Regional bad driving habits
I was reading the thread on tailgaiting and it seems that perhaps some of the observations about dangerous and unsafe driving habits might be more prevalent in certain areas. It's a big country - but it seems we all have different bad habits some of which are peculiar to our locales.
For example, I'm from the NY City area, and New Yorkers are notorious for not signaling turns. Massachusetts drivers seem to have no concept of right of way. Typically they will come to a traffic circle (there they are called a "rotary") with a yield sign; but the entering vehicle either will not yield or will come to a complete stop when unnecessary. New Jersey drivers can be known for aggressive lane changes (earning them the name of "Jersey cowboys"). Floridians are often elderly and often visually impaired, but they still retain licenses and drive (on the sidewalks?). Etc. How is it in your state? :confused: |
Well it seems if you were to write a book titled "How to get the worst gas mileage from your car" it would describe the driving habits I see most people doing in my area...
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For the most part, people drive pretty good here. There is one thing that annoys me, at a stop sign, the country folk seem to believe that the first person at the stop sign gets to go first, and this includes when one of them is turning left. The law says the person turning left must yield. But often the other drivers will wait and wait to let you go first, even if you are turning left in front of them. This is annoying when I am turning left, I know that if there is an accident it will be my fault.
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Stereotypes don't need to be limited to state plates. Patrons of fast food restaurants are often in a hurry (bad for their MPG and mine), will brake late and turn in without signaling, and drive off like they have a sandwich in one hand.
Folks with student parking passes won't give you any trouble once they fly past you at PSL+20. Hmm, I used to drive like that. Pickup trucks are more likely than any other vehicle class to drive exactly the speed limit. That's sometimes bad for your mileage, and sometimes good. Even in upstate NY, you'll find a small percentage of the population makes themselves known by flying up on you and riding your bumper if you're going only 5mph over the speed limit. This probably has the effect of making all the drivers in the state faster and more aggressive. |
If you want to see every bad driving habit, just come to eastern Virginia.
regards Mech |
When I drove in the US, my parents once called me a Russian taxi driver. But when they saw me negotiating the streets of Warsaw, they called me a hero. As soon as their adrenaline level came down.
I'm not a kamikaze driver, but it seems like everyone around me is. |
Texas pickup trucks that tailgate you at a range of two feet, even when there's an open lane to the left. Invariably it's a modified and lifted truck with brighter-than-the-sun headlights. :mad:
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True, at stop sign intersections the first person to stop gets to go first, but between others not signaling their intent to turn and not knowing who has right of way it's aggravating. People think they are being 'polite', but their uncertainty can be hazardous. Quote:
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From the DMV drivers manual for KY: "Other special right-of-way laws to follow are: Drivers turning left must yield to oncoming vehicles that are going straight or turning right. Drivers entering a traffic circle or roundabout must yield right-of-way to drivers already in the circle. Drivers on a minor road must yield to drivers on a main road. At a 4-way, 3-way, or 2-way stop, the driver reaching the intersection and stopping first should go first. When two cars reach an uncontrolled intersection at the same time, the car on the right should have the right-of-way." If at a multi-stop intersection it is first there has the right away unless one direction has no sign. |
What I have noticed is elderly drivers drive two different ways, the men turn without signaling and sometimes without looking, the women slow down almost to a stop at times to change lanes on the highway or to read the sign to see if that is there exit.
