Colorado drivers are "among the worst"?

[Philpug]

The worst drivers are the ones in front of you.

 

[Dave Marshak]

The worst drivers are the ones in front of you.

Good point. You should go to my Kickstarter page and support my project to develop an app that spoofs Waze into directing users away from the most direct route between my current position and wherever it is I want to go. Technology solves every problem!

dm

 

[KingGrump]

Ahah. I was already pretty sure I didn't want such a device, but this clinches it.

As a bonus, you can also get the optional shock collar for free.

 

[mikel]

My vote goes to FL. for among the worst. Hands down. It's like a salad gone very bad. Drivers from Chicago, NYC, NJ, Boston, Philly and all of their surrounding areas all mixed in together. Sprinkle in some cell phones, reading, balancing your checkbook, and impatience and voila. Make sure your seat belt or preferably safety harness is secure.

 

[Monique]

When traffic is moving both of those areas have dangerous drivers - heck motorcycles split lanes in CA.

Arguably, lane splitting is safer than not, at least in heavy traffic.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2015/06/02/ama-study-finds-lane-splitting-increases-rider-saftey

"Perhaps one of the most dangerous situations for any motorcyclist is being caught in congested traffic, where stop-and-go vehicles, distracted and inattentive vehicle operators, and environmental conditions increase the risk of physical contact with another vehicle or hazard," said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. "Reducing a motorcyclist's exposure to vehicles that are frequently accelerating and decelerating on congested roadways can be one way to reduce rear-end collisions for those most vulnerable in traffic."

 

[François Pugh]

There's lane splitting, and then there's lane splitting.

 

[Jack skis]

My vote goes to FL. for among the worst. Hands down. It's like a salad gone very bad. Drivers from Chicago, NYC, NJ, Boston, Philly and all of their surrounding areas all mixed in together. Sprinkle in some cell phones, reading, balancing your checkbook, and impatience and voila. Make sure your seat belt or preferably safety harness is secure.

Wasn't there a news report recently (year or so?) about a woman driving in Florida whilst shaving her pubic area? I think she was stopped by the police (don't know for which offense, or is there just one offense here?), but is does say something about what you might encounter while driving in Florida.

 

[Ken_R]

Ok, having recently moved to Colorado from El Paso TX I gotta say that the drivers here in the Denver area are not nearly as bad as the ones down in the borderland and NM. Down there they drive with a deadly combination of high speed and just bad skills and judgement. It is pure insanity. They push 75mph through construction zones that have 45-50mph posted speed limits (and with good reason, no shoulder, uneven pavement etc) like nothing. Here in Denver most drivers are much more courteous and drive slower. Again compared to how it is down south.

 

[Monique]

Wasn't there a news report recently (year or so?) about a woman driving in Florida whilst shaving her pubic area? I think she was stopped by the police (don't know for which offense, or is there just one offense here?), but is does say something about what you might encounter while driving in Florida.

You just hear about Florida so much because they opened up their public records.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/h...the-shame-of-florida-man-news-stories-7608595

These laws are probably some of the most sacred in Florida government. ... However, those same laws are also the reason your mugshot appears online days after your arrest, and those laws make it incredibly easy for journalists to write about weird Florida news stories.

 

[Eleeski]

Insurance companies don't like Colorado because of all the pot...

 

[Monique]

Insurance companies don't like Colorado because of all the pot...

Honestly, I'm not convinced there's much more around than before. It's just that the shops make it hard to ignore.

There's a lot of pot all around the country, and DUI includes pot. It would help everyone if there were a test, like the BAC test, to figure out if someone's still under the influence vs. having consumed in the last month.

 

[Mikey]

LOL, was keeping an eye on this thread to see when the "Florida has the worst drivers" stereotype would pop up. Wasn't disappointed that I didn't have to wait long. I think there are some folks that need to get out and drive more. What is the definition of "worst"...I mean beyond one example of someone supposedly shaving her pubic hair?

