Bad drivers? Which types are most likely to be ... ?!

[Bamboo]

Depends on what you mean by "bad driver" ...I think I may be a stereotypical SP in that my driving skills are excellent but as a younger person I drove too fast. My reflexes are incredible, I once was doing 100 on the Triangle Beltline in NC and did a 360 in the middle of the freeway and kept such a firm grip on my car that I just turned forward and drove away without a scratch.

I've also flipped a car into a ditch and back on to its tires on a back country road at night, and kept driving to my friends' house.

Kids, don't try this at home. I have no idea how I'm alive.

I like you.

If I'm honest about my personality in my teens and early twenties, I see pretty clearly an SP who could barely to stand to go to her classes in high school and avoided college until her mid-twenties, who flew by the seat of her pants and is probably alive due to animal reflexes and sheer dumb luck.

This doesn't sound like anyone I know at all.



---

I drove probably 9000 miles last year? Maybe more.

I consider myself an above average driver - while I do consider navigation to be an important skill, I think the most important skills in determining what is a good driver are:

- accident avoidance - safety first

based in:

- situational awareness
- communication and anticipation
- maneuvering skills

I'm constantly refining my driving techniques. After watching a series of crash videos on youtube, I've realized that knowing the lay of the land is critical when something goes wrong - you need to know what's up. Whenever I'm on the highway I try to practice reading the terrain, and I've developed my own nomenclature to describe my environment.

For instance:

"Center 3, to 4 with a merge clear, Jersey and open, pulling two left, Acura on the right crunch, anchor ahead far, with a clear horizon" would indicate:

- I'm in the center lane on 3 lane road.
- 1 lane is merging in, but no cars are coming in
- (read left to right), there is a Jersey (hard concrete wall) on the left shoulder and open grass or similar on the right
- In the left lane there are two cars behind me which are coming to pass (moving faster than I am)
- In the right lane there is an Acura aligned with my fender. A passing car will go from pulling, crunching, to pushing, from my perspective.
- anchor means a car (or truck) with a constant rate of speed, probably slower than me, in my lane, far varies but usually more than 10 seconds.
- clear horizon means low traffic, a bumpy horizon is a lot of traffic. similar wording for "rearview" - ie. "bumpy rear."

By doing this scanning constantly, I'm able to train myself to assess what's going on around me quickly because I'm learning to fill in the information in a standardized fashion, eventually possibly even unconsciously.

Also, by making up this nomenclature I've started to assess specific situations more closely, creating sets of sub-routines for merging, having cars merge in, predicting behavior, changing lanes, etc.

All said and done, I still like to screw around.

 

[Mal12345]

i'm 22 and have never had a driver's license so i'm going to go with INFP . i'm just kinda terrified of it and luckily i live somewhere with good public transportation.

i actually know a few INFPs who got their license well into their 20's.

Question: which types are most likely to be suckiest at driving?

I'm going with ESTP and ESFP, if those types are prone to having ADHD. But I don't see this as being a type-related issue.

 

[greenfairy]

I don't think it's type related either. I sometimes don't pay attention, but it has only resulted in minor things like rear ending someone at a red light. My INFP cousin is kind of a bad driver. She's the only one I know who I would classify as such. And she gets lost all the time. Someone gave her a GPS and she didn't even install it in her car.

 

[Mal12345]

There's really no study to go by, just personal experience. I've ridden with two ISFPs that I know of. The first one was weaving in and out of lanes on a busy one-way 2-laner. Of course he was probably in his late teens. Last year, I asked him if he still drives that way, and he said he doesn't. I think he's in his 60s now.

Weirdest and possibly scariest driving I've ever dealt with: This INFJ (?) - a very good pianist and actress, albeit with real suicidal tendencies - didn't seem to be focusing on the road at all. At a stop light, she would typically wait for the person behind her to honk before she proceeded. Same with switching lanes. She didn't check. She only knows when she's about to collide with someone when they honk at her.

 

[KatharineML]

I think that Ti-Se is a good combination for intuitive physics in real-time. As a Ni-dom I am not a good driver when distracted in abstract space. When I am present in the moment, though, I am pretty good at this type of thing and can interact with the traffic flow in a logical manner.

Inferior Te-Si would probably have the most trouble because they would have an internalized idea of how traffic is supposed to be, and might be more likely to impose that idea on it rather than just reacting to what is actually there. I think this is the ENFP.