Ohio drivers are some of the worst drivers I have been next to. |
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My all-time favourite is people pulling out right in front of you while they should yield, then drive at an annoyingly slow speed, and make a turn 100 yards down the road. |
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Back in the '70's, with the maximum 55 MPH speed limit, some of these types had bumper stickers that said: I may be slow but I'm AHEAD of YOU. (It amounted to 'rubbing it in'.) Unfortunately, driving at unreasonably slow speeds often doesn't save any fuel; often the vehicle is more fuel inefficient in the lower gears. |
I had someone blow right through their stop sign to pull out in front of me, then come to a complete stop. I very nearly rear-ended them. :eek:
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Oh God I could write a book on this. :rolleyes:
There is the classic blow-my-doors-off on the freeway only to brake 30 feet in front of me and zoom over to just barely catch that exit they could have easily gotten had they stayed behind me. :mad: The madness starts before the thing even gets on the road! Here in the frozen north, running to the office window and pointing the autostart to the lot half an hour before quitting time is common. Wouldn't want to have to actually use a window scraper or put on gloves now would we??? You should see how screwed up the "rows" of cars get in parking lots when the lines are covered with snow. It's nothing short of astonishing. :rolleyes: On a similar note, there is a line at intersections that you are supposed to pull up to with your front bumper. No, not halfway through the crosswalk and no, not 30 feet back from the line. Bumper over line. Yeah. I guess that's too much to ask... or, there is a widespread depth perception problem. :confused: Oh yeah- stoplights. In my state, it is legal to take a right on red. Has been for probably 100 years. How many times have I been trapped behind someone that is sitting in the right turn lane at a light, waiting for the green, and no cross traffic? MANY. :mad: See someone ya know? By all means, stop right in the middle of the road and have a lil conference. Oh noooooo- don't mind us, don't pull over or anything; we'll all go around. :rolleyes: Do that in parking lots too. Oh, and don't forget to leave the engine running, even when your vital conference runs 40 minutes. :rolleyes: If you see a small animal on the road, aim for it. That'll learn 'em. Bwwwahahahaha. :( First snow of the season, or rain: Nooooo, don't slow down any, don't drive for conditions. What is that anyway? Nature must conform to our desires, and our desire is to have the equivalent of a perfectly dry paved surface at all times, so that we never have to slow down, and we can still approach stop signs at full speed and only start braking 30 feet in front of them. Rainy roads: well it is necessary after all to commute on smooth level roads in a lifted PU or SUV with aggressive tires (can 90% of the people be wrong???); it's also necessary to pass everyone else on the road in order to "win", and it's also necessary to pull back into the right lane about 7 inches in front of the passee, in order for the passee to get the maximum benefit of all that road slop being stirred up and thrown onto the windshield. Cell phones are practically worthy of a whole nother rant. I will say that the Californians are much better than the Midwesterners in just about every respect. They have much higher traffic density so they have to be. I could bicycle all over out there and not feel that my life was in danger the way I do out here in the middle of Bum****, Egypt. (See above re: aiming for things in the road instead of avoiding them) |
Frank - You must be talking about a different place named "California" than the state I live in... :rolleyes:
Either that, or you were in a more "civilized" part of California... |
Santa Cruz. Dedicated bike lanes. Traffic actually lets the bikes use 'em. :eek: None of the nonsense I listed above except for the cell phone baloney.
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I walk like an Egyptian too!
That reminds me... my legs work for locomotion but I must be in the minority, as it is evidently too much effort to go ring the doorbell upon pulling up to someone's house; better to lay on the horn for a while so that the entire neighborhood knows someone there is being summoned. :rolleyes: |
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At a minimum, a cyclist is a target for a beer can (or bottle), if not an entire lifted rock-crawler-style pickup truck. :( *No offense meant to people actually from Egypt |
I've spent some time driving around the country and I've noticed a few interesting quirks. The biggest one is the difference between city drivers and country drivers.
Country Drivers: Will wait at a stop sign until they can not see a car anywhere before pulling out. If they see one a mile down the road, they will wait. City Drivers: Stop signs are suggestions. Country Drivers: Freeway left lanes are for cruising, right lines are for pulling on and off. City Drivers: Any lane will do Country Drivers: Speed Limit signs are to be OBEYED!!! So its better to be 5 mph under! City Drivers: Speed Limits are lower limits. Now a rundown on peculiarities by City: Chicago: If you see a turn signal in the next lane, it is a warning to get out of the way. Detroit: 7 cars can make a left turn after the left turn arrow as turned off. |
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He made the mistake of doing this on the first Sunday we got our son home after he was born - the little chap was a little unwell and we just got him off to sleep after a disturbed night. I wasn't a happy parent. Its amazing how loud a flat hand slapping the roof of a car can be when its done just right. Its also amazing how much of a shock factor this can have on the driver when they aren't expecting it, and indeed how much of a mess a dropped cigar can make of Rupert The Bear style golfing trousers. http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image..._rupert_pa.jpg |
Welcome to Scotland...
