoid

Started tests recently enough myself too.

Having the L plates up have does seem to act like an open invitation to over and undertake at every opportunity to some drivers... whether It's me driving or the full driver accompanying me seems to make little difference.

I've had a nice gentleman Undertake me to turn right at a T junction, while I'm waiting to turn right. This was quickly followed by them slamming to a halt in the yellow box when they almost collided with the cars i was waiting for.

DashCam definitely on the shopping list.

I've also appreciated the Beeps when my hill starts haven't gone 100% speedily... they really help me not risk rolling back into you next time.

Pinch Flat

It's because people beeping were born knowing how do drive a car and never had to learn.



















Not really. People are a$$holes. Beat of luck with your test.

I remember one of my early lessons.. Think it was my second one or something like that.

Was in a housing estate that has a few shops, on a road that can only accomodate one lane of traffic (it's a two way street, but there are always cars parked on one side of it). It has a T Junction, where I was aiming to turn right. I cut out, twice, I think, and eventually made it around the corner. There was a car behind me during this.


After we pulled up and stopped, the instructor talked me through what we did, what I did right and wrong, etc. and said "now, I know you got beeped at twice there, but don't let that worry you"*.

I was surprised, as I hadn't heard a beep at all. I was obviously so focused on checking mirrors and playing with the pedals etc. that I completely zoned out of what the car behind was doing, but I was livid when I found out. Had I heard the beep I would have gotten out of the car to them, no questions asked. I was furious afterwards (and still get annoyed today, thinking about it).


You have to be a real, 110% absolute moron to beep at an instructor's car. And if you ever do it, you deserve a good telling off. Now, I was 24 when I was getting my lessons, so maybe I'm just a bit tougher to this kinda thing, and maybe the 'beepers' think that everyone in an L car is a dweeby 17 year old with no backbone, but I would have no issue telling off someone who beeped at me, or indeed, at someone else, in an L car.



That said,

I do remember a few months back, at a very major road in the town (Drogheda). There's a main road that finished at a crossroads, but has traffic lights. It's the busiest junction in the town, without doubt, and at peak times there's always queues of traffic.

Anyway, a while back there was a Punto with L plates at the lights, and two people in it. It was first in the queue. Lights went green, he cut out, stalled, and missed the green. Not a peep out of anyone. I thought it was a great showing of respect amongst the various drivers there.

Green light again, Punto moves off slowly, stalls, misses the green. I expected uproar at this point, but again, not a peep out of anyone (the junction is on a hill, so the Punto could be seen by everyone). There's a bus station at the side of this road, and buses can merge with stopped traffic (yellow box for them to join). A bus joins the queue and the light turns at the same time.

Green light, Punto starts to move and is on his way, but the bus driver must have seen his efforts from earlier and even though the Punto was moving (albeit, slowly) the bus was on the horn straight away honking like a mad man.

the Punto made it through, but I was so disappointed with the bus driver. I thought it was brilliant that everyone was being so mannerly. I thought it was going to be chaos when the Punto missed the second green, but still no one did anything. And then when he finally gets it moving, Bus Driver has to have a go at him.


I know it's a silly story, and I probably spent far too much time explaining it, but it still bugs me. I hate people that beep learners!

ProudDUB

While I agree that beeping learners for no other reason than to be dick, is the height of bad manners, the horn is there for a reason. To alert other drivers to danger. So I don't think it is correct to tell a learner to ignore the "offending" honker every time it happens. Each instance should be judged on it own merits.

I didn't have my license long when I was beeped at a few times, when I was performing manouvers that were not covered in my lessons much, if at all. So I had to learn how to do them on the go, so to speak. Naturally, I wasn't all that good at them when I first started out. (One of them was checking my blind spot long enough, when changing lanes at high speeds.)

In each case, I was honked at aggressively and I had the bejebus scared out of me. Once I calmed down later on, I was able to analyze what happened objectively. I had to admit that I was in the wrong and I adjusted all of my later driving accordingly. Doing so made me a better driver. If the driver didn't beep at me at that time, sooner or later I was going to hit someone.

I don't mean to point the finger of blame towards anyone, but having the mindset that you are always right and, that anyone who beeps at you is always wrong, is a dangerous one. Sometimes it is ok to alert other drivers that you are not 100% ok with how they are driving and, sometimes that can be a good thing imo.

challengemaster

Only use a horn to:
warn other road users of on-coming danger, or
make them aware of your presence for safety reasons when reasonably necessary.
Remember, the horn does not give you the right of way.

