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American Drivers Suck
They suck so bad, they redefine what sucks means.32,000 people die in car accidents every year. I really don't want to be one of them. I'm a rabid fan of the GT86, have DD heavily modded FRS. I am convinced of the following:
Most American drivers see nothing more than 30' in front of their car. They have NO IDEA that other cars are around them. Hands free phones are no less distracting than holding it in your hand.Everyone here is on the phone, all the time. They sit in the left lane on roads with 65mph speed limit doing 58mph.I call it the "rolling roadblock". This results in a steady stream of cars passing them on the right and doing all kinds of crazy things just to get around them. This results in some very aggressive driving and a very dangerous environment. They tailgate. A lot. Especially Suburbans. When I taught my 17 year old son to drive the #1 advise I gave him was "Assume everyone is actively trying to kill you. Driving a car is the most dangerous thing you can do." I Am Not Making This Up.The other night he was following me in his car and to my horror I watched some shitweasel pull out of a side road without slowing or even looking, and headed straight for my sons car. A massive T- Bone was inevitable. Fortunately, my son took evasive action and avoided what would have been a bad crash. As fortune would have it, I caught up to the guy at the next light and said to him, " Did you know you just cut off a car? You came within inches of hitting him. He said "Huh? No.Too Bad". I said that was my son in that car. He said "Good." ( Must Control Fist of Death...) I asked my son about it and he said he could just tell the guy wasn't going to slow down, and that he wasn't looking at incoming traffic and he just knew he was going to pull out, so he was ready for it. That made me proud. True Story, You Can't Make this Up: I was on a 65mph road, and pulled up behind an older pickup doing 55ish. I gave him a quick high beam blip to indicate I was in the passing lane behind him. He responded with slowing down AND turning on 2 very large and bright driving lights mounted to his rear bumper. If there was a D-Bag Hall of Fame, he'd have his own wing, along with the guy who almost hit my son. We recently were able to drive on the German Autobon. Such disciplined drivers. Left lane= pass slower cars, then get the hell out of left lane. I would pass cars at 120mph, and couldn't get back into the right lane fast enough because I knew some big ass BMW was coming in hot. Never once saw a rolling roadblock,or any of the crap that US drivers do. Most of the guys on this forum are pretty young and have not had the privilege of teaching their 17 year old how to drive. I would offer this to give them...Tyrian Lannister's advise to Daenerys Targaryen, " Are you afraid? You should be. You're in the great game now, and the great game's terrifying." |
"Left lane= pass slower cars, then get the hell out of left lane"
Because they have laws that explicitly require doing that, as well as prohibit passing on the right. In many US states, you are not required to get out of the left lane, and if you do, it's much less strict than in Germany (or Europe in general). And passing on the right is generally allowed on multilane highways. So it's not only about the drivers, it's about the laws. Buit I agree that most drivers lack even minimal situational awareness, they do not check mirrors before changing lanes (let alone peridocially just to know hat's going on around). They do not read signs. On my way home, the right lane of a six-lane divided highway becomes right turn only (the highway is reduced to 4 lanes here). There is a gigantic sign saying exit only above that lane, about 1500 feet before the exit. And another other one after that. Still a lot of drivers realize they are in an exit lane only at the exit and cross through the gore area. |
I have driven military vehicles all over the world. Americian drivers are no worse than anyplace else. In fact they are way better than some places even when at their worst. The legendary great European drivers are every bit as bad no matter how much people love to tell their tales of wonder.
What I love the most about American drivers is their total contempt of the law. Everybody complains about how bad the other drivers are but the second they get caught then the police are wrong, incompetent or just criminals robbing the poor innocent driving public to fill their overflowing coffers with more cash. "Damn all those other drivers suck. By the way what is the best radar detector I can buy so I can speed but avoid being caught". |
Sorry, it's painfully obvious OP has never driven in another country.