...home of the brave, or at least the most foolhardy of drivers. Some of the observations from my decade of being here.
1. On entering a motorway or any 2 lane road, you MUST DIVE INTO THE OUTSIDE LANE STRAIGHT AWAY OR YOU WILL JUST DIE OF THE SHAME. 2. Its perfectly fine to turn right on a roundabout from the left hand lane without indicating. 3. Speed limit is a target. Not a limit. 4. Riding the outside bumper of any vehicle in front as close as possible will immediately make them speed up or get out of your way. It happens all the time. 5. Traffic lights don't apply to bicycles. :rolleyes: 6. Hazard flashers mean free parking anywhere. 7. Mobile phones help you drive because you can ignore everything going on and concentrate on your conversation. 8. But if you must stop to use the phone, why not just use one of those convenient places where buses stop. They don't mind, they like the company. 9. Take the racing line everywhere. Remember, you are The Stig. 10. When taking kids to school it is proper to park as close as possible to the door. After all there are pedos everywhere. In fact just drive on in and park the Range Rover in the classroom just to be extra safe. 11. Being fat, lazy and usually orange (you get that tan from being in Scotland ?) is a disability, so use those special spaces. 12. It is your job to control the speed of others by sitting in the outside lane. They will thank you for it with many friendly waves and gestures. 13. Its best just to maintain your road speed in a car park. 14. If driving a convertible make sure everyone can appreciate your musical tastes. Hmmm Micheal Buble - fantastic! 15. If you encounter unexpected ice on the road, it is advised to just hit your brakes as hard as possible. 16. The Fast and The Furious is a documentary. 17. Sat Navs are made to be adjusted when you are driving. 18. ABS means you are invincible. 19. You can only refuel on the side where the cap is. Those signs saying 'fill up on both sides' don't mean you. 20. When travelling on a 2-lane road remember to keep close behind the car in front otherwise someone from behind will just push in. Remember though that you are unable to overtake. Honestly it is a strange place. This is the only place in the world where you will see people standing at a bus stop (because they don't have a car) carrying a set of Golf clubs worth more than 2K GBP. |
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2. This does My Tits in!! Also folk who cant maintain Lane Dicipline.. Sherrifhall roundabout is a prime Example. 4. I always find this a convenient time to commence my "Glide" Phase:turtle: 5. They are mental, absolutely mental. 6. This is actually the fact in Spain-worked a treat for me in Madrid and Barcelona:rolleyes: 9. I really should drag you accross some of the roads in the North West.. You CAN be the STIG! 11. This really gets my goat, I have, on occasion looked at blocking in these people, then showing as much contempt as they have by going shopping for 5hrs. My mother has a Blue badge, and mobility issues-its an important service, and one which should not be abused. 18. ABS + 4x4 + traction control just means you look like more of a pillock in 2" of snow as I pass you in my old BMW.. people mistake passive and active safety items for "Driving skill" 19. I take utmost Joy in using any free pump, bgetting ahead of the 10 cars waiting sheep like in line!Vive la ambedexterous (appaulling Faux Frenchery!) as for the golf clubs, he'd probably just been on an "Aquisition Mission" to relieve the rightful owner.. I can see that all the points you rased can be attributed to individaul junctions on the A720, and would usrge you to use the A71 wherever possible!:eek: |
Sherrifhall roundabout was designed by Jackson Pollock during a drunk phase. Apparently Dobbies put in a proposal to be allowed to extend but it was turned down because of traffic - but they also suggested they would change the roundabout to a flyover and proper on-off ramps. But by then Embra was on its anti car crusade...
Sheriffhall named as 10th scariest junction in the UK. |
Hoosiers don't use turn signals. Michiganers come to Ohio to patronize our speed traps. Ohioans are reasonably polite and will let you enter traffic. Pennsylvanians tailgate you if you have a kayak on your roof.