Also, this post is mostly jabbering and I'm not that invested in these conclusions. It's just an idea.

I like your thinking! Could it be that Te Si is a bad combination in general? And thus that Ti Se is the best? This would mean that ESTJ, ISTJ, ENFP and INFP would be the worst drivers - as in, they don't respond to what's actually there, but to preconcieved ideas of what is there. This would fit with most people's comments.

Some people have said that NJ's are bad drivers but this only seems to be when they are introverting. Otherwise, they are quite good drivers.

The best drivers then, by your definition would be ESTP, ISTP, INTJ and INFJ.

What does Green Fairy, Mal and jontherobot think???

 

[Haight]

I am phenomenal. And I am referring to driving motorized vehicles - I felt the need to clarify in case someone thought I just randomly posted that statement in the first thread I opened.

I will add, however, that I have driven more miles than most people do in their entire life by the time I was 30. Also, I am a graduate of the Mario Andretti professional driving school. So it's not all natural talent, but I am gifted. Make no mistake about that.

In sum, an INTP with OCB is going to be the answer to the OP.*


*Yes, I can also bust a rhyme whenever necessary.

 

[OrangeAppled]

SPs I know have the most trouble with the law, but that's because they can be reckless.

I'm a bad driver because I'm oblivious. However, I don't have have problems stemming from it much, such as tickets or accidents. People do get freaked out when they drive with me. I tend to take turns fast, mess around with stuff in the car & get lost easily.

 

[Winds of Thor]

Depends on what you mean by "bad driver" ...I think I may be a stereotypical SP in that my driving skills are excellent but as a younger person I drove too fast. My reflexes are incredible, I once was doing 100 on the Triangle Beltline in NC and did a 360 in the middle of the freeway and kept such a firm grip on my car that I just turned forward and drove away without a scratch.

I've also flipped a car into a ditch and back on to its tires on a back country road at night, and kept driving to my friends' house.

Kids, don't try this at home. I have no idea how I'm alive.

 

[skylights]

I like your thinking! Could it be that Te Si is a bad combination in general? And thus that Ti Se is the best? This would mean that ESTJ, ISTJ, ENFP and INFP would be the worst drivers - as in, they don't respond to what's actually there, but to preconcieved ideas of what is there. This would fit with most people's comments.

Some people have said that NJ's are bad drivers but this only seems to be when they are introverting. Otherwise, they are quite good drivers.

The best drivers then, by your definition would be ESTP, ISTP, INTJ and INFJ.

What does Green Fairy, Mal and jontherobot think???

In my opinion, the best drivers in general are the people who are well-educated in how to drive, whether through good instruction or through personal dedication to competency, and who care enough about driving itself to stay engaged in the act of driving and put a maximal effort into each driving performance. That all has little to do with type itself.

Personally, as an ENFP, I don't know about "preconceived ideas of what is there". I think I tend to view everything more theoretically than most people, but that's generally not a problem when driving. I drive with a perception of the goal as a theoretical game of optimization of speed, comfort, precision, and safety. It's true that focusing on the theoretical ideal path of a curve in reference to a turn, for instance, removes one from concentrating on the more in-touch reality of that individual curve itself, but it also helps create a mental database of curves and approaches that can be tapped again and again in unclear situations, which is a strength when one is suddenly removed from the physical details of the situation (for instance, it's very foggy) or when asked how best to construct a road for drivers. I would say these advantages and disadvantages hold true for any strong N.

If we're talking the "best driver" in terms of racetrack driving, I'd say that ISTP and ESTP are both types that are likely to excel, given Ti proficiency with internal system mechanics and Se proficiency in immediate sensory intake and response. If we mean the "best driver" in terms of safest on the road, SJs are probably quite good, ESTJ > ISTJ > ISFJ > ESFJ, as Si keeps them grounded in present sensory environment while SJ nature lends itself to prioritizing the practical factors of efficiency (STJ), safety, and staying focused on the goal of driving well. NTs are often competency-focused, so they often tend to pride themselves on their driving competency, though my ENTP cousin is notorious for shitty driving - he gets distracted. NFs, both out of experience and theoretical consideration, would seem to come up last, NFJs > NFPs. (Haha sorry NFPs!) Their thought processes are the least likely to lend themselves to the process of driving and most likely to be distracting, in my opinion.

