Why YSK: Your signals alert other drivers as to what you’re doing; a signal bulb costs a few bucks and is usually a quick and easy repair to do yourself (consult YouTube); and any place that regulates motor vehicles probably requires you to have working turn signals. So knowing when and how to replace a burned out signal bulb can save you an interaction with law enforcement.
Adding: You can diagnose which bulb is out by turning on your hazard lights and checking all four corners of your car. It’ll be the one not flashing.
This is also probably a good time to check your brake lights. Put something heavy on the pedal or have a friend hold it down and check that all three brake lights illuminate. Replacing a burned out brake light is also usually pretty cheap, quick, and easy.
Yeah. You are the asshole here
Really? Go on, back that up with some objective reasoning.
I mean, you just described driving like an asshole, what more do you want?
Specifics. How is what I’ve described being an asshole?
In particular, as it apparently isn’t immediately obvious, I’m talking about a 3 lane road. With a driver sat in the middle, you overtake them, pull ahead, then move over to their lane, then move over again to the empty inside lane (where they should be) and then slow down with them still in the middle lane. You’re not brake checking them or anything, you’re demonstrating more care and attention than they are, with them sat in the middle lane without overtaking and generally obstructing traffic.
What’s wrong with that? It’s less obtrusive than honking your horn, which arguably would be appropriate when someone’s sat in the middle lane without overtaking anything.
You are going out of your way to mess around with someone at speed in a public motorway. Is it your responsibility to teach every driver? No. Your actions are adding higher risk as you are changing lanes, speeding up, slowing down around a vehicle that is staying in their lane. The justification you are using is you are better than them, while you’re are creating more risk than they are. So you might be annoyed at someone in the middle of 3 lanes of travel, an adult would not increase risk for the sole benefit of their ego.
You’re the asshole
You’re talking about the risk of the maneuver as if it is significant and completely unwarranted. I would argue that the driver in the middle lane is causing far greater risk; they are absentmindedly driving along without any consideration for other road users or proper roadcraft. Neither of these actions are significantly risky.
I also wouldn’t call it “messing with someone”. I’m driving around them in an innocuous manner, not obstructing them or interfering with their driving in any way. The fact that they have to pay a little more attention to me is a far lesser offense than the hassle they’re causing by not adhering to the rules of the road.
It might not be my responsibility to notify another driver, but no one else is going to do it. I think my proposed action is better than letting bad driving go by completely unaddressed.
Nonetheless, thank you for your response, it was well reasoned.
Speeding up to pass, then slowing down is being an inconsistent driver. Inconsistent drivers that are changing speeds and lanes, are more of a danger than someone maintaining speed in a single lane. Given that you are passing them then slowing down to get behind them, there is the possibility that you are also in violation of the law. So claim you are teaching them while also possible violating the law is silly. The main issue is you are going out of your way to cause a situation and increase danger. Someone maintaining speed in a single lane is way less dangerous than what you are doing. You feel justified because it annoys you. Most likely you also violate the law when driving, like we all do at times. So this is just vigilante justice to boost your ego. It is not safe compared to someone sitting in the middle lane.
Possibility of violating the law, particularly in a controlled mannner << actually violating the law in a careless manner.
Getting in the car is going out of your way to cause a situation of increased danger. Driving your car in a controlled manner does not significantly increase this danger.
End of the day, sitting in the middle lane is not right, and it’s not legal. I don’t claim that my response to that is right, but it at least highlights the original wrong, when otherwise most people are unaware they’re doing something wrong.
So one wrong necessitates your vigilante wrong to prove they are wrong. That is all your ego. Everything you have said to justify your position shows you’re the asshole. They maybe incorrect in what they are doing. You are going out of your way to be an asshole. If they don’t know what they are doing is wrong, then how would they know the intent of your actions? They might think your drunk or a road rage nutter about to shoot them. Not the smartest tactic to boost your ego
Also depends on the location, where I live it isn’t illegal to stay in the middle lane.
I didn’t say it necessitates it, it’s just something I might do when I’m bored on a long journey. It’s never something I’ve done out of anger, if anything slowing down and speeding up again unnecessarily would increase my annoyance. It’s a mild bit of fun, though.
Laws change over time. Where I live, it never used to be explicitly illegal until about 10 years ago - before then it was just “against the Highway Code”. All advanced driving courses I’m aware of would teach you to move over, though.