Californians endure a highway system that is "way overcapacity". They dive in and change lanes into tiny spaces that you are leaving as clearance for the car ahead. In California, if you are merging onto one of those incredibly busy freeways, you *will* be able to squeeze in somewhere. To their credit, drivers don't speed up "for the block". In California, the mountain roads have pull outs for slower traffic to yield. Motorists use them and it works well. yay for California!!! |
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However 'Annoying Nora' (as we called the Hertz sat nav) decided we should do a mountain freeway thing on the way back. Mrs A was not happy - everybody was 90+ (55-75 limt) and we were restricted by a USA made car (Buick fuggin Regal) which fell over on every corner - well to us it felt like it did - and everyone else drove BMWs - wonder why? And of course there was a guy in a Metro (go figure as I think you say) swaying from lane to lane - seemed like he was pished - not ecomiling at all, just swerving randomly. But for the whole time we were stuck behind Mr beer nobody in Calif would let us out at all, despite lights kind of saying 'please'. Finally Mrs A just decided to pull out which resulted in tons of beeps and lights flashing. We just decided to sod it, and them. We exchanged finger signs with California and the next day flew to MN - where they drive better but muppets in SUVs think the outside lane is for them and wonder why someone from Europe is passing them in a 4-cyl Toyota. So why do Americans need so much power ? The answer is they don't. Kind of makes me like the M8 in Scotland.:thumbup: |
Louisville KY the city with 1/8mi on ramps every 1/2mi the speed limit is 55mph every one does 65mph, they do not use turn signals and if you use your turn signal it is a sign to other drivers to speed up so you can't get over.
I have now taken the liberty when in Louisville to have my horn let them know that the turn signal does not work when changing lanes. |
What I see most is just about everybody here drives like a bat outta hell. Every day I see people passing into oncoming traffic (often it's not even me, it's cars coming the other way too) and act like they have no care in the world when they run others off the road. Even going the speed limit, people will pass me on the right, people will use left turn lanes to pass me, people have used a grassy median to pass me. Many times I've had to whip off the road totally to avoid getting rearended even when going highway speed. Even on a sparsely traveled road, day or night, it doesn't matter. Many go so fast when they make a right turn at an intersection they overrun into the left lane and just about sideswipe me or hit me head on when I'm there. I've even had a lot of people blow past me when I am only maybe 500 feet from a stop sign and slowing down normally, or I'm in various towns and the speed limit is already 25 anyway. It's 25 through my neighborhood and kids are out playing or waiting for the bus, and I commonly have people blow past me even on the blind curves. What gets me is the same 2-faced people who pushed for the speed limit (in public meetings it's "protect our precious kids") are the same ones who I see blow past me or just speed through the neighborhood in general everyday. Many cars squeal their tires as they blow around the sharp corner at my house.
