OT: worst drivers in America
As I prepare to commute home from my office through Seattle traffic I dread another afternoon of watching drivers around me move well below the speed limit on the freeway, entitled motorists merge with the expectation that moving traffic will adjust to them, approach four-way stops where no one seems to understand the basic rules of a 4-way stop, every teenager texting and driving, idiots driving 45 in my neighborhood and 50 on the freeway, and people unable to execute a left hand turn without a green arrow.
In the past I've commuted in Seattle, Detroit, Tampa, Austin, So Cal, and the Bay Area. I can say without question the worst drivers I have ever encountered are in Seattle. The best drivers I've ever seen are in Detroit. I feel like Michigan, in general, trains the best drivers.
What do you think? Where are the worst (or best) drivers in America?
Which would be everyone in SoCal.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
I avoid Ohio at all costs because, well it's Ohio.
Driving up from Kentucky to AA for a game in 2011 we had to drive through Ohio. There was some construction and the 2 lanes were merging into 1 lane on the highway. For some reason, people were all getting in the one lane a mile before it was merging.
I was about to get in the other lane and pass hundreds of cars before having to merge, and the Ohioan in front of me sensed my intent and pulled in to the other lane just to block me. That douchebag stayed in that empty lane until it was time to merge, but never passed any cars from the other lane! He just didn't want me to be able to pass everyone! Still pisses me off...
I had the same thing happen a couple of times. Once in the western part of the state and once in Alabama. In Alabama a semi completely blocked the right lane next to another in the left lane. The right lane was wide open for a couple of miles when I said "fuck it" and passed him on the shoulder.
except theoretical modeling shows it makes the most sense to merge at the last moment possible (zipper model).
http://arstechnica.com/cars/2014/07/the-beauty-of-zipper-merging-or-why…
I agree that would be the ideal method and would work the best if everyone understood and followed it which isn't close to happening in many states and the article mentions it as an issue at the end. Until that gets a wider push and people start to follow it I would think getting over sooner would be preferrable for traffic flow over a handful of people continuing in the lane and merging late. The problem I have observed with it is often the person not merging runs into a person that won't let them in(which in my experience is how many people act in that situation) and they eventually are forced to cut in where the person has to slow down to let them in slowing the other lane down more or the person passing everyone almost causes an accident because they decide whenever they want to come over people need to get out of their way. To be clear I don't have a problem with some merging late it is the problems it is caused because of bad drivers in the situation.
Ideally everyone would leave space for the lane that needs to merge and it would flow smoothly like the the article suggests. Living in Ohio where far too many think the left lane is for driving 5 mph under the speed limit while talking on their phone and not paying attention I don't have much hope for it here.
They make shoulders for a reason
Yeah, and that's not it.
Yea, speed way ahead of 100 cars and try to cram yourself in line and possibly cause a wreck to get 2 minutes ahead.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Actually, I can think of no reason for their existence. Its like those assholes that pull out in front of you on an almost deserted country road and drive 10 mph and you can't pass them or the fucking tractor in front of them due to the hills that keep presenting themselves. .
The last time I drove through Ohio, I was on the expressway behind this ass in the left lane, matching the speed of the driver in the right lane, about 2-3 mph below the speed limit. This went on for about ten miles. There was traffic backed up for probably at least a half mile trying to get past. Then he decided to shift over to the right lane. There was no exit nearby, so I got suspicious. I looked over at him--I had heard the expression "shit eating grin before" but never knew what it looked like until I saw him. So I played it cool and eased up to a few mph over the speed limit, and, sure enough, there was a state trooper in the median, hidden by a swell until I was almost on top of him. The jackass driver knew there was a speed trap coming up and was just trying to bait people into getting tickets for his jollies.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Username checks out.
I have driven in Boston. Last time I was there I got a 95 in a 55 ticket leaving the city. Boston drivers didn't leave an impression on me.
What is it about Seattle? Is everyone just coffee'd out and on a caffeine buzz?
It's a combination of general passive aggressiveness, high percentage of first time drivers, sadness from the rain, and the constant threat of vampires.
I have to agree 100% with your observation. We lived out there for a decade, and every time driving in another regional area of the US I swore that Seattle was the worst. Traffic is so bad on the daily commute that I think that when it opens up people have no idea what to do with themselves...
In Atlanta people drive agressvily, but for some reason cannot take a right hand turn without coming to a complete stop before doing so.
I am in St. Louis now and I am experiencing the best commuting traffic I've ever seen. I've been driving 36 miles everyday at around 8am to the city. I have barely hit my brakes on the highway, any time of day. It's quite remarkable. Is this normal for the area? Anyone?
I lived in DC/NOVA for 8 years and thought the drivers there were horrible.
Seattle drivers are so much worse. Who the hell uses the HOV lanes to go 5 under?
SoCal drivers in the rain.
Anybody in Tijuana.
New York/New Jersey by far the rudest.
I've driven through TJ a few times. Felt like an excursion through a war zone. If you drive in Tijuana you should be prepared to never return home.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
A buddy of mine and I picked up an 30-foot class-A motorhome in Huntsville and drove it down to my brother's house in Montgomery. I thought we were going to die going through Birmingham...wtf is up with that place?
The number of idiots in their BMWs, talking on their cell phones in the left lane while barely going the speed limit ceased to surprise me after a while. They make I-95 hell
Michigan drivers in general are very good highway drivers. You get up behind them in the left lane and they move over. I'm astound by the number of drivers in other states who don't get the concept
The best drivers are on the autobahn in Germany. The left lane is strictly for passing and god forbid if you get stuck out there going slow.
I was going 150mph making a pass in the left lane and I checked my rearview to see someone riding my bumper. They then flew past me when I moved back over.
Georgia drivers are as clueless as North Carolinians and as rude as Los Angelinos.
I lived there for 10 years. They are pretty bad. But, really, I've found that drivers are bad pretty much everywhere. The advent of the smart phone has made driving significantly more dangerous.
I've had 8 people drift into my lane in the past three days here in St. Louis. Non of them were on a cell phone...seems like it's a thing here...to drift....
UTAH by far! I see people running BLATANT red lights 3-4 times a week and my commute to work is only 7 min! and by BLATANT i mean red before they even enter the intersection.
My van got t-boned by a red light runner with my wife driving all 4 kids in March, air bags went off, 2012 vehicle was totalled. So grateful everyone emerged without a scratch.
If we ever move out of Utah it will be because of the drivers!
Worst parkers are in Florida.
Old ladies will crease your quarter panel everytime.
People who text and drive and women in SUVs
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad