posted
If you believe the rumors, Utah drivers are just plain bad -- reckless, distracted, rude, and fast. But are we really all that bad?
Urban legend is one thing, facts are another. According to a major insurance company survey, Utah drivers aren't at the bottom of the heap, but we're not the cream of the crop on the road either.
posted
I'm surprised New York City drivers didn't make the "worst" list.
- Pseudo "you cut me off, you $%&$&^#^%$!!!" Croat
-------------------- "At all events, people who deny the influence of smaller nations should remember that the Croats have the rest of us by the throats." - Norman Davies, Europe: A History
God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. Posts: 4578 | From: Sunrise, FL | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I would expect that the "worst drivers" would be found anywhere there is a lot of traffic by people who are unfamiliar with the area (tourists, business travellers), combined with local people in a hurry to get to work. Throw in interstates merging with local roads, to further confuse things, and lots of interesting scenery to distract drivers.
posted
Shame we don't have an international study... The worst driving I've ever encountered was in Paris, followed closely by Dublin and Berlin in that order.
quote:Originally posted by Spam & Cookies-mmm: Yup. Washington, DC is number one.
Maybe it's a 'capital city' thing?
Shadow "Thank Deity I've never had to drive in London" Duck
-------------------- But of course, I could be wrong. Posts: 858 | From: UK | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Chicago should be on there. I drive through there sometimes with my dad and I'm always shocked that I make it off the interstate alive. My dad says you just gotta drive as badly as they do, or you die. I swear it's like playing a racing game. The only rule is that you can't touch the other cars (which is a good rule I suppose).
Posts: 54 | From: Kentucky | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I was about to say that Florida drivers are the worst and challenge you to drive from downtown Miami to downtown Orlando during "the season" using I-95 and I-4. Then I realized that most of those folks on the road aren't Floridians. Does that still count?
-------------------- "There is no constitutional right to sleep with endangered reptiles." -- Carl Hiaasen Won't somebody please think of the adults! Posts: 8254 | From: Florida | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
Actually, I do recall another survey from a few years ago that concluded Miami had the rudest drivers.
-------------------- "Unseasonable is an odd word to begin with. It sounds like it's describing something that it's impossible to sprinkle pepper on." -- Nonny Posts: 5483 | From: Just south of Folsom Prison, CA | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I'm not far from Chi-town. But I think anywhere has its share. I have pet peeves about bad drivers- one being that they seem to forget how to drive in the snow. Uh, hello? It snowed last year, remember? Its not that big of a leap to realize it's gonna snow again this year!
When I drive my kids and their friends around, they apologize to the friends with: "My mom doesn't really have road rage- she just hates stupid people." Yeah, I love my kids.
I'm done now. Really.
-------------------- "Is it ME? Am I a MAGNET for these idiots?"~Pearl Forrester MST3K Die-Hard Engineers, Big Red One my Dad's website "Must be a 'snopes' thing..." ~my entire family when I try to explain something. Posts: 4524 | From: South of Madison, Wisconsin | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Shadowduck: Shame we don't have an international study... The worst driving I've ever encountered was in Paris, followed closely by Dublin and Berlin in that order.
quote:Originally posted by Spam & Cookies-mmm: Yup. Washington, DC is number one.
Maybe it's a 'capital city' thing?
Shadow "Thank Deity I've never had to drive in London" Duck
To add to Spam's explanation (even the people who live in DC aren't usually from the area), DC has roads that are designed for the traffic volumes and patterns from between 20 and 40 years ago (the main beltway around the city has one bridge that's a drawbridge, for DOYC's sake). Moreover, there is no money for road maintenance in DC proper (standard directions to get to DC are "Drive north from Virginia until the roads go to hell"). The entire city is much more spread out than it needs to be, thanks to building restrictions in what would be the central business district of any other major city. Much of the inner city is replete with traffic circles (with stop lights!) that are fine for placing 18th century cannon for defending against invaders on horseback, but utter crap for anything else. Add to the confusion factor that you're always trying to find a way to cross the river that runs through the middle of the place that several hundred thousand of your closest friends aren't already using, and that the constant construction in place to try to correct the road situation is haphazardly coordinated between two states and the district, and it's amazing that it works as well as it does.
buf 'will still swear on a stack of Bibles that Houston has worse drivers' ungla
-------------------- "Pardon him. Theodotus: he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature."
