Top 10 annoying driving habits of Sri Lankans

I've been driving in Sri Lanka since I was tall enough to reach for the clutch and see the road at the same time. Throughout the years I've seen various driving habits being added to our driving system. It's disappointing that none of them were good driving practices. Most of them were innovated by the three-wheel driver and later passed on to the motorists. In this article I will refer to these ill-mannered drivers as simply 'idiots'.

Today the situation is pretty bad. So here goes the top 10 things I hate about driving in Sri Lanka.

10. Pedestrians.

This is not really a bad driving habit but indeed a reason which makes driving in Sri Lanka frustrating. It's blazing hot in Sri Lanka these days. So its natural of pedestrians to somehow minimize the time standing on the street during daytime even though the traffic lights tell them to. Yes, even when the traffic lights to pedestrians have turned red they don't seem to pay attention. What most people (specially people who don't drive much) doesn't realize is that motorists don't pay much attention to their surrounding when they see the green light! It's not really the motorists fault if a person gets hit, but the consequences... I think it could make up for a whole new post. :)

9. Traffic light cut through.


This is mostly practiced by motorcyclists. It's okay if these people stay parallel with the vehicles that were originally in front, but instead they pass and stops right in front of you. Even that is okay if they move away as soon as the lights turn green, but they don't. Instead they make odd turns and does various dances. The three-wheeler favourite of this flaw is taking a sharp turn in front of the person that was originally in front. Very annoying.






8. Right of way.

Person who enters the roundabout should leave without being disturbed. This is the concept of a roundabout. It is achieved by simply giving way to the person coming from your right. In Sri Lanka idiots don't give a sh*t about this. They come at you roaring even from your left. In some countries drivers don't even look at their left. If you do that in Sri Lanka, you'll surely end up either in heaven or hell.

7. No signal lights

You are about to enter the main road. A car is coming fast on the main road so you wait till it passes. To see, without passing you it turns to your road! What a waste of time and energy! If that idiot used the signal lights things would have been much 'efficient'. It's a simple thing isn't it? :)

6. Track changing.

There are some idiots who tries to change the lane as soon as they see its moving faster. After driving in Colombo city for several months one should realize that this strategy is not the most effective way to travel fast. It doesn't do good for yourself or to others. People should really start to use their brains.






5. Face to face.

Idiots don't think whats ahead. They just want to fill in whats left of the road. When their side is jammed they use the other side of the road to cut through to the front putting the people on the correct side of the road in danger and frustration. If the red car in this picture is a lorry, you pray to god that it doesn't end up in a head-on collision.








4. Two-wheelers nonstop right turn.

Very common for motorcyclists because this way you don't need to stop and keep your foot on the ground. This could be highly dangerous if the blue car needs to move to his left to make room for an oncoming vehicle. Besides its very annoying to lose the small space of road you already have. You will either have to slow down or drive really carefully so that you won't hit this idiot.

3. No-standing area??? Whats that?

Some Sri Lankans do not know what this sign means. These yellow boxes can be seen at most junctions. The rule is you cant enter a yellow box if you can't exit. This will avoid the junction from being blocked. These are placed at other appropriate places to avoid traffic from being conjested carelessly.





This is the second runner-up of best idiotic drivers competition. The good guy stays away from the yellow box because the car in front is not moving either due to traffic lights or any other matter. The idiot behind loses patience and cuts blood supply to his brain and jumps in the middle. Now the whole meaning of the yellow box has gone to waste. Sometimes the idiot doesn't even realize his mistake.

2. I go first, you go next.

The second most irritating thing I experience almost every morning when entering the main road is this scenario. It is common courtesy that you don't disturb the main road when entering it. So you wait until someone gives you way or you get room. Then an idiot comes along on the wrong side terrorizing the whole junction and crosses over disturbing the smooth flow bringing numerous vehicles to a standstill. Spine chilling irritating.

1. Wrong side for a right turn.

And the number one thing that makes me wanna get down from the car and make the idiot crap his pants is this. This one was brought on very recently.

Inventor: Motorcycle riders.
Beta testing: Three-wheelers.
Now in practice by most motorists.

How many times did you hit brakes hard when people came right at your face and then quickly made a right turn? This is a very dominating technique of driving because there's nowhere on road you can go. You will have to slow down or stop till that person victoriously takes his right turn.

So here you go guys. My top 10 list. I hope you have realized something that you didn't pay much attention before. If you are reading this and thinking to yourself "is this guy crazy? We don't drive like this in Sri Lanka", kindly check the published date mate. Several years must have passed. :)