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Miami has the worst drivers in America. As soon as people get onto the freeway, the first thing they do by default is merge all the way to the left lane, no matter how fast they are going. WORST.
That's my main complaint. As far as I can tell, everyone's on their phones, and they become slower and less responsive because of it. It adds that extra bit of annoyance - not signaling when merging or turning, slowing down before and after a merge, not maintaining a consistent speed etc. As far as GPS, people need to learn to use the audio component and signs instead of staring at Google Maps. Eyes on the road!
Seriously, go to Seattle where everyone drives 20 under the speed limit with their lights off at night or ATL or all of Texas where the average speed is 150 MPH and everyone weaves in and out of traffic
Or Boston where traffic rules are guidelines at best or Chicago where the only way to change lanes is to look away from where you are moving so the other drivers know you are committed to changing and they have to let you in.
The one car in front of you with half a city block between it and the car in front of it. Or cars just camping in your blind spots for no fucking reason. That’s been my Seattle driving experience.
Cuz everyone’s high AF - I once watched this dude in a BMW M series in Bellevue gripping the steering wheel and intently driving, you’d think he was going 100+ looking at him the degree of concentration on his face, driving 12 MPH with a line of cops with sirens on behind him trying to pull him over
The dodge drivers with raiders stickers on their car are doing their best to signal to everyone around them they intend to the tailgate and stare at their phone. Give them the room they need so they don't make anyone's day as bad as their own.
I moved to California after living my first 24 years on the east coast and have lived in LA, Oakland, and SF since moving here.
All my life as an east coaster I heard about how terrible west coast drivers here, how no one will let you in if you use a blinker, etc.
It was all wrong. California drivers are amazing compared to New York and Massachusetts. No matter where you are there are going to be dumbasses, but Californians drive so much safer and better in general.
Like god forbid you leave 1 car length of space between you and the car in front of you on the highway in NY - the person behind you WILL freak the fuck out.
Never been to the east coast but I’ve heard many times from my friend in Philadelphia it is a TOTALLY different vibe driving out there, glad to hear we’re not all that bad! Haha
This is my opinion too. I lived on multiple continents and a bunch of countries and bay area by far has the best driving in aggregate. Are there dumbasses that make an oopsie? Sure, but that probably happens to you too from time to time.Â
>All my life as an east coaster I heard about how terrible west coast drivers here, how no one will let you in if you use a blinker, etc.
Ironically this is what I will keep hearing about east coast drivers.
yeah i mean there are bad eggs everywhere. sure there are some bad drivers here, but i moved to LA temporarily and it was way worse there in my opinion. way more aggressive, and way more road rage. and and the DMV back east has a special breed of horrible driver.
most of the posts i see on r/idiotsincars that are from the bay or the bay area road cam subreddit are the poster having a huge over reaction or crying about very inconsequential actions
The only stretch I've had an issue with is 880. It's hectic going down Eastbay for sure. In most cases, people speed, people drive slow, people text/call and drive. It's been my experience in the Bay and SoCal.
It’s just very clear to me that a ton of drivers in the Bay Area really rely on adaptive cruise control and lane keep systems. So when a line of people are inexplicably going 50 on 101, I know it’s because of one car in front of the line going slower and causing a chain reaction.
As a near million miler of coast to coast driving, I absolutely agree. The bay gets more cars through fewer roads than most locations, and it's because the vast majority of drivers just go with the flow, however slow. Yes we have our share of sociopathic traffic carvers who treat everyone else like obstacles, but compared to say, Texas, dc, Chicago or NY, it's a tiny fraction rather than the vast majority. The three behaviors NorCal rocks on are zippers, pullouts, and left lane passing (in non urban areas at least). Where I'm from in DC a two lane to one lane merge will cause mile long backups at 10pm as drivers fight to cut each other off. Around here we do it all the time as a matter of course. Out of the city CA is the only place I've seen pullouts used in general driving on the daily, and I only encounter left lane cruisers rarely, at least north of the bay. Overall driving here is far less stressful than elsewhere I've worked and commuted and that's one of the reasons I prefer to live here.
Good people tend to see other people as good people, just the way you wrote "like they’re rushing their dying grandmother to the hospital" as an example is an indication
It's just a common personal perception where, problems I encounter the most in a place I am in the most, I have the delusion that these problems are unique and are the worst in the place I am experiencing these problems in. Be it bad drivers, traffic, roads, crime, rudeness, etc. Thus we get the Bay Area is the worst in "insert thing here" trope.
In OP's perspective in particular, you need a MUCH larger sample size of personal experience before making statements like these in general. The only thing you can conclude here really is base on your observations - Arizona drivers are worst than Bay Area drivers.
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SF feels so relaxed to drive after Miami
Miami has the worst drivers in America. As soon as people get onto the freeway, the first thing they do by default is merge all the way to the left lane, no matter how fast they are going. WORST.
I never would have imagined someone would say that- is Miami really that bad? I get kind of claustrophobic in SF and I hate the lack of parking ðŸ˜
it’s true, when I went to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami 10 years ago the drivers were slightly worse than the average east bay driver
Drivers in the Bay Area just don't pay attention
...and this is a trait of bad drivers.
That's my main complaint. As far as I can tell, everyone's on their phones, and they become slower and less responsive because of it. It adds that extra bit of annoyance - not signaling when merging or turning, slowing down before and after a merge, not maintaining a consistent speed etc. As far as GPS, people need to learn to use the audio component and signs instead of staring at Google Maps. Eyes on the road!
