QOTD: What's Your Biggest Weakness As A Driver?

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey
qotd what s your biggest weakness as a driver

It’s a safe bet that most car enthusiasts are good drivers — or at least, generally speaking, better than the average member of the general public.

Even though we all occasionally run into trouble.

As a former co-worker once told me: “Podody’s nerfect.”

I’d guess each and every one of us has some sort of Achille’s heel when it comes to driving. You probably are perplexed by/struggle with at least one particular aspect of maneuvering a vehicle. I’d like to know what aspect vexes you.

I’ll start. Last week I was testing a Chevrolet Suburban and found myself getting nervous while making tight-quarters maneuvering in parking garages and approaching the car wash. Indeed, most of the damage I’ve done to press-fleet vehicles has involved taking a truck or large SUV and turning too tightly and scraping a bollard or pillar. I had similar issues during my dealer days.

For whatever reason, I struggle with long-wheelbase vehicles and tight turns. I’m generally competent at placing a vehicle where I want it, but in this situation, I get it wrong sometimes.

I almost put parallel parking here — as a child of the suburbs, I wasn’t very good at it when I first moved to the city. But living in densely packed parts of Chicago for the better part of two decades has helped me improve, and today’s camera and parking-sensor tech helps (though I suppose one could argue it’s a crutch that keeps me from further developing my skill). I’m a much better parallel-parker than I was a teen.

So, what’s your deal? What part of driving causes you issues, even after decades behind the wheel? Even if you’ve got track/autocross/off-road experience? Are you a bad parallel parker? Do you, like at least two people I knew in college, struggle with highway speeds? Are you not smooth with braking or accelerating? Are you klutzy when driving a manual? Bad at backing up? Terrible at trailering?

Let us know down below.

[Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock.com]

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 72 comments
  • Jo Borras Jo Borras on Mar 10, 2022

    I cannot resist a big puddle/opportunity to "splash" with the car. I don't do this to people (I'm not a psycho), but if there's no one around? SPLASH!! I can't help it. I have curbed wheels, slammed into potholes, and other such stupidity, and I never learn.

    • See 1 previous
    • RHD RHD on Mar 10, 2022

      I'm with you on that one - I love to create a huge rooster tail when rainwater accumulates. Maybe those who don't drive through the water but wish they would might dare to do it, and enjoy the moment, if they see me do it. It could just be that as the years add up, acting like a silly kid for a few seconds just for the hell of it makes you feel just a bit younger. What I do badly - hitting the curb with the bottom of the lower edge of the front bumper when parking. It doesn't happen often, but every now and then is too often.

  • Moparmann Moparmann on Mar 10, 2022

    I have trained myself to not become overly worked up about the following pet peeves: indecisive drivers, people who touch brakes repeatedly to slow down, people who pull out in front of you at a much slower speed/failing to speed up (augmented by going 50 feet & turning off when there was no one behind you), those who can't merge properly, people who find my cruise controlled speed too slow, pass me - jump in front of me, and then I have to brake for them, people who can't judge distances, and drive a 1/2 car length from the curb on narrow streets....I think that's enough, although I'm CERTAIN that there are more that I could list! :-)

  • Art Vandelay Dodge should bring this back. They could sell it as the classic classic classic model
  • Surferjoe Still have a 2013 RDX, naturally aspirated V6, just can't get behind a 4 banger turbo.Also gloriously absent, ESS, lane departure warnings, etc.
  • ToolGuy Is it a genuine Top Hand? Oh, I forgot, I don't care. 🙂
  • ToolGuy I did truck things with my truck this past week, twenty-odd miles from home (farther than usual). Recall that the interior bed space of my (modified) truck is 98" x 74". On the ride home yesterday the bed carried a 20 foot extension ladder (10 feet long, flagged 14 inches past the rear bumper), two other ladders, a smallish air compressor, a largish shop vac, three large bins, some materials, some scrap, and a slew of tool cases/bags. It was pretty full, is what I'm saying.The range of the Cybertruck would have been just fine. Nothing I carried had any substantial weight to it, in truck terms. The frunk would have been extremely useful (lock the tool cases there, out of the way of the Bed Stuff, away from prying eyes and grasping fingers -- you say I can charge my cordless tools there? bonus). Stainless steel plus no paint is a plus.Apparently the Cybertruck bed will be 78" long (but over 96" with the tailgate folded down) and 60-65" wide. And then Tesla promises "100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage — including the under-bed, frunk and sail pillars." Underbed storage requires the bed to be clear of other stuff, but bottom line everything would have fit, especially when we consider the second row of seats (tools and some materials out of the weather).Some days I was hauling mostly air on one leg of the trip. There were several store runs involved, some for 8-foot stock. One day I bummed a ride in a Roush Mustang. Three separate times other drivers tried to run into my truck (stainless steel panels, yes please). The fuel savings would be large enough for me to notice and to care.TL;DR: This truck would work for me, as a truck. Sample size = 1.
  • Ed That has to be a joke.
Next