Tailored breakdown cover to suit your needs
Help, Safety & Advice
- Road safety
- Motoring advice
- Buying a car
- Maintenance
- What to do in a breakdown or accident
- Be prepared
- Coping with kids
- Managing stress
- Car security
- Caravan safety
- Breakdown safety
- Mobile phone safety
- Motorbike safety
- Fuel economy
- Motoring abroad
- What should I do if I see an accident?
- The cost of motoring offences
- Avoiding the cowboys
- Which type of driver are you?
- Would you pass your test now?
- What to do in the event of a car breakdown
- It's the law - motoring do's and don'ts
- How to replace a tyre
- How do I prepare for an MOT?
- How do I change the oil?
- How to get a good deal on a car
- What do I do if my windscreen is frozen?
- Driving with satellite navigation
- 10 motoring must-follows on Twitter
- How to push a vehicle safely
- Travelling with pets
- Five common breakdown problems
- Your breakdown cover renewal
- Sat nav safety
- Older drivers
- Choosing a child car seat
- How to find a good garage
- Fifty years of the seatbelt
- Tyre safety
- Thinking of buying a new car?
- What to look for when choosing a breakdown cover provider
- Driving in Europe
- Summer Drivetime Magazine
- Winter Drivetime Magazine
Route Planner
Which type of driver are you?
If you're a careful, considerate driver who generally gets from one place to another safely and in good time, then the chances are you won't fit any of the many slang descriptions used to categorise drivers. If that is the case, it's a good thing, as none of them are particularly complimentary.
First you have the 'boy racer'. This is the young male who has just passed his test and put alloy wheels and a spoiler on the back of his Vauxhall Corsa, and kitted out his interior with furry dice and a booming sound system. He likes to make his car screech going around corners, accelerates sharply whenever possible and never drives within the speed limit in front of his mates. Some older males regress to this category during middle age, but are still generally referred to, ironically, as boy racers.
Then you have the 'road hog', the term used for the aggressive driver who thinks he owns the road and can do on it as he pleases, generally ignoring the needs of others. He tends to swerve frequently to make sure nobody can get past him.
The 'amber gambler' is a risk taker likely to end up causing an accident. For him, the yellow traffic light means accelerate quickly.
The 'Sunday driver' is typically one that other road users think drives too slowly. This can cause intense frustration and result in people attempting dangerous overtaking maneuvers. Sunday drivers tend to be elderly and are usually only being careful and taking their time, but that doesn't stop them being one of the most frequently berated groups on the road.
Finally, there is the 'back-seat driver'. This person isn't even driving, but is incapable of letting the person who is in the driver's seat, particularly if it is his partner, drive in peace. He constantly adds comments like 'watch out', 'careful' and 'you're driving in the middle of the road'. He also likes to slam on an imaginary brake whenever the car he's in approaches a junction.
So, which one are you? Hopefully, none. If you do find any of the descriptions fit you perfectly, perhaps you should consider a long, hard look in the mirror.