George Bernard Shaw, Caesar and Cleopatra Posts: 4847 | From: Washington, DC | Registered: Jun 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Faeriefeet: Chicago should be on there. I drive through there sometimes with my dad and I'm always shocked that I make it off the interstate alive. My dad says you just gotta drive as badly as they do, or you die. I swear it's like playing a racing game. The only rule is that you can't touch the other cars (which is a good rule I suppose).
I've driven in Chicago several times, and compared to Michigan, I think they're great! Granted, they DO drive fast, but they let you over if you have your blinker on, etc. In Michigan, usually if you put your blinker on to change lanes, people take it personally and speed up so you can't get over.
quote:Originally posted by Cervus: Then I realized that most of those folks on the road aren't Floridians. Does that still count?
That fits my analysis. The article is taking collision statistics from cities and saying "there's all the bad drivers", but chances are that most of the accidents involved, or were caused by, someone from out of town.
posted
I concur about Chicago. When I was there for a business trip, I didn't realise that it's ok to go through red lights as long as there isn't incoming traffic.
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Sub-Contractor
The Red and the Green Stamps
posted
Hmmmm, I've never had any problem in all the times I've driven in Chicago. Kind of refreshing from driving in Columbus.
Now Boston, there's a hell hole of bad drivers...
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From my experience, NYC is awfully bad too. I've never driven there, but I did learn real fast that when the walk light changes from walk to don't walk, cars don't care whether or not there's still people crossing. As far as they are concerned, it's time to go, and anyone in the way be damned.
Posts: 54 | From: Kentucky | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Now Boston, there's a hell hole of bad drivers... [/QB]
Seeing that I live only about 45 mins from Boston and I used to treck up there at least four or five times a week for ballet lessons...I'm inclined to agree...
Its absolutly horrible up there...both my parents grew up there and they say its so much worse thanks to the NFBSKing Big Dig...the roads keep changing every day and the veteren drivers..the people who live there...look like tourists because no one knows where to go anymore..
My boyfriend and my sister's boyfriend both are from towns just outside the city when they go home for the summer...we refuse to drive up there and see them because its so bad
-------------------- If God was a college student he would not have created the world in seven days. He would have slacked off for six and then pulled an all-nighter Posts: 30 | From: Massachusetts | Registered: Dec 2004
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FaithHopeLOVE
The Red and the Green Stamps
posted
quote:Originally posted by Cervus: I was about to say that Florida drivers are the worst
So, I grew up and learned to drive in Florida, and now drive in Utah. How bad am I?
I disagree with KSL; I still think Utah drivers are the worst, although I've never driven in many big cities. CA drivers are fast, but they seem to be pretty good drivers.
Faith "never gotten a speeding ticket" Love
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-------------------- High on the wind, the Highland drums begin to roll, and something from the past just comes and stares into my soul... --Mark Knopfler Posts: 3402 | From: New Bern, NC | Registered: May 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Sub-Contractor: Now Boston, there's a hell hole of bad drivers...
Thank you very much! We're so notorious, we're proud of it. In Connecticut they call us Mass-holes.
My personal score: 3 accidents, 2 claims, 0 speeding tickets, 0 points on my perfectly pristine driving record.
Four "Boston driver since 1982" Kitties
-------------------- If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales? Posts: 13275 | From: Kindergarten World, Massachusetts | Registered: Jul 2003
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quote:Originally posted by DesertRat: A: World's worst drivers.
Q" What is "anyone on I-95," Alex?
I'm so with you on this one! I live along the I-95 corridor in Virginia and I swear, more people cut me off, stop in the middle of the road, go 90 miles an hour, drive on solid lines, and generally conduct themselves like assholes.
posted
I-95 in Maryland isn't any better than it is in Virginia. And I-95 is the number one reason I gave my drivers licence back 30 years ago. So at least we got one bad driver off the road.
