Worst Drivers by State

[Bonny]

Not surprised that CA is about middle of the pack.

blog.sfgate.com/topdown/2014/07/11/california-makes-top-20-list-for-nations-worst-drivers/#25006103=9&25009101=9

And if you click on the link in the beginning of the article you can find the 10 best. I can't believe Washington D.C. made it in the top 10! It must be rigged!

[sesfw]

There are lousy drivers in every state and freeways are magnets.

DH has driven a lot in western Europe and North America. He says the drivers in Toronto Canada are by far the worse he has ever been in ....... and this includes Paris France.

I try to stay off freeways as much as I can and let the crazies have them. I'm too old to fight. 

[tskeeter]

Jul 11, 2014 17:03:42 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Not surprised that CA is about middle of the pack.

blog.sfgate.com/topdown/2014/07/11/california-makes-top-20-list-for-nations-worst-drivers/#25006103=9&25009101=9

And if you click on the link in the beginning of the article you can find the 10 best. I can't believe Washington D.C. made it in the top 10! It must be rigged!

Don't agree with this assessment.  After spending nine years driving 70 miles a day on LA's 91 freeway, my opinion is that the vasst, vast majority of the drivers I encountered were among the most skilled drivers I have seen.  (I've referred to driving the 91 as being great training for becoming a NASCAR driver.  High speeds, cars bumper to bumper, door handle to door handle, and stop on a dime; without hitting anyone, or getting hit yourself.)  And I've lived in rural MN, urban MN, Buffalo, NY, the Atlanta area, Chicago, LA, and the Sierra mountains, and driven in Boston, San Francisco, NYC, DC, Seattle, and variety of other areas of the country.  So, I believe I have some basis for making comparisons.

I think one thing worth consideration is that the rankings are not based soley on things like accidents per mile, as much as they are based on tickets issued.  I think many parts of CA use traffic tickets as a significant government revenue source, and I wonder to what extent such a practice would influence the number of tickets issued that are considered in the rankings.  The fact that a driver is a scofflaw doesn't make them an unskilled, dangerous driver, as one would interpret from the "worst driver" moniker.

In fact, the areas that I would pick for the most dangerous drivers are Buffalo, NY and Boston.  In Buffalo, a signal for a lane change tells other drivers to close up the gap so you can't get ahead of them.  To accomplish a lane change, you have to play "I bet you want the fender on your car more than I want the fender on mine".  On the 91, if you signal for a lane change, other drivers will make sure you have just enough room for a safe lane change (sometimes it takes a little trust, but it always worked for me).  In the Boston area, traffic lights seems to be merely a suggestion.  It is common practice to start into an intersection well before the light has turned green and to blow through an intersection at full speed well after the light has turned red.  If you are an experienced figure eight racer, you'd feel right at home.  That probably explains why Boston is the only place I've been hit by a car while riding my bike (the driver had to turn across two lanes of oncoming traffic to get to me).

[Opti]

fact, the areas that I would pick for the most dangerous drivers are Buffalo, NY and Boston. In Buffalo, a signal for a lane change tells other drivers to close up the gap so you can't get ahead of them. To accomplish a lane change, you have to play "I bet you want the fender on your car more than I want the fender on mine".

I would say in NJ, not letting other drivers know you can see them can be

key if you don't want to be taken advantage of. Most drivers planning to do

bone-head moves look to see if they can get eye contact of drivers near them

before executing a patented dumb ass or I'm more important than you move.

[Deleted]

Most of the people here who drive like idiots have WA plates on their cars.  They especially like to pass over a double yellow line.  I often wonder if it is actually legal to do that in WA?

[tskeeter]

Jul 11, 2014 19:17:18 GMT -5 Opti said:

fact, the areas that I would pick for the most dangerous drivers are Buffalo, NY and Boston. In Buffalo, a signal for a lane change tells other drivers to close up the gap so you can't get ahead of them. To accomplish a lane change, you have to play "I bet you want the fender on your car more than I want the fender on mine".

I would say in NJ, not letting other drivers know you can see them can be

key if you don't want to be taken advantage of. Most drivers planning to do

bone-head moves look to see if they can get eye contact of drivers near them

before executing a patented dumb ass or I'm more important than you move.

Boston, too.  If you make eye contact, you yield the right of way.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

I agree with the Boston thing. I have driven there, in CA, the midwest, and down south. Boston was by the far the worst, with people acting like total jerks "just because".