Two folks commenting here got it right. @pais alto and @Philpug There are idiots ALL over the US that are using our interstate highway system. The aggression level is off the charts in many areas and that includes not only your I-70 in Colorado but also the I-10 corridor from East Texas through the panhandle of Florida. Get your big boy pants on. Anyone ever drive in Hawaii? I have for the 12 years I lived there. I bet every person's definition of what makes "worst" is typified in Hawaii (although they do get one particular road-rage point, spot on). You can encounter all of those "worst" traits on a drive from one side of the island to the other.

On the mainland, I'm a secondary road convert and let the high-speed aggressive folks duke it out on the interstates whenever possible.

 

[Snowfan]

Ok, having recently moved to Colorado from El Paso TX...

Congratulations on the move. El Paso to CO, what a change. We are planning a move from the Amarillo area to CO but will take awhile to get there.

 

[KevinF]

I lived on the Virginia side of the Washington DC area throughout the '90s. The incompetence of Maryland drivers has kept a special place in my heart for the past 17 (and counting...) years.

To be fair, I'm pretty sure Marylanders have the same thoughts concerning Virginia drivers.

I now live in the Boston 'burbs. I remember many years ago taking a walking tour of the historic areas of Boston; the guide started out by saying something to the effect of "We don't have wild animals here, but we have something more dangerous -- the Boston driver. Stay close to me because I'm a federal employee and if somebody hits me, it's two points on their license, and it's only one if they hit you".

My experience in having lived in two areas known for aggressive driving... The chaos works when everybody is embracing the same rules of chaos. Driving around here feels normal... When I travel and drive somewhere else and I have to think about "expected behavior" again it seems like the driving patterns are "strange" (for lack of a better word).

You can get accustomed to a lot. But not Maryland.

 

[mdf]

When you drive during commuting hours, the vast majority of your companions know where they are going and know what to expect. Driving in the middle of the day is infuriating! I'll take a jerk cutting me off over someone wandering unpredictably, half in one lane and half in another, going ten mph under the speed limit.

 

[Monique]

My experience in having lived in two areas known for aggressive driving... The chaos works when everybody is embracing the same rules of chaos. Driving around here feels normal... When I travel and drive somewhere else and I have to think about "expected behavior" again it seems like the driving patterns are "strange" (for lack of a better word).

Yes! It took me a long time to "come down" from DC Metro driving habits when I moved to Boulder, CO. It stressed me out that everyone was driving so sedately. Now, returning to the DC area is awful for me.

I remember one particular time when we'd flown in for a visit, and my husband was driving the rental on 495 or 295 or 395 or 95 or ... anyway, a semi was merging in from an entrance to the left, and my husband slowed down (IN THE LEFT LANE) to let him in. "What are you DOING?" I shrieked, while everyone around him, including the semi driver, laid into their horns. He didn't get it - it's dangerous to buck the norm while driving, even if your actions are intended to be polite.

 

[KevinF]

it's dangerous to buck the norm while driving, even if your actions are intended to be polite.

Exactly! I don't expect you to be polite! I expect you to drive in a manner that properly reflects that you are the only person on the planet!

 

[Ken_R]

Congratulations on the move. El Paso to CO, what a change. We are planning a move from the Amarillo area to CO but will take awhile to get there.

Loving it here. I do miss the NM desert though but Southern Colorado has that feel and of course there are MANY amazing areas here. The city is awesome and the people as well. Everyone here is so so nice.

 

[Guy in Shorts]

Exactly! I don't expect you to be polite! I expect you to drive in a manner that properly reflects that you are the only person on the planet!

Masshole is a defined word in the Oxford English Dictionary. Grew up listening to my Dad curing those damn Masshole's as he drove our family around. My sister would ask but Dad aren't all our relatives from Mass? But before he could get an answer out he would be cut off by another one of those idiots who don't know how to use a blinkah.

 

[SkiNurse]

Just another reason why people should NOT move to Colorado.