Around DC, the tourist might be having a lot of accidents, but they aren't the ones racing up the sholder and cutting everyone off. Those are the residents, and they are causing all the accidents.
Posts: 280 | From: Maryland | Registered: Jan 2004
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I've driven all around the country, and several places overseas, here's my list.
#1 Worst drivers in my experience: Moscow. The traffic laws seem to be designed more to control the population and less for safety. Oh that and to give the traffic police (GIBDD) reasons to extract bribes, er fines; but at least everybody ignores what rules there are. The only rules that apply are: 1) Don't make eye contact, it will be taken as a sign of weakness. 2) Don't hit anybody.
Utah drivers, however, do rank right up there, ever experience the "Utah drift"?
DC, comes in 2nd or third, toss up with Utah. Used to commute on the Fairfax County Parkway and couldn't for the life of me remember what I had done to make all those other drivers there hate me enough to try to kill me. Every day. All to get to the next light 30 seconds and one car length ahead of me.
Boston: yep, simply bad drivers. Rude and impatient to boot
Chicago didn't strike me as much worse than any other big city.
Best drivers: Germany. Sure they drive fast and aggressively, but the the traffic laws make sense and people mostly follow them. It's amazing how much easier driving at high speeds is when you know you can count on the other guy following the rules the vast majority of the time.
Mnot - die machine ist fur fahren, nicht fur trinken und essen - r2
-------------------- Infinite goodness is creating a being you know, in advance, is going to complain. Captain Billy Cutshaw Posts: 582 | From: Germany | Registered: Oct 2002
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posted
don't even get me started on japanese drivers... too late every morning i just barely miss getting hit by at least 3 cars while i'm cycling to work or where-ever. usually it's because the driver's don't bother to look both ways before pulling out of a parking spot or they simply don't stop until they're halfway across the crosswalks... and it's not like they don't expect us cyclers to be there- japan has tons of bike pedestrians to add, just two days ago, i was dodging children and bikes and dogs on the sidewalk - about 12 seconds ahead of me is a woman parked in a drive just sitting there (waiting on her child i thought), she could and she did see me. however, i decided that since she hadn't moved in the 11 seconds it took to get to her car, that i could simply pass in front of it. well, .25 seconds before i cross, she starts moving forward - i turn my bike and the breaks squeak reeeeally loudly - and she looks at me with a "sumimasen, i didn't see you" face... S"till surprised i haven't become roadkill"pryte
-------------------- "Let's enjoying!" Posts: 122 | From: New Orleanian in Japan | Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
The drivers here in Norfolk, VA-area are horrid. Every day during rush hour there are accidents like crazy on the two main interstates [64 and 264]
Never had a problem on I-95, surprisingly.
Growing up in Illinois, I can agree that Chicago's traffic is insane [thank god I've never driven there, but I've been a passenger - that's bad enough]
I don't remember traffic in London being that bad.. but that WAS 14 years ago. The only thing I really remember was my mom almost getting us flattened because she didn't drive on the "wrong" [to us US citizens] side of the road XD
Posts: 37 | From: WA | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Traffic is bad enough on I-95 in MD and VA for miles on either side of DC, that my husband will drive almost Hagerstown to get on back roads to go from Baltimore Md to Fredericksburg VA. And 95 south of Fredericksburg on a holiday is a hug parking lot. We've never been in an accident but we sure do get tired up behind a lot of them.
Posts: 280 | From: Maryland | Registered: Jan 2004
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posted
To agree with what others have posted, though I-95 is still my biggest personal problem area, I-64 and all its evil stepchildren definitely get honorable mention...
-------------------- High on the wind, the Highland drums begin to roll, and something from the past just comes and stares into my soul... --Mark Knopfler Posts: 3402 | From: New Bern, NC | Registered: May 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Pseudo_Croat: I'm surprised New York City drivers didn't make the "worst" list.
I keep telling a friend of mine who grew up in NY that being able to swear at people in their own language does NOT make one multi-lingual .
I was surprised when I saw a survey on CNN.COM that did not place California drivers at the bottom of the list. WHAT is the deal with allergy to use of turn signals, and can anyone come up with anything remotely resembling a rational explation for "see someone about to change lanes, *deliberately* speed up and do whatever else is necessary to prevent this lane change"?
(Incidentally, I learned to drive in Oregon, which is at the *top* of the rankings. )
Posts: 486 | From: Sacramento, California | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Tomcat: I've driven in Chicago several times, and compared to Michigan, I think they're great! Granted, they DO drive fast, but they let you over if you have your blinker on, etc. In Michigan, usually if you put your blinker on to change lanes, people take it personally and speed up so you can't get over. [/QB]
I thought that was just a California-ism. (I just asked my husband, who's driven in more places than I have, and he thinks the worst place he's driven in is our current home city of Sacramento.)
Posts: 486 | From: Sacramento, California | Registered: Jun 2005
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quote:Originally posted by mnotr2: Utah drivers, however, do rank right up there, ever experience the "Utah drift"?
Please define "the Utah drift"? I've never driven in that state. I've been there, but as a passenger.
Posts: 486 | From: Sacramento, California | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
Yes, drivers here in Utah suck. I live in SLC and people are just rude, they go out of their way to break the law by not signalling, crossing multiple lanes, and tailgating. Then they get mad at u when u honk at them lol.
Of course honestly I think Las Vegas drivers are ten times as worse as us Utahns.......hey if people from Utah are called Utahns what are people from Tampa called?
D
Posts: 22 | From: Utah | Registered: May 2005
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I-95 near Savannah wasn't too horrifying... but I suppose by then, they were tired and started to slow down.
Granted, this was also ten years ago when I lived there.
And I agree with the posts about I-95 in VA. I spent some time sitting dead still for two separate car accidents near exits there.
-------------------- "Is it ME? Am I a MAGNET for these idiots?"~Pearl Forrester MST3K Die-Hard Engineers, Big Red One my Dad's website "Must be a 'snopes' thing..." ~my entire family when I try to explain something. Posts: 4524 | From: South of Madison, Wisconsin | Registered: May 2005
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posted
No one wants to talk about Newark? Newark was my home airport for 8 years. I can drive there and back - no problem, nor do I cause problems to anybody else. And I've done it enough so that I know where people are going to have problems, mostly of related to almost missing an exit. I've seen people barely miss the barrels, and I've even seen people BACK UP on the freeway to go back to their exit.
The worst one I've seen? Woman got on the I-78 express lanes going west. When she saw the sign for her exit (don't remember which one - I think it was 24), she drove across the grassy median, crossed 3-4 lanes of traffic, all so that she could get to her exit. Surprisingly, there wasn't an accident - but I don't think I've ever heard so many car horns at once. I wasn't driving - my husband was. I had already warned him that I thought that car was a good candidate for idiocy - he agreed with me. We were both amazed at the level of idiocy.
-------------------- "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands - and then eat just one of the pieces." Judith Viorst Posts: 1082 | From: Luzern, Switzerland | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
I'll have more perspective on opposite-side-of-the-road-driving. I'm off to Australia next month. Luckily for me (and everyone in my path) I am going to only be a passenger.
quote:she drove across the grassy median, crossed 3-4 lanes of traffic, all so that she could get to her exit.
What about the people who slam on the brakes and back up to the exit they just missed? I saw that once, when I was a kid- on the Illinois side of St. Louis.
-------------------- "Is it ME? Am I a MAGNET for these idiots?"~Pearl Forrester MST3K Die-Hard Engineers, Big Red One my Dad's website "Must be a 'snopes' thing..." ~my entire family when I try to explain something. Posts: 4524 | From: South of Madison, Wisconsin | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by FrogFeathers: I'll have more perspective on opposite-side-of-the-road-driving. I'm off to Australia next month. Luckily for me (and everyone in my path) I am going to only be a passenger.
Make sure to sit in the front seat on the ride from the airport.
buf 'being a passenger will be harrowing enough' ungla
-------------------- "Pardon him. Theodotus: he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature."
George Bernard Shaw, Caesar and Cleopatra Posts: 4847 | From: Washington, DC | Registered: Jun 2001
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