Another thing I see a lot is what I call the train. Somebody pulls out from a stop sign fairly close, and at least 3 other cars will pull out like they're all connected ("hey it's not MY fault, it was the first guy who cut you off, I was just following..."). Stop signs are just a suggestion anyway, I see about as many people run stop signs as those who even do a near stop. Every day when I do a full stop I always feel like I'm going to get rearended because they don't expect you to actually stop at a stop sign. I watched one blow through the stop sign near home last time back from downstate and took the steep transition (it scrapes my airdam at 10 mph) at at least 40 mph and underneath the whole car was a shower of sparks. Had I been 5 seconds later I'd have been toast. Same with tailgating. It's like people don't know how to leave a reasonable following distance. VERY FEW actually leave a safe distance. Even when they don't plan to pass, they just ride you like they want to hook on and get towed. If I had to stop for a deer (VERY common in Michigan), or hell even slow down a little, they'd be in my backseat. 18 wheelers and commercial trucks are some of the worst, even though they'd have me flattened if I had to stop quick. Thankfully most vehicles do pass but I've been rearended a lot too, more than anything else. A couple notable accidents (both in daylight) on my way home I've seen pics in the paper over the last month or so, a small car that was tailgating and ended up going under the car in front, and another small car that was tailgating a bus and ended up under the bus when it slowed down to turn. Seriously, if your small car can't outstop a freaking BUS you're WAY too close. I read people on other forums comment on how Michigan is so notorious for tailgating too. I've been to northern Ohio several times and while most people in Michigan whine about it being a speed trap and call it "slow-hio" or other things, I found it quite refreshing. You don't feel like you're going to get run over everywhere you go. I was also in the southeast area before (Cadiz area) and while it was probably the prettiest place I'd ever been, it was a lot like Michigan with people passing on hills and blind curves with total disregard to oncoming traffic. I spent a weekend in Washington DC once and while it was the most confusing ridiculous ratrace of highways I'd seen, I didn't have a problem with the drivers. Everybody acted like they were in the same boat. Almost robotic. There is a ton of traffic but everything seemed fine. One highway was under construction but I didn't have people trying to blow around and cut me off like they do here. True my experience was limited, and I haven't been to places like Jersey or NY or Chicago or Boston or LA but I definitely knew when I was back on Michigan soil. There isn't as much traffic here, but the thing is that it's just so freaking erratic. It doesn't even raise my heartbeat or blood pressure to get run off the road anymore. I just totally expect it and see it everyday. |
Hi Wagonman
I owned an 89 Celebrity wagon with a 2.8 liter V6. I got 22 mpg "all the time" except in winter. I got the EPA rated 29 mpg on highway trips.
I am sure that the roof rack and the "eight passenger spoiler" hurt the fuel economy. That spoiler was designed to keep exhaust from being sucked into the wing windows way in the back of the car. That is not the same concept as a spoiler that is designed to make air flow smoothly off the back of the car and leave a big slug of air that "just rides behind the car" in its wake. Apparently, the MPFI in the 3.1 liter V6 makes all the difference for fuel economy. I spent 40 hours changing two head gaskets in the engine. It was very intuitive. Then I gave the car to my mother and she drove it for another two years. It had ECM problems, but it never left us stranded.:thumbup: |
I lived in Indianapolis for six months recently. The most different thing I noticed from Michigan (besides all the slow speed limits) were that drivers tended to use left and right turn only lanes as through lanes. I can only remember seeing this once while growing up, but I saw it every couple weeks in Indy.
Now I'm in South Carolina, and there are a lot of TIMID drivers. people who slow down at the end of an entrance ramp instead of merging. people who slow down for exits a mile before the exit, creating a backup. |
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Enjoyed reading all this. I have driven in Scotland, a lot of it in a left hand drive vehicle. That was 25 years or so ago. No electronic distractions back then but still the same distracted drivers. Driving in England had the same problems.
I was a passenger in a rental van driven by an Ohio driver in Japan in the late 80s. His lack of decision making skills and desire to not see any other cars made changing lanes quite comical. He would put on the signal but never pull over if given room. He also would not pull up when vehicles in front moved up during traffic light changes. Signal your intentions and move. The people in that lane are not going to stop for you but will leave room. Maybe not enough room for you but enough. Most of them don't want to hit you and will give you room. There are still a few blockers out there that go out of their way to prevent you from moving. Call their bluff, they don't want that BMW dented. In my opinon, at least in my area, things are getting better on the interstates. Things are getting a little better on the "surface streets" but it is still best to look carefully both ways when that light turns green. I do wish people here could figure out four way stops and traffic circles. For that matter what a stop sign really means. |
It is more difficult to catch up with traffic and merge than it is to slow down and merge. My trick when I change lanes is to pace the car to the left of me, then slow down until I see his taillights as he is overtaking me. There is always at least twenty feet from his rear to the front of the next car in that lane. When I see that he has passed me, I signal a lane change and move in.
This is easier on lane changes than it is on entrance ramps. |
On long entrance ramps, I typically get up to about 5 - 10mph faster than I need to be going to merge in, while accelerating fairly quickly. Then, I can coast down to speed (adjusting rate of coast-down to line up with a gap), slide right in, and pick up a nice cruise. Or, on short ramps, I'll just find a gap I want and punch it to get there.