I go to Taiwan at least once or twice a year, here's pretty much what I see all the time: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oLApJxvrP0"]Dash Cam Mania in Asia, Mostly in Taiwan, Real Road Accidents Captured on Camera - YouTube[/ame] |
ogrowup, are you in Florida? This place has the worst driving of anyplace I have lived int he US. It's appalling and everything you mentioned I see every day and I drive upwards of 200 miles/day for work.
My oldest son is 16 and he's got his permit and I am scared shitless because of the shitweasles. |
To clarify, and to be fair, I'm comparing US drivers to German, Danish and Swedish drivers. I believe they are exceptional. I have heard of the horror stories of traffic in Rome, I experienced automobile anarchy in Cairo, I hear China is no treat either. That said US drivers still suck.
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Yes, it's true. |
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http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/c...ts/by-country/ |
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Typical US driver attitude is "I am perfect it is all those other idiots that are the problem". Hate to break it to you but you probably do just as much dumb shit but you do see it so will never acknowledge it. |
I have driven I several European countries, from Germany and Austria to Italy and Poland. And in several US states. For me, the biggest difference is that the American drivers are much more passive, disengaged and oblivious to surroundings. They drone in one lane at constant speed or worse at constant throttle position. Drivers in Europe seem to be much more oriented on interacting with other drivers, whether it is moving over to allow a faster car to pass well before that car has to brake for them, or demanding by flashing headlights that the slower car moves over. Whether it's better or worse is hard to tell, but definitely it's more engaging.
Oh, and I like European traffic laws and road design better. Four-way stops are not the best idea. |
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The problem with that is that this thread wasn't about laws. It was about rude and dangerous driving, and going five or ten miles over the speed limit does not automatically equate to rude or dangerous driving. You know that I drive a tremendous number of miles, and the dangerous things I see people do every day rarely have anything to do with speeding. Even when speeding is involved, it's not actually the speeding that is rude or dangerous, but other actions like cutting people off, passing carelessly or tailgating people who are traveling slower. Having a radar detector (mine's a Valentine 1, by the way) to alert a driver to when he's under electronic surveillance does not mean that driver is doing any of that. I find it ironic that you corrected the original poster for making unfounded generalizations about Americans, then in the very next sentence did the exact same thing yourself. |
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I lived in Europe for nearly 10 years... Their drivers are just as bad as anywhere else in the world I've driven. They were just as selective on their laws as we are here in the States. This thread is useless.
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You are still focused on speed. That was just an example. Of course there are other things involved I did not say otherwise. Radar detector is a device with no other purpose other than to circumvent the law. There is zero purpose to have one unles you intend to speed. Why the hell would anybody care if there is radar if they are not speeding? To increase their paranoid conspiracy theory self rightous ideals? My point was never intended to say peopl are hypocritical just that even the worst driver on the road thinks they are fine and it is everybody else that sucks. They are oviously wrong but that is what they think. |
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Just spent 2 weeks in 6 countries in Europe. Germans are easily the best I dealt with by a long shot. And France was like if you didn't die on your way to your destination, you should fall to your knees and thank your respective higher power.
So just from personal experience, Americans are about middle of the road in worst drivers. Emphasis on personal experience. Different results may occur to others. It's all relative to what irks you the most. |
Its overall greatly due to a lack of education. Drove in CAN, MX and Ireland. Amazing drivers. US.... non stop tailgating all the time almost every time. Speeding everywhere! Funny its both young and old!
IMO ive noticed the more educated a pop is, the more calm drivers and gentle they are... MX being an exception lol Least where I drove in MX. Its crazy how peeps drive there, yet when I was there, there were zero accidents. 11yrs driving. Clean record here. |
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I was expecting the U.S. to be higher on the list. Maybe we really do suck more. :popcorn: |
Radar detectors are a sticky subject especially when they are linked to bad driving habits. As much as they seem like a way to sidestep laws, for me they are mainly a way just to keep law enforcement from penalizing normal driving practices that do no harm.