The whole Boston left turn thing (turning left out of a parking lot... pull into oncoming traffic and sit there until the lane you want to go in clears) baffled me. If you were the one in oncoming traffic and took the right of way (or drove around them), they would honk and flip you off. Umm, you are setting yourself up to gte t-boned and I'm in the wrong? No.

Driving on the shoulder, refusal to merge when getting on freeways (I-95 isn't a 6 lane freeway just because you don't want to merge and want to "get ahead" of everyone else), the first person turning left at a green light takes the right-of-way despite the intersection being a "left turn yield to oncoming traffic" were all things I saw on a daily basis in Boston.

Even in parking lots, they couldn't act civilized. People looking for parking would pass an open spot and then decide they wanted that spot (after they were about 50 feet past the spot). They would try to back up (despite having a line of cars behind them) to get back to the spot. They would get mad when the line of cars wouldn't back up to let them park (umm, you passed the spot and didn't want it. Don't expect 10 cars to back up in a crowded parking lot so you don't have to go around).

[Phoenix84]

I always thought Virginia had the worst, but maybe it's just the Norfolk area.

I've never had so many people pull out in front of me as I did in Virginia.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I'd have to say that some of the wort drivers I've seen are from BC.....both in Canada and the US.

Rather than make a decision which lane they want to be in, they will straddle the lane and block both.  When entering the highway, some stop at the end of an on ramp waiting for a gap in traffic.  The corollary to this is that you rarely see someone on the highway pull into the left lane so you can enter the highway.

Then you get the drivers that go 50 mph in the left lane of I5 and won't move over.

My sampling is pretty good....I've driven in Boston, NYC, DC, Houston, LA, Seattle and Vancouver traffic.  The one city I would refuse to drive in is Istanbul.  Those people are NUTS!

[NoNamePerson]

I remember a report put out about most dangerous intersections in my state by State Farm a while back. My city/county had 7 of the top ten!!     Oh, and my state on this OP made the top ten. 
I am doomed.  

[Deleted]

I hate driving in Chicago. The first time I drove in Chicago, I was 16 or 17 and I'd driven the long trip from home to Chicago. We went through the city to get to the suburb our relative lived in. That was enough for me. I refused to get back behind the wheel if we were going into Chicago. I did drive us back home though.

People here drive fast and recklessly. Someone is usually nice enough to let you over, but if traffic is barely moving, drivers often tighten up the lanes and you're SOL if you don't know how to "bogard" your way in. I wouldn't try it if the other car is an old hoopty or already beat up. They probably won't care if they bump you. It works better with nice, shiny cars, but it still takes a bit of skill.

It isn't in the states, but one place I'd never try to drive is Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was scary as heck just trying to walk across intersections. Red lights don't even necessarily mean "slow down" to some drivers there, let alone "STOP".

[Works4me]

tskeeter said:

"...a signal for a lane change tells other drivers to close up the gap so you can't get ahead of them. To accomplish a lane change, you have to play 'I bet you want the fender on your car more than I want the fender on mine'."

As a native Californian, this is so LA - as in Los Angeles, like, ya know - Southern California!

Not only are they always late, while driving they are yakking on their speaker phone at the top of their lungs, adjusting the mirror to check their hair, putting make up on (both sexes) eating their organic soy yogurt and drinking their requisite "half-caf-double-caf-de-caf." Add in a few New Yorkers who not only can't drive but never should drive and you've got the picture. Worst part is it starts south of Santa Barbara and does not let up until maybe Oceanside, near San Diego.

ETA - Yes, I am from the Bay Area - home of the 60 minute-12 mile commute - and proud of it - at least we do our hair and make up at stop lights. lol

EETA - Almost forgot about Dallas - home of perpetual freeway construction, defined as "we are almost done" and part of the great state of Texas, home of the shortest on-ramps in the world!

EEETA - my favorite cousin taught me the secret to diving in Chicago - be bigger than they are, good snow tires and never let them see you flinch - the Ford Expedition is ok but the best ever was her late husband's Excursion - nothing like a smooth ride for the slide!

In closing, on a personal note - maybe the real truth is nobody, anywhere really knows how to drive - scary huh? 

[toomuchreality]

Utah scored well. 

[Deleted]

When we moved to Siskiyou County from the SF Bay Area, one of the oddest things we had to get used to is that everyone here waves when you pass in your car. 

We waive to the UPS people, the fire, the police, neighbors, etc....

