Unleash your back-seat driver

Sorry for tooting my own horn (pun intended), but if there's one thing I really take pride in, it's driving well.

"Well," by the Courtney Code of Highway Ethics, means that you're aware of what's going on around you, you're obeying the law and playing it safe ... and that you're quick about it. Pretty please on the last item on my list, OK?

I don't know about you, but it's so difficult to be on the road surrounded by slow, often inconsiderate and sometimes even clueless drivers (shouldn't there be signs on their cars to that effect?).

Yes, anyone who knows me knows that I'm speedy, but my dad taught me that driving isn't just about going fast, which is ironic considering he's a talented and gifted racecar driver.

No, it's about paying attention to what others are doing, safely maneuvering and being defensive by keeping your eyeballs everywhere at the same time. While snaking through daily Los Angeles traffic, I do my best with this philosophy, but the stress has a way of amplifying my pet peeves.

Here are the few that reeeeaally get my horn honking and my coolant boiling. See if you don't agree.

Probably the most common move that we can all relate to is made by the driver who feels the need to putt along at 10 mph less than the posted speed limit while rudely or absent-mindedly loitering in the passing lane. Yes, it's the passing lane, not the rude lane.

Driving so slowly as to impede the regular flow of traffic is an offense worthy of a big fat ticket with a big fat fine because it's unsafe. Although it would be nice if the highway patrol spent a little more time issuing citations to these folks (and give us speed demons a break once in a while) it would be much more productive if drivers could actually police themselves, perhaps with a little incentive. How about the threat of a huge fine ... sayyyyy $10,000 for loitering in the passing lane? Absurd, for sure, but I doubt anyone would ever do it again. "Keep right, except to pass" is the motto.

Now, on the flip side, there are drivers who treat a public road like a race track. They've got the pedal to the metal, practically kissing your rear bumper, with the high-beam lights flashing, even if you're driving the speed limit or even slightly over. This situation, unfolding in your rear-view mirror, is startling, unnecessary and is just as dangerous as driving too slowly (although it doesn't hold up traffic for miles). Race-driver wannabes, be patient -- I know that sounds like a bit of a stretch -- and save the aggression and showiness for somewhere other than the road.

Now, ridiculous traffic is pretty much synonymous with Los Angeles. Unless it's Sunday at 6 a.m., it normally takes about an hour to go just a few miles. If it's raining, don't plan on getting there at all. I've also experienced bad traffic in Chicago, Miami and Minneapolis. Big cities have so much appeal (which is why people live in them), yet traffic is one of their biggest downfalls. To get anywhere in L.A., we have to take advantage of every opportunity to maneuver through traffic.

Knowing this, I can't count the number of times I've sat behind sleepy drivers waiting to turn left even when there's a huge gap in oncoming traffic. I'm sorry, but if that happens and I'm waiting behind, the driver gets my horn. Dude, quit daydreaming and brush up on your motor skills to help save everyone else behind you a little time ... that adds up to a lot of time at the end of the day.

Changing gears and getting out from behind the wheel, I just might be the world's most annoying back-seat driver. Sorry guys, I can't help it.

As a passenger, my ultimate pet peeve is the driver who jabs the throttle and jumps on the brake every few seconds. Instead of fluctuating between 40 and 60 mph, how about driving 50? This saves gas, gives the right foot a whole lot of rest and keeps the last meal where it belongs (inside).

I could go on all day about my pet driving peeves, but they're probably the same as yours. So, how about taking a few minutes to jot them down and send them to me in an e-mail for a future column? Go ahead and unleash the back-seat driver in you.

Among her numerous accomplishments, Courtney Hansen is the of "The Garage Girl's Guide," the host of Spike TV's "PowerBlock," the former host of TLC's "Overhaulin'" and a writer with Wheelbase Communications. You can e-mail her by logging on to www.wheelbase.ws/mailbag.html.