Myself, I am a graduate of my INTP dad's rigorous self-instituted school of driving, including many Sunday mornings spent performing figure-8s in parking lots around little orange cones that he would place and answering rapid-fire questions about driving theory, and I pride myself on my driving ability - though I struggle dealing with distraction when there are multiple passengers in my car.

Ultimately I think it has more to do with how educated you are and how motivated you are to care about your driving than anything to do with type, though there are probably some loose correlations.

 

[Winds of Thor]

I don't know, I tend to believe the best drivers are the ones who practice the most. Generally speaking, and as [MENTION=10496]skylights[/MENTION] suggests.

I've driven fast quite a lot, drifted through corners half-sideways, donuts, burnouts, threw the car into controlled 180 spins, shifting into reverse and parking between two adjacent cars (I wouldn't suggest trying this one). One time a security guard at a company checked my ID at the gate, stepped back and motioned a request to burn off the tires. I cordially obliged.

I see driving as skill. Including knowing and exploring the performance envelope of the vehicle. Knowing these limits and having the experience to act with the car in a split second if needed is important. I wouldn't say some of these are 'good' to do if amongst others on the road. Most all were on private property.

 

[skylights]

threw the car into controlled 180 spins, shifting into reverse and parking between two adjacent cars (I wouldn't suggest trying this one).

 

[Tabula]

Hm. Well, I suck hard, but I compensate by being very cautious. I lack a "feel" for it. Poor spatial awareness, no sense of direction, and easily distracted. I refuse to drive on expressways and very crowded cities with confusing streets (ahem... Boston) when I can help it, of course. I can't park to save my life, either. Though, I do have ADHD, so I'm not sure how much that plays a role in my suckiness. Hmm.

My sister (ESfP), OTOH, is a sight to behold behind a wheel. I remember we were once taking a trip to NH, I'd look over and she'd be in the fast lane exceeding 90 MPH, driving with her knee while she talked to me, smoked a cigarette, and searched for music on her iPod. I'm white-knuckled and close to screaming at some points, and she's cool and confident. Now, she'd probably LOOK like a bad driver, in the sense of irresponsible, but the natural ease with which she can operate a motor vehicle is something I marvel at (same goes for her uncanny sense of direction. She's magically found her way around in other states we've never been to without maps or a GPS, while I routinely get lost in my own town). She can whip into parallel parking spots perfectly as well, where it would take me 15 minutes and a person outside directing me into it to achieve the same result.

In terms of natural skill (does that even make sense?), I'd say INFx might suck the most. Sorry. But they'll probably end up with fewer tickets and accidents -- or maybe that might just be INFJs.

 

[Such Irony]

When I first learned to drive, I was overconfident. I wasn't a reckless driver but I lacked experience and had several minor fender benders and several close calls. The first time I learned to drive, I was backing out of the driveway and instead of going on the street, I just backed into the driveway on the house on the opposite side of the street and almost hit the garage.

I guess now I'm a pretty good driver. It's been several years since I've been in an accident or had a ticket. I still suck at parallel parking and avoid it whenever possible.

In terms of natural skill (does that even make sense?), I'd say INFx might suck the most. Sorry. But they'll probably end up with fewer tickets and accidents -- or maybe that might just be INFJs.

Maybe because they're more careful?

 

[Abbey]

Cognitively speaking, Se-Dom or auxiliary would be best. They are practical and react well.

The best driver I know is an ENTJ because he acts like he owns the road.

Personally, I suck at driving. It's WAY too complicated. There is so much going on, I can't take it all in. One time, I pulled into the lane of oncoming traffic, which was scary. I'm also frighteningly unobservant. But then again, I haven't been driving for very long.

 

[SingSmileShine]

I'm a terrible driver.

 

[PJWakt]

Probably those whose Se is lacking. It's a co-ordination / perception / awareness kind of activity. I would question the original post's suggestion that dominant Ti is a negative factor. I know some ISTP drivers who are excellent.
I know a bad ENTJ driver who just sees it as a way of getting from A to B and doesn't care about the journey itself, which I can't relate to at all.

 

[Such Irony]

 

[unnamed]

Umm...Inferior Se,no Te...the answer is INFJ.

 

[PJWakt]

Umm...Inferior Se,no Te...the answer is INFJ.

Where does the Te come in?

 

[unnamed]

Where does the Te come in?

Te is for deal with machines.