Classification Essay

Do other drivers piss you off? In my experience, there are three kinds of drivers in this world, The Erratic Driver, the Over Cautious Driver, and the Alert Driver. There is the Erratic Driver, this type of driver can seem to be fairly unpredictable on the road, with their tailgating and speeding, this person is the most hazardous to themselves and other travelers. Then there is the Over Cautious Driver, who is just as easy to spot as the Erratic Driver. They are normally going under the speed limit or close to it, this type of driver will slow up traffic, and in highly congested areas, they can be a hazard on the road from hesitating and not flowing well with the traffic. Finally, there is the Alert Driver, this type of driving style consists of paying attention to the surroundings, such as weather, potholes, and other traffic.

The Erratic Driver: Has a tendency of pissing off other drivers, with their erratic and unpredictable actions. They can be 100 yards behind you one second, and the next second they're so close that you can't read their license plate. They seem to always be in a hurry, whether they actually are in a hurry or not doesn't matter, the erratic driver is not a safe driver. Here's a tip from a recovering lead foot, you can't control other drivers, so pull your foot off the pedal, you can only affect your share of the road. Driving the speed limits will save you fines, and insurance hikes, and it will help you go with the flow of traffic.

The Over Cautious Driver: This type of driver also has the tendency to frustrate other drivers, especially the erratic driver. They seem to always be under the speed limits, even if they are doing the speed limit. This type of driver will always drive slow, even if startled. Driving with caution is not a bad thing, especially while in construction zones, at the scene of an accident, or inclement weather, but to drive like it's the blizzard of '98 on every passage is not kosher. Flowing with traffic has to happen as well as being alert and aware. So if the flow of traffic is 15 m/ph under the speed limit, flow with the traffic, drive with extreme caution, but if the traffic is flowing 5 m/ph over the speed limit, go with the flow.

The Alert Driver: This type of driver is normally flowing well with the traffic, and paying close attention to their surroundings. Since they are alert drivers, they pay attention to posted speed limits, and other roadway signs and signals. While going the speed limit, and flowing with the traffic, they have a better chance to avoid accidents caused by others, and assist in preventing accidents by driving defensively but with assertiveness. This type of driver will use hand signals, and gestures to alert other drivers to what move goes next. This is the type of driver that I strive to be, although it is a bumpy road.

Here is a scenario, at a 4-way stop sign, when 3 cars arrive simultaneously, the over cautious driver waits and just looks back and forth, she is going straight. The erratic driver is the second car, he is going left and rolls through the intersection, without a blinker, and goes before the other two cars. The third car is the alert driver, he stops at his stop sign, he watches the car roll through the intersection and decides to wait and let them get out of the intersection. Good decision, because if he had of gone straight, he would have been hit by the erratic driver that turned left through his lane. After this, the alert driver accelerated to the speed limit through the 4-way, and then the over cautious driver rolled slowly through the 4-way.

Now I'm not criticizing all old ladies, and saying that they all should lose their licenses because they drive slow, and I'm not saying all 18 year olds have lead feet. What I am saying, is that everyone can be an alert driver, it just takes the effort from the driver to not get distracted. The biggest distraction being cell phones, if cell phones were straight forward not allowed while driving, I believe that many scenarios could be avoided by just staying more alert on the task at hand, not what you have to do once you arrive at your destination.