It is an offence to sound your audible warning device:
in a built-up area between 23.30hrs and 07.00hrs unless there is a traffic emergency.
while your vehicle is not in motion, unless you are doing so for safety

If someone is beeping because someone doesn't move fast enough - they're committing an offence, not the learner.

kerry4sam

kell15432 wrote: »

I just posted another question about the EDT lessons and driving instructors, sorry to clog up this driving forum tonight but I have another question about getting beeped at during driving lessons.

So you're clearly in a leaner car having a lesson, it says L literally all over the car. I'm had a few lessons and am getting a tad better but still take a little bit of time taking off at traffic lights and that kind of thing. I'm not a total disaster, but hence the car I am very much a learner. During my lessons, I have gotten beeped at a fair few times. I saw in the mirror the other day it was a woman in her 80s. It makes me feel VERY nervous and a bit like jesus would ya stop, I then feel pressured to drive faster and hurry up just to not anger other road users. The road rage is ridiculous- I'm not in a normal unmarked car wandering all over the road or even waiting at traffic lights for ages- I'm on a lesson trying to learn. Has anyone else gotten this?

It's not just learners though.
Not too long ago I saw this elderly male driver wanting to turn right. He had his own right-hand lane to drive into which would've triggered the traffic-signal.
He was going into it until cars from the left when turning our way starting eatting into the top of that right-hand lane so he must've got nervous and just remained on the main lane, as if going straight on, all-the-while with his right indicator on & all ready to turn right.

The lights for the main road turned green but as no-one was in the right-hand lane to trigger the lights, his lights stayed red so he never moved & just waited, thereby holding everyone behind him up.
An angry driver from behind drove up the right-lane; stopped at his window and roared at him; this elderly man.
Now in doing that he triggered the signal for the right-turning lane so this elderly man could proceed,
but it was just flipping awful to watch

It's not just learners who experience road-rage I can assure you.
Stay Safe out there,
kerry4sam

challengemaster

kerry4sam wrote: »

It's not just learners though.
Not too long ago I saw this elderly male driver wanting to turn right. He had his own right-hand lane to drive into which would've triggered the traffic-signal.
He was going into it until cars from the left when turning our way starting eatting into the top of that right-hand lane so he must've got nervous and just remained on the main lane, as if going straight on, all-the-while with his right indicator on & all ready to turn right.

The lights for the main road turned green but as no-one was in the right-hand lane to trigger the lights, his lights stayed red so he never moved & just waited, thereby holding everyone behind him up.
An angry driver from behind drove up the right-lane; stopped at his window and roared at him; this elderly man.
Now in doing that he triggered the signal for the right-turning lane so this elderly man could proceed,
but it was just flipping awful to watch

It's not just learners who experience road-rage I can assure you.
Stay Safe out there,
kerry4sam

That's just an example of bad driving, I don't blame anyone for giving out to him. If he can't drive properly, he shouldn't be on the roads.

Pinch Flat

challengemaster wrote: »

That's just an example of bad driving, I don't blame anyone for giving out to him. If he can't drive properly, he shouldn't be on the roads.

It's amazing how people effectively condone verbal abuse - fair enough if the elderly gentleman was technically in the wrong, but no one deserves to be verbally abused. That disrespect for others is what causes a lot of the angst on the roads.

I had a similar situation a few weeks ago - driving home after colectionh my car after a service, a lady in front of me was trying to turn right. The lights had changed twice. Some people might just choose to beep the horn or give her some abuse - instead, it turns out she was completely lost and looking for the way back to the n4 from doyles corner in Dublin to drive back to Galway. A few directions, quick thanks and everyone gets on their way.

challengemaster

Pinch Flat wrote: »

That disrespect for others is what causes a lot of the angst on the roads.

99% of angst on the roads is caused by people not knowing how to drive properly and severely hindering other road users. Be it learners or otherwise. Most people just have the cop on to understand that learner drivers have a pretty good reason for it and it's not intentional!

Pinch Flat

challengemaster wrote: »

99% of angst on the roads is caused by people not knowing how to drive properly and severely hindering other road users. Be it learners or otherwise. Most people just have the cop on to understand that learner drivers have a pretty good reason for it and it's not intentional!

Ah yeah, everyones in such a rush these days - those lost seconds can mean life of death. I'd find verbally amusing other road users much more off putting than being held up by someone.

People need to chill and learn some manners and respect, especially when it comes to learner drivers.

I suppose so many were born knowing how to drive a car