In your opinion, which of these three careless drivers present the greatest hazard on the road?

1) A driver with a blood alcohol level between .08 - .09%

2) A driver who is driving aggressively (speeding, tailgating, abrupt lane changes, etc...)

3) A driver who is texting while driving

4) A driver using a cell phone without a hands free device.

Please limit answers to drivers who are guilty of a single offense rather then a combination. I'm very curious to see what people think is the most dangerous vs what the authorities enforce/penalize the most.

Sorry, that first sentence should say "these four careless driver" not "three careless drivers".

I would have to say " all of the above"

#3 is in my mind equal to a totally wasted drunk driver,nearly got hit this weekend by some fool who crossed over into my lane from oncoming traffic,I could see the cellphone in his hand as he shot by me,while I rode up on the sidewalk..lots of fools in Calif driving around like tourists do !!!

When you ride a bike all drivers are dangerous..look out for cars...trucks...horse and buggy and low flying aircraft, you'd want eyes in the back of the head to survive on a bike, treat everyone as the enemy, avoid when possible..fight when necessary.

I say #3 because if they are looking at the phone they are not looking at the traffic.

Hey man...About 100 years ago when I started riding on the roads this old hippy/biker bloke taught me a very important lesson.. He said dude ride like your stoned and have explosive dioreaha ..I was looking at this freaky old stoner like WTF are you on about dickhead..He said" be paranoid their all out to get you and dont make any sudden jerky movements".Well its kinda worked mosta the bloody time..All drivers are hazzards to us mate..They'll all mess you up the same bloody way if ya aint payin attention..CHEERS BOOF

My vote is "All of the above" !!!!!

texting is the worst by far. No hesitation.

I agree with texting being the worst. I can deal with a lot of crap out there by keeping my eyes open and riding smart. My nightmare scenario is being stopped to make a left-hand turn, and having some kid coming up from behind me with his eyes on his phone instead of the road. That's something I can't control.

Wolfpack, it's funny you should mention that. The reason I thought to start this thread is because I was almost rear ended by someone who was TWD (texting while driving) and my only serious accident was when I was rear ended by a Poland Spring truck where the driver was TWD. Both incidents happened while I was waiting to make a left turn.

Cell phone users. They exhibit the same characteristics as someone DWI whether they are using a hand-held or strap on, and there are more of them than there are 'texters'. Cops aren't looking for them on a Saturday night, the way they are drunks. I had two close calls, nearly head-on, on the same street, in one week... both times by cops playing with cell phones.

Number 3 for me!

texting is the worse.....they keep the eyes on the phone and if they screw up a word then extra attention is paid to the phone...not the road....drunks are usually easier to spot, but using the phone while driving in any fashion is bad......

Wolfpack, I agree w/ you. Moreover, anybody approaching from my back side.....I am leary of.....
I'm watching them as they come on to me, my hand is on the throttle, ready to take off....hopefully w/o incident.
I always ride, anticipating cross overs , sudden stops, people approaching from my rear and last but not least....
... low flying aircraft! lol!

I have got to go with all of the above. Driving an automobile is a very big responsibility and doing anything that eiter impairs your ability to control the vehicle or distracts you from giving 100% of your attention to driving is just plain stupid and careless.

I am not even fully satisfied that using a hands free phone while driving is all that safe either. I would think that if driving requires both hands to be free, it should required most of you brain being focused on it too!

I just don't get what is so damn important that it has to be handled via phone or text right then an there. I consider myself a fairly important person with business associates, friends and family that want to contact me. But somehow I can manage to be out of touch for hours on end while I ride and the world never stops turning because of it!

See, this is why I purposefully don't watch my mirrors at an intersection. If I'm gonna get creamed from behind, I'd just as soon NOT know about it. It's scary enough out there, between the drunks, the talkers, and now the daggone texter's!!! And as far as road-rager's go, I WILL twist the wick, to get outta their damn way...and that's also why my saddlebags say "Security provided by SMITH & WESSON....
Ride Free
Tweek

All of the above, but I would feel safer around #2 than the others.  Some people drive fast but pay as much, if not more attention to the road.  They are always looking at traffic to decide the fastest way through it.  People who drive distracted scare the hell out of me!

There is a number 5...........Any Red neck that tells everyone in his car......."Now Yall Watch This Shit"!!!!!!

Night Dragon

I'd have to say No 1.....cause I've pulled more people outa crashed cages blitzed than I ever did cause they were using their cell phone. No 2 rates with no 1..cause anyone with the intention of not drink driving, doesn't give a shit by the time he's blitzed...cause in his/her opinion they are fine. Ever won an argument with a drunk?

Number 3, but as we all are in agreement. All of the Above is the most true but that wasn't one of the choices

well I dont do phones and drive, I turn mine off when I ride, I have it on me just in case! Im too dumb to text so I dont take them either, but Ive seen just as many dingbats talking that couldnt drive as I have texters, most of the drunks have learned to call somebody for a ride or stay home, do get a few close calls with low flying aircraft!

I would have to say all of the above also. But 3 & 4 are the ones I've run into the most lately and it getting worst each day.

Texting and driving is now illegal in my state and some of the surrounding states. So now they don't just look down to text they are now looking in there laps were there phone is so they can be seen. Which makes their driving worst and more erratic.

As Boof mentioned and i've told people and new riders I drive with a healthy paranoia. There's something about being in the cage and not being a rider that changes people. THere just not right in the head.

IMHO, this order. And, #4 seems to vary quite a bit from person to person. Some can. Some can't. In fact, while some will surely see it as inappropriate to say so, #1 also varys from person to person. I know some "full time drunks" for which .09 is no worse than my normal driving. But, that's no argument for drunk and driving... just an honest observation :-/

3) A driver who is texting while driving
1) A driver with a blood alcohol level between .08 - .09%
2) A driver who is driving aggressively (speeding, tailgating, abrupt lane changes, etc...)
4) A driver using a cell phone without a hands free device.

And, when riding remember they ARE tyring to kill you ;-)

There is one that isn't dangerous.

Peace