Driving in the bus lane, rolling coal, and speeders make list of most infuriating road don'ts in BC

Do you regularly get annoyed with drivers who break the law or thwart road etiquette on BC roads and wish you had a place to vent your frustrations and viewpoint?

We’ve gotchu.

Daily Hive recently surveyed its readers to find out what driving behaviours they think should be more heavily enforced, and the comments came for bad drivers for dozens of dangerous and annoying habits.

We asked respondents to pick the top habits that other drivers do that make them most annoyed, and those who block the intersection or who rat run (using a sneaky shortcut to get ahead of traffic) were the top answers.

Angst over bad merge practices also finished high, above the other choices like overusing their horns.

We also asked what behaviours our readers were most likely guilty of, and the number one response was speeding. Hundreds said they drove over the speed limit and didn’t seem too ashamed to admit it.

A handful of people said they don’t pull over for ambulances, and a few said they speed in playground zones. The survey was anonymous, so we are limited in our ability to call them out for that.

Results for the question: Pick the top habit that other drivers do that makes you most annoyed. (Google)

Perhaps surprisingly, when it came to enforcement of already illegal and fineable offences, respondents said those who use their phones while operating a vehicle were getting off scot-free, and they wanted to see fines increase above the already steep $368.

“I think drivers should face re-education fines. A minimum number of hours spent reviewing basic rules,” one person suggested.

Many people commented that they had a real problem with drivers who took the bus lanes and wanted to see more police officers handing out tickets. One person said Hastings Street was particularly bad, but others didn’t have a specific spot in mind, just that it seemed to be common practice.

Results on what people think needs to be more enforced on BC roads showed texting and driving finished the highest. (Google)

“1) I think speeding should be much more heavily enforced. 2) Drivers using bus lanes should be fined using automatic cameras. 3) I also think noise is not addressed enough. There are certain vehicles that have very loud engines (often on purpose) when they accelerate,” another argued.

Someone else said “rolling coal” was an offence that should be penalized. Rolling coal is when a large amount of exhaust is emitted from the vehicle (typically a pickup truck) due to a modification on the engine.

christinarosepix/Shutterstock

Many people also said they would like to see less enforcement over certain things as long as conditions are favourable. For example, many people would like to be able to drive whatever speed limit they want if it’s a nice sunny day.

“Minor speeding on the highway when safe to do so. Use common sense to enforce safety not blanket laws with no consideration for conditions,” they said.

“Speeding. Get out of my way if you ain’t got the skills,” one person commented about BC roads.

“Speeding because nowdays cars have way better handling and brakes. And the 50km/h it’s obsolete set back in the 70s🤣,” another said.

Many respondents seemed more than a little grumpy about drivers who sit in the fast lane or people who take the speed limit too seriously.

“Driving too slow is a hindrance and can cause accidents with motorists trying to pass.”

Some wanted to be able to drive above 30 km in a school zone in the summertime (some cities have made their school zones all year), and a handful of folks said it should be totally legal to use your phone in minimal ways while driving like changing a song or looking up directions.

John Roman Images/Shutterstock

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Many people were pro-enforcement of dangerous behaviour but said there were way too many parking tickets handed out and wanted authorities to prioritize. Others disagreed.

“Nothing is too heavily enforced. Many are under enforced,” someone said.

atrixill/Instagram

“Lack of enforcement is the issue here. Traffic laws are just suggestions to many drivers on the road. In their eyes, law-enforcement officers do not enforce. And there are zero [consequences] for not [following] the laws.”

While it’s against the law for a second vehicle to enter the intersection for a left turn (that ol’ two thru on the yellow trick), one person wanted to see that law scrapped entirely.

“If there is room in the intersection and it’s a green light when you pull up into the intersection you should be able to have two cars in the intersection,” they argued.

Maybe they are the person who keeps making people mad when they block the intersection?

The survey is still open if you want to have your say, and we have a new survey coming soon to address pedestrian and cyclist complaints. As always, please let us know your thoughts in the comments.

See anything particularly shameful on the BC roads? You can also send us a news tip to [email protected]