Worst Drivers in America?
Wednesday June 17, 2009
An annual survey of the attitudes of drivers in metropolitan areas across the United States found the metropolitan areas with the worst road rage are: 1) New York, 2) Dallas/Fort Worth, 3) Detroit, 4) Atlanta, and 5) Minneapolis/St. Paul. The five most courteous metros include 1) Portland, Oregon, 2) Cleveland, 3) Baltimore, 4) Sacramento, and 5) Pittsburgh. What do you think about these results? I am personally surprised that Los Angeles isn't number one in road rage.
Comments
it’s no joke. i moved to portland from the philly a couple years ago and seriously had to revamp my driving style! don’t drive anymore, but the courteous attitude makes biking in portland a breeze.
My uncle used to visit us from Atlanta and he was scare of driving here in Puerto Rico.I had visited some areas in USA and had no problem driving I even found it very pleasant and easy .
Miami is # 1 in Road Rage!
Huntington Beach, CA has the rudest, meanest, most inconsiderate drivers I’ve ever seen. In fact, Orange County California has too many drivers who are angry and mean PLUS talking on their cell phones. SUV drivers are the worst.
I am surprised NOT to swee Boston anywhere on the worst driver’s list. Or maybe triple parking, and the practice of if one car is waiting at a Stop sign and there is time for him to go, everyone else waiting behind him, also goes (even up to 8 cars), one right after the other, not mattering if there are now cars coming on the cross street.
Ditto on Boston – have we all gone mellow here? Or maybe since the Sox won the series this curse has been lifted, too!
It is obvious the person making this driver evaluation/road rage study has never been to Charlotte, NC. I have driven in all 50 states and been in 49 countries (drove in some of them) and I would put the drivers in the Charlotte area as the #1 suckasses in the nation, mabey the world.
I agree that Pittsburgh drivers are some of the nicest, kindest people in the country. But then, who wouldn’t be if they could live in a great city with a big heart and two of the finest sports teams in the world?!?!?!?
I am only surprised that Las Vegas is not on the best driver’s list. They are the most courteous and patient freeway drivers ever. I am always amazed no one has honked at me or flipped me off. I am not the most skilled freeway driver either. We don’t even have the finest sports team either because they are all the way in Chicago and they are bears. Interesting article Matt-thankyou.
Sacramento? Courteous? Throw this whole survey in the circular file …. do not read further.
I postulate, from long experience, that the New York City denizen, from any one of the 5 Boroughs, is the meanest, slackest,pushiest,rudest,miserable creature on the Planet. However, I love New Yorkers; you can learn from them, as they know everything. It’s a fabulous City except for the populace it exports.
Atlanta has not only angry drivers, but, even more important, high speed drivers in a hurry to get everywhere. Everything in this miserable city is based on the clock, and no one cares about their impact on others. Truly the most rude of any drivers in the 20+ cities and towns where I have lived. I can’t wait to see Atlanta in my rear view mirror for the last time.
Minneapolis-St. Paul in the top ten of this list??? Really interesting…especially since “the streets were designed by drunken Irishmen…”.
Would have to see the bias of the selection process for “Worst Drivers” but Boston deserves the distinction for worst. Anytime in conversation and asked, have yet to receive any argument against Boston drivers as leader for their terrible drivers.
Seattle has, hands down, THE WORST drivers i have ever dealt with. It’s not that they are rude, road raging, inconsiderate speedsters; quite the opposite. They are frakkin’ clueless. It’s as if they got their license from a cracker jack box. If the speed limit is 40, they go 25, 30. Where it says “no left turn between 9am and 6pm,” it’s guaranteed they’ll be sitting with their blinker on at 3pm, backing traffic up for blocks and blocks. Per capita, Seattle traffic congestion is far worse than Chicago, San Francisco or Phoenix, all places i have lived. In a nutshell, Seattle’s horrible traffic congestion is caused by idiots that have no clue how to drive. Frustrating.
I’ll have to agree with the ‘Where the hell is Miami’ on this survey. A letter to the editor in the Miami Herald ranted long on the incredibly bad attitudes of Miami drivers – even going so far as to say it was worse there were they lived before moving to Miami. Punch Line? They moved from New York City. They aren’t bad drivers; actually they’re very good ones. Just don’t piss them off.
It’s Miami, hands down.
For the record I live in Mass now and used to live in PA where I constantly had to interact with Jersey drivers. I say Boston takes the cake for double parking and cutting people off, but New Jersey drivers win for tailgating and general antisocial behavior on the road. The New Jersey Turnpike could quite possibly be the worst stretch of highway in the cosmos.
ok have any of you been to Illinois….when I’m there I’m happy to be cut off with a turn signal…..most people just cut you off without a signal!!! I also agree….driving in Pittsburgh is so nice people will give your turn …unlike in most places I drive…