Driving etiquette relates to the general courtesy rules which communities expect the operators of vehicles to follow while driving. Use of the term dates back to the early 1900s and the use of horse-drawn carriages. Good driving etiquette typically involves being courteous and staying alert which varies by vehicle, situation, and location (etiquette for driving an F1 car involves different rules than etiquette for driving an RV). Failure to adhere to this behavior can lead to increased risk of road collisions, anxiety, and to acts of road rage. Driving etiquette can extend beyond in-vehicle actions: "When a courteous driver scrapes the fender or inflicts minor damage to a parked car without its owner present, he leaves a note giving his name, his telephone number, and the name of the insurance company. If the owner is present, the courteous driver exchanges insurance information politely and contacts the proper authorities right away without incident". Breaches in driving etiquette can often be addressed amiably with a simple and immediate expression of apology. The general guiding principle behind driver etiquette is "one good turn deserves another". It is considered vital that everyone adheres to good driving etiquette. Speeding and aggressive driving, both examples of poor driving etiquette, have been cited as negative factors related to rural highways. Drivers need education about driving etiquette to prevent them getting into accidents.
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Driving etiquette by country
Motorists in the United States and northern Europe are described as "predictably law-abiding", while the driving in Russia and India is referred to as being in a "madcap road-rally style".
Chile
"Many Chileans have tendency to speed, pull out of lanes without signalling, and rarely demonstrate driving etiquette when it comes to cyclists".
China
Driving etiquette is still in its early stages in China, where people have driven vehicles for well over 3,000 years. As a result, traffic can at times be chaotic, and some road courtesies are often ignored. Taxi and bus drivers will commonly aim their vehicles at pedestrians in order to get them to move out of the way more quickly, with regular honking of car horns the norm.
Germany
After analyzing the culture of German driving, "taking all this into consideration, it is not surprising that the Germans developed a driving etiquette that varies from the American. The German driver is aggressive".
Guatemala
Loud honking, always ceding the way to vehicles traveling on uphill mountainous passes, and passing on blind curves is considered normal driving etiquette in Guatemala.
India
Hyderabad has "what could be considered the worst driving etiquette in the country".
Kenya
It is considered good etiquette in Kenya to honk your horn to warn other vehicles of rocks or debris on the road ahead. Turn signals are commonly used to indicate if a driver wishes to be overtaken or not. At night, some drive with their right indicator on so as to show you the extended width of their cars to avoid collision on the narrow roads.
Macedonia
Few Macedonias wear a seat belt, even though it is illegal not to in that country, or "follow any form of land discipline and driving etiquette".
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico's driving "tends towards mild anarchy". Speeding past traffic on the shoulder of a road is "perfectly acceptable". After letting ambulances or police cars overtake them, it is common for drivers to heavily tailgate that car. "Merging into a thoroughfare from a side road is simply a matter of nosing your automobile into traffic until a generous fellow traveler waves you in or until you force them to a screeching halt".
Turkey
In Turkey, flashing of headlights is commonly used to indicate that the driver intends to go first.
South Africa
A "strange but pleasant bit of South African driving etiquette" involves "pulling over onto the tarred hard shoulder to let the car behind overtake in safety". This is done regardless of whether there is traffic or not. The overtaker is expected to flick their hazard lights as a sign of saying thanks.
South Korea
Recently, South Korea has improved its driving etiquette. It has been suggested that it is as if South Korea is learning how to be a modern country.
United States
72% of Americans believe that driving etiquette has declined over the last 10 years; however, nowhere near enough to be considered as chaotic as in countries like Russia and India.
Examples of bad driving etiquette
The following acts are commonly cited as examples of bad driving etiquette. In many cases, while the action does not pose any actual threat, it is considered to be a pet peeve of many drivers.
Pet peeves
Although in some cases they pose no actual threat or danger, some actions are seen as unpleasant or pet peeves and thus classified as bad driving etiquette.
Ed Janicki of the October 1981 issue of Scouting, cites the following as driving pet peeves:
Vicky DeCoster, author of The Wacky World of Womanhood, cites "driving around the parking lot for an hour in order to get the closest spot" and insinuating that constantly pressing down on the pedal counts as exercise as driving pet peeve of hers.
The poem "Car Complaints and Pet Peeves", by Michael Burdick, expresses the perspective of a car which explains how certain pet peeves cause it to "rust" and "overheat" etc. The piece mentions the following as driving pet peeves: