Where are the worst drivers in the US?

[Taxman]

I moved to Jacksonville, FL in Feb '04 FRom Springfield, Virginia.

AFTER I took the AARP Safe Driving course and got my 10% premium reduction FRom USAA, my auto insurance was $20.00/month more expensive than Northern Virginia, which has to be one of the most congested driving regions in the US.

Turns out that the World Champion speeders, lane-changers (w/out signals!) tailgaters and red-light runners are Jacksonville drivers! And, many (if not most) ofem are rude to boot!

It is so bad that I put my big Reese trailer hitch back on my Cadillac, just to keep these $%@!&*# people off my a$$! You hit that puppy with the FRont bumper of your hot rod rice rocket or SUV, and it is gonna cost you Big Bux!

So, I kinda darem to hit it. So far no one has, and I get a lot more respect with the Reese on than when it is in my garage!

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Taxman

...It is so bad that I put my big Reese trailer hitch back on my Cadillac, just to keep these $%@!&*# people off my a$$! You hit that puppy with the FRont bumper of your hot rod rice rocket or SUV, and it is gonna cost you Big Bux!

So, I kinda darem to hit it. So far no one has, and I get a lot more respect with the Reese on than when it is in my garage!

Doing what I used to do until a post on this forum pointed out that the hitch receiver is attached to the vehicle FRAME - so while you'll tear a hole in a tailgater's radiator, you could end up with a bent frame. Better to let them whack a sacrificial bumper IMHO.

Paula Ford

[Mac1]

Well, we found a real winner in WV on the way to pick up "Carmine O" from P&S (before and after pictures on photo page and polishing thread). Left lane hugger who would speed up if you tried to pass him on the right. What is that all about?

Mac and Linda

[markdoane]

Originally Posted by Mac1

What is that all about?

Mac and Linda

It's called passive-agressive behavior. Did it have Minnesota licence plates?

[VSP Raleigh]

- Jersey Turnpike

- Illegal mexicans, no matter where they are. I've been hit three times in the past two years by truckloads of amigos who hit you and then take off. And no thanks to NC highway patrol. Unless you can give a driver description, it doesn't matter if you have the tag and vehicle descrip (which I have had every time), and they won't go after them.

[RedSHED]

You guys make me all the more glad I commute to work by bicycle. I've found low traffic routes to all parts of our city - routes I swore didn't exist before I started riding to work. So now, instead of 5-10 minutes shivering in the cage, I take 10-15 minutes of generating my own heat, and see bunnies, hawks, the occasional fox & deer, a couple of people on their porches in the summer... that sort of thing. When I drive to the other side of town with all four of us, my wife gives me the occasional curious look as we turn down Whachacallit Street instead of Four Lane Avenue.

I lived in MI for a while. Once, while driving up to work at one of the proving grounds and moving just a little slower than "ambient" traffic speed, I looked down saw 95 on the speedometer. I raised my eyebrows and right foot simultaneously. This had the metaphoric sound of a clock ticking and I figured it was time to move.

Prior to MI, I lived in NM and MS. My insurance went down a little moving out of Biloxi, and a little more moving to MI. So my wallet votes for the Gulf Coast having worse drivers than The People's Republic of Santa Fe (and surrounding environs), but who really knows...
Maybe it's one of those "you find what you're looking for" things.

[tin sista]

Hey Redshed,
Was it in the Detroit area that you noticed the ambient speed was 95?
What's even scarier is the cars are all up and around you going that speed, riding your bumper,its like a pack thing, scares the wits outta me
Detroit,Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, guess the best thing to do is go when the traffic is the lightest if you can do it that way. Driving a half hour earlier to Detroit gets me on clear calm roads, one half hour later into the rush and ugh. Yeah its true, the closer we get to large cities, the crazier it is!

I find college towns to be scary to drive through too, lots of young people jaywalking, driving like they've only had their license a couple of years, and drinking, smoking, and talking on the phone while they are at it.

[FordTruck]

Boston - 'nuff said

[Roscinante]

I might have to agree on Boston. Got upraded to a Lincoln towncar there once when doing some training. Try finding a parking place for a land yacht like that Lincoln! It was black. Everyone kept looking at us like we were the Sopranos or something crusing the neighborhoods.

[doorgunner]

IMHO those who know they are driving a vehicle either with or without a trailer attached and operating in an unsafe manner. Like knowing your TV is not up to the task but what the heck this is what I have syndrome. I can handle the too slow or too fast or cell phonies BUT knowingly operating in an unsafe manner - stay far away from me. You can screw around with your own life but not mine or my loved ones.

[Janet H]

All right - here's my list..

Western NC and SC: Drivers who signal turns - because the person in front of them is turning! What's with that?! Is that some kind of strange "traffic gossip"?

Yakima, WA: 20 - 40 % below posted speeds, driving over the lines - on either side or both, head lights out, staying at stop lights extra long after the light goes green so that their cars can stop hipping and hopping and return to level.

Boston:... but if I had to commute there everyday - I'd be in a baaad mood as well.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Janet

All right - here's my list..

Western NC and SC: Drivers who signal turns - because the person in front of them is turning! What's with that?! Is that some kind of strange "traffic gossip"?

I vaguely remember that being taught in driver's ed...about a hundred years ago

Aaron

[RedSHED]

Originally Posted by tin sista

Hey Redshed,
Was it in the Detroit area that you noticed the ambient speed was 95?
What's even scarier is the cars are all up and around you going that speed, riding your bumper,its like a pack thing, scares the wits outta me
Detroit,Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, guess the best thing to do is go when the traffic is the lightest if you can do it that way. Driving a half hour earlier to Detroit gets me on clear calm roads, one half hour later into the rush and ugh. Yeah its true, the closer we get to large cities, the crazier it is!

I find college towns to be scary to drive through too, lots of young people jaywalking, driving like they've only had their license a couple of years, and drinking, smoking, and talking on the phone while they are at it.

Just south of Milford, actually. I should point out that I didn't find the Michigan drivers to be particularly bad. On the contrary, for the most part they signalled and behaved very predictably. Just at that speed... I had visions of centerpunching a deer at three digits and no matter how many angles I imagined it from, it would always end the same way.

[janetb]

My vote as of today is CA Hwy 1 from Pescadero to Santa Cruz, on a gorgeous "let's check out the the coast!" Sunday. Maniacs! They were every where: abruptly pulling out in front of us from beach side parking lots, careening around us with cell-phone to ear and braking immediately, blithefully careening around blind corners while intoxicated by being included in the idiot-in-sports-car-rally. Hey! We're towing here! We're towing here!

[SteSpot]

Our RV driving instructor told us there is some study that showed that the most dangerous drivers are young women under 30....they are in a hurry, drive fast, feel invincible and are usually disciplining children in the back or otherwise distracted......he told us to watch for ourselves......during our 2 day rv driving lesson, everytime we observed an unsafe driving maneuver, we checked and it was a young woman. I am hoping this is not really the case---just what we happened to observe in Palmdale, CA on 2 December days. I was sorry to hear that being a woman myself although I am no longer considered "young." pj

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by str8strm

I've lived my whole life in Los Angeles, so I'm used to FAST. I like FAST. Most folks here won't use their turn signal when lane changing because that's giving an unfair advantage to the competition. I can live with that. What I can't stand is SLOW. And let me tell you, Colorado is SLOOOOW. 35 on the highway? Give me a break. Pass that guy only to find out that the car 500 yards ahead of him is going...........35. Longest day of my life. But beautiful!
Ron

Having lived in LA for 18 of my 31 driving years and now living here in Colorado...I have to agree with you! It took forever for me to get used to the slower traffic here...not to mention, Coloradans:

1) don't pull into the intersection from the left-hand turn lane unless the are no cars coming for a least a mile
2) think a yield sign is the same as a stop sign
3) stop at the end of a freeway on ramp to "merge" into traffic...hell-oooo, what part of MERGE don't you understand!?

and all these are on clear sunny days! Don't even get me started on snowy days!!!

Shari

[Lumatic]

Being a long term refuge to New Mexico from the NewYork metropolis, where I was a cab driver, I would have to say New Jersey. Maybe it as something to do with the petrochemical air.

Here in New Mexico the most annoying driving habit is not signalling. Interestingly the cowgirls seem more reckless and inconsiderate than the cowboys. Interestingly, even though NM has one of the highest alcohol related accident rates it is also high up on the seat belt use list. There are also more pleasure boats in NM per capita than any other state.