People offer you the right-away at stop signs to be polite... which goes against nearly ALL traffic rules....

In the SF Bay Area, a hand (or select finger) waiving out the car window was never a good thing..... 

I used to have a 20 mile commute in the Bay Area that would take me well over an hour, and sometimes nearly two.

20 miles here is 20 minutes. Unless there is bad weather or someone running cattle down a road, you can count on 55-70 MPH roads.

I was nearly late to the interview for my last job because someone decided it was a great time to move about 200 head of cattle down our rural road.  Damn, they poop on the road a lot! 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

The thing that happened when I lived in KY that drove me totally batty was how drivers dealt with 4 way stop signs.  If it was someone else's turn, they'd wave you on and sit there until you went, regardless that they were the first person at the stop sign.

[Deleted]

Jul 14, 2014 12:16:56 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

The thing that happened when I lived in KY that drove me totally batty was how drivers dealt with 4 way stop signs.  If it was someone else's turn, they'd wave you on and sit there until you went, regardless that they were the first person at the stop sign.

It makes it extra challenging to teach your kids to drive, when the other people on the road are too accommodating and waiving them through stop signs....  LOL

[tskeeter]

Jul 12, 2014 16:16:34 GMT -5 Works4me said:

tskeeter said:

"...a signal for a lane change tells other drivers to close up the gap so you can't get ahead of them. To accomplish a lane change, you have to play 'I bet you want the fender on your car more than I want the fender on mine'."

As a native Californian, this is so LA - as in Los Angeles, like, ya know - Southern California!

Not only are they always late, while driving they are yakking on their speaker phone at the top of their lungs, adjusting the mirror to check their hair, putting make up on (both sexes) eating their organic soy yogurt and drinking their requisite "half-caf-double-caf-de-caf." Add in a few New Yorkers who not only can't drive but never should drive and you've got the picture. Worst part is it starts south of Santa Barbara and does not let up until maybe Oceanside, near San Diego.

ETA - Yes, I am from the Bay Area - home of the 60 minute-12 mile commute - and proud of it - at least we do our hair and make up at stop lights. lol

EETA - Almost forgot about Dallas - home of perpetual freeway construction, defined as "we are almost done" and part of the great state of Texas, home of the shortest on-ramps in the world!

EEETA - my favorite cousin taught me the secret to diving in Chicago - be bigger than they are, good snow tires and never let them see you flinch - the Ford Expedition is ok but the best ever was her late husband's Excursion - nothing like a smooth ride for the slide!

In closing, on a personal note - maybe the real truth is nobody, anywhere really knows how to drive - scary huh? 

Interesting observation, sarahjese.  That certainly wasn't my experience driving in LA.  I wonder if driving habits got a little more considerate after a few road rage shootings occurred in LA, several years ago.  "If you won't let me in, I'm going to shoot my way in!"  Or is it that lots of accomodating folks from MN, WI, IA, and the Dakotas have moved in? 

[NoNamePerson]

Jul 12, 2014 16:16:34 GMT -5 Works4me said:

tskeeter said:

"...a signal for a lane change tells other drivers to close up the gap so you can't get ahead of them. To accomplish a lane change, you have to play 'I bet you want the fender on your car more than I want the fender on mine'."

As a native Californian, this is so LA - as in Los Angeles, like, ya know - Southern California!

Not only are they always late, while driving they are yakking on their speaker phone at the top of their lungs, adjusting the mirror to check their hair, putting make up on (both sexes) eating their organic soy yogurt and drinking their requisite "half-caf-double-caf-de-caf." Add in a few New Yorkers who not only can't drive but never should drive and you've got the picture. Worst part is it starts south of Santa Barbara and does not let up until maybe Oceanside, near San Diego.

ETA - Yes, I am from the Bay Area - home of the 60 minute-12 mile commute - and proud of it - at least we do our hair and make up at stop lights. lol

EETA - Almost forgot about Dallas - home of perpetual freeway construction, defined as "we are almost done" and part of the great state of Texas, home of the shortest on-ramps in the world!

EEETA - my favorite cousin taught me the secret to diving in Chicago - be bigger than they are, good snow tires and never let them see you flinch - the Ford Expedition is ok but the best ever was her late husband's Excursion - nothing like a smooth ride for the slide!

In closing, on a personal note - maybe the real truth is nobody, anywhere really knows how to drive - scary huh? 

The same goes for Houston and Atlanta.     I hate driving thru either city!