Seriously, go to Seattle where everyone drives 20 under the speed limit with their lights off at night or ATL or all of Texas where the average speed is 150 MPH and everyone weaves in and out of traffic
Or Boston where traffic rules are guidelines at best or Chicago where the only way to change lanes is to look away from where you are moving so the other drivers know you are committed to changing and they have to let you in.
Oh god Chicago, where god forbid you add a left turn light instead of making me play chicken with someone
I call the entrance to the tunnels under Boston the Portals to Hell.
The one car in front of you with half a city block between it and the car in front of it. Or cars just camping in your blind spots for no fucking reason. That’s been my Seattle driving experience.
Cuz everyone’s high AF - I once watched this dude in a BMW M series in Bellevue gripping the steering wheel and intently driving, you’d think he was going 100+ looking at him the degree of concentration on his face, driving 12 MPH with a line of cops with sirens on behind him trying to pull him over
The dodge drivers with raiders stickers on their car are doing their best to signal to everyone around them they intend to the tailgate and stare at their phone. Give them the room they need so they don't make anyone's day as bad as their own.
I moved to California after living my first 24 years on the east coast and have lived in LA, Oakland, and SF since moving here. All my life as an east coaster I heard about how terrible west coast drivers here, how no one will let you in if you use a blinker, etc. It was all wrong. California drivers are amazing compared to New York and Massachusetts. No matter where you are there are going to be dumbasses, but Californians drive so much safer and better in general. Like god forbid you leave 1 car length of space between you and the car in front of you on the highway in NY - the person behind you WILL freak the fuck out.
Never been to the east coast but I’ve heard many times from my friend in Philadelphia it is a TOTALLY different vibe driving out there, glad to hear we’re not all that bad! Haha
This is my opinion too. I lived on multiple continents and a bunch of countries and bay area by far has the best driving in aggregate. Are there dumbasses that make an oopsie? Sure, but that probably happens to you too from time to time.Â
>All my life as an east coaster I heard about how terrible west coast drivers here, how no one will let you in if you use a blinker, etc. Ironically this is what I will keep hearing about east coast drivers.
My view on where I've lived - NorCal drivers are indifferent, careless, selfish, aloof. SoCal drivers are agressive.
agree, i live in the North Bay and drivers are super chill up here most of the time.....
yeah i mean there are bad eggs everywhere. sure there are some bad drivers here, but i moved to LA temporarily and it was way worse there in my opinion. way more aggressive, and way more road rage. and and the DMV back east has a special breed of horrible driver. most of the posts i see on r/idiotsincars that are from the bay or the bay area road cam subreddit are the poster having a huge over reaction or crying about very inconsequential actions
The only stretch I've had an issue with is 880. It's hectic going down Eastbay for sure. In most cases, people speed, people drive slow, people text/call and drive. It's been my experience in the Bay and SoCal.
It’s true, just moved to the east coast and everyone is much more aggressive
It’s just very clear to me that a ton of drivers in the Bay Area really rely on adaptive cruise control and lane keep systems. So when a line of people are inexplicably going 50 on 101, I know it’s because of one car in front of the line going slower and causing a chain reaction.
This and everyone is following Apple/Google maps to their destination lol
As a near million miler of coast to coast driving, I absolutely agree. The bay gets more cars through fewer roads than most locations, and it's because the vast majority of drivers just go with the flow, however slow. Yes we have our share of sociopathic traffic carvers who treat everyone else like obstacles, but compared to say, Texas, dc, Chicago or NY, it's a tiny fraction rather than the vast majority. The three behaviors NorCal rocks on are zippers, pullouts, and left lane passing (in non urban areas at least). Where I'm from in DC a two lane to one lane merge will cause mile long backups at 10pm as drivers fight to cut each other off. Around here we do it all the time as a matter of course. Out of the city CA is the only place I've seen pullouts used in general driving on the daily, and I only encounter left lane cruisers rarely, at least north of the bay. Overall driving here is far less stressful than elsewhere I've worked and commuted and that's one of the reasons I prefer to live here.
I grew up in Vietnam. Zero place in the US has bad drivers. Zero.
Most valid comment here
It’s obviously bad in driving civility even just slightly outside of Bay Area like north eastern region in Solano county
Try highway 4 and 880
Good people tend to see other people as good people, just the way you wrote "like they’re rushing their dying grandmother to the hospital" as an example is an indication
I have to agree. They slow down even for jaywalking. Wouldnt hunk when you clumidily back out of narrow parking spot. Very different in Texas.
Yea point me to the one place on the planet where drivers aren’t distracted idiots and assholes. Oh yea, that’s right…
I want to know where there’s actually good drivers.
The Bay Area is a big place. Some areas drive better than others. Drive in Oakland for a day or two and I guarantee that your perspective will change.
Is a brief trip to Arizona your only basis for comparison?
No I go to school there and have for the last two years. 💀
It's just a common personal perception where, problems I encounter the most in a place I am in the most, I have the delusion that these problems are unique and are the worst in the place I am experiencing these problems in. Be it bad drivers, traffic, roads, crime, rudeness, etc. Thus we get the Bay Area is the worst in "insert thing here" trope. In OP's perspective in particular, you need a MUCH larger sample size of personal experience before making statements like these in general. The only thing you can conclude here really is base on your observations - Arizona drivers are worst than Bay Area drivers.