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well where do i start,
people from ohio that come to a curvy two lane wv road, they must do half the speed limit and slam the brakes on at every turn. seems that most people around here drive like everywhere else, they don't know how a stop sign works, ( first to stop has the right of way) so they will stop and wave three people by. and in a 55 mph section with no passing zone the max speed they do is 45mph, but if there is a passing zone the 45 mph moving car must speed up to 65, then as soon as it is over slam on the rakes back to 45 mph. but if ur a coal minor there is no speed limit it is all wot. there is a turn ahead, posted speedlimit is 55mph the sign to warn u about the bend says 50mph, so let slow to 30 mph to go around it. signals are not need and hell some times both brake lights are blown out too. or if the signal is used u must put it on .5-.75 miles ahead of time to warn people( state law says 200 feet) the left lane on a four lane ( two lanes each way ) is for out of staters to drive slow and look around. also for grandpa to to cruise at 10-15 under the posted limit. when ur entering a two lane road( one each way) u must , i mean must wait till the approaching car/truck is about 20 feet away then pull out and never reach 1/2 of the posted limit. if ur diving a cruiser bike, u must pulse and glide at 20 mph intervals. no matter what. also ur on the four lane u exit is 2 miles ahead pass veryone on the road and cut them off to pull off. i have had a car to follow me down the highway for about 15 miles, while i was following a rig, then the car went to pass got his/her rear bumper by my front and signaled , he/she wanted me to yeild to them. so they could cut in front of me to pull off, when there was no other cars on the road. i didnt let them over and they slowed and blew the horn at me. as the exited there highway, i returned with a one finger salute. my self i use signals, i like to drive the posted speed limit or at least 5 mph around it, i have been known to pass on a solid line, if it is clear, if the car is goin 15 or more mph under the posted limit, but only where they are no building or houses. that is my bad habit, i dont speed to much and very rarely. |
On unpaved roads in Missouri, the motorists kill the turtles rather than dodge them.
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I always feel badly for drivers of large vehicles that wish to get out of the passing lane, but are unable to do so because of the stream of small vehicles passing them illegally on the outside. Frequently these large vehicles will have their turn signals on for minutes at a time, and no one pays any mind. I see this frequently in both Kansas and Missouri.
In general, however, driving in the US is pretty great. Try driving in Nairobi, Kenya. It's not really a large city, but it was a rare day that I could cross it without seeing a large truck or bus UPSIDE DOWN. No street signs, no working traffic signals, no police cars, enormous pedestrian population, animal herds walking down the street, flash flooding, low grade diesel and high altitude, and at night every single vehicle on the road uses their high beams at all times. And you don't even want to imagine the road surface condition. I find it hard to get upset with my fellow drivers in America after that kind of driving. |
I drive highways A LOT to see family in KC, SW Missouri, and Tulsa, OK. It's usually bearable. Since I've picked up hypermiling, I've had a few more tailgaters but not many...they're usually the compensating-for-something monster pickups that could go around me at anytime but somehow hesitate to lane over and pass.
On another note, people tend to slow down quite a bit before taking an exit ramp. I sometimes do this to maximize fuel economy IF traffic behind me is minimal. But last week, a whole stream of cars slowed down to take an exit. I was in the left lane at speed. One of the trucks in the middle of the string realizes that they're not turning and just hop into the left lane. No turn signal, no apparent look over the shoulder or a glimpse in the mirror. I had to slam on the brakes and honk to notify them of the near-hit. The driver didn't seem to notice and lingered in the left lane for another quarter mile before slowly weaving back into the right lane (no turn signal). I pass without hesitation to avoid any more danger. Although...I did "show" her how to lane over by crossing back and forth a couple times while signaling. As far as St Louis driving goes, I've gotten used to it, and hypermiling in the city at off-peak hours is doable. The biggest issue so far is drivers not allowing you to lane over when necessary. |
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