Going 10 mph over the posted speed limit doesn't kill, not paying attention due to texting, poor vehicle maintenance, not knowing the vehicles capabilities for braking/turning, playing with radio, sleep deprivation, etc are of much more harm but unfortunately aren't a ticket-able offense. I also follow the theory that everybody around me driving is trying to kill me and that seems to be working out well in keeping me alive. I got several speeding tickets up until I got a radar detector. Nothing changed except me not paying for tickets after getting the radar detector. I still go above the speed limit as do 99.99% of drivers. I know it is illegal to go 50 in a 45 but I will continue to do it along with other drivers(law enforcement included) following the flow or traffic and I will continue not getting speeding tickets for going 5-10 miles above the posted speed limit. I know I drive faster than I'm supposed to but I also pay attention more due to that since response times will be decreased at higher speeds. I also put myself ahead of bad traffic and slow/unstable drivers making my commute safer. The detector, better awareness along with driving a small agile car has kept me from harm and lame tickets many more times than I can count. Also, as mentioned already it is true that Florida is one of the worst areas to drive. As soon as I leave here I am greatly appreciative of other states drivers and do not look forward to coming back to drive here. |
My apologies, many American drivers do suck but compared to the video of Taiwanese drivers or Russian dash cams we are saints. And yes, that was a generalization. Out west I've noticed drivers stay out of the left lane, as they also do in the south. In both the west and the south there are wide open roads, and up to 75mph highways. I live in the metro DC area, home of the worst traffic in the States, and some seriously myopic drivers. I think the people that camp out in the left lane cause the most problems because they create congestion and frustration.
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As far as the rest of what you said that is sort of my point. The dude that cuts you off is just trying to leave all those bad drivers behind. The guy weaving through traffic is pissed off at the slow asses around him. They can be the worst drivers ever but they blame everybody else and want to get away from them (I am NOT saying you are one of those guys there Imp). I regret using speed and detectors as my example of how people disregarde rules since it somehow has been twisted to be the focus. I should have known better I guess. Oh and for the record I drive at least 15mph over the limit about 98% of the time so I am not saying that speeding is bad or a major cause of accidents!!!! |
In high school driver's ed we were shown a movie in which one statement blew my mind. The narrator said that among other defensive driving techniques, it is actually safer to move slightly faster than the surrounding traffic.
That was in 1980. I have no idea what the accepted theory is today. I'm still torn about that assertion. |
Hello Californian here. My families drive like how old Asian ladies drive. Terrible.
I too do my duty of driving slow in car pool lane during heavy traffic, and I will tailgate you bad if you drive slow. But you shouldn't let your emotion get to you. Drive safe everybody !! |
This is a global issue. Well Western World at least. We have the same problem in Australia but we have a new issue that amplifies all bad driving....ICE. No not the cold one the drug one. ICE taking brain dead, dip shit morons involved in road rage and high speed fatal crashes, usually in a stolen car, has risen to ridiculous levels.
Then there are the recent arrivals from China and India. China and and Inda have road tolls in the millions so I'm thinking Drive Ed in China is about as important as Anti smoking laws., while in India the sacred cows get right of way anywhere anytime of day. We also have to suffer 'Grey Nomads' (cashed up retirees who decide to buy a $300k 40' camper van, having never driven anything bigger than the family car, and circumnavigate our coast line) traveling at 80km/h on 110km/h highways. Perhaps if the 'Grey Nomads' took ICE the traffic would actually flow better! Having driven in the US I'd say LA was the most frightening. Traveling at 75mph and less than a car length from the car in front is pretty scary, and I was a trained high speed pursuit driver in a previous occupation. |
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Tcoat, I think canada is among the best for driving.........or it used to be before the yellow invasion from china. (Which i'm part of... i guess. :D) I used to think my dad drive crazy till i saw how ppl from china drives. |
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It is funny that you of all people mention driving here because just half an hour ago we were talking around the campfire about our last trip to Vegas. I was telling our friends (yes I have real solid bodied friends) about how easy it actually was to drive around there. I had heard so many horror stories but decided to rent a car last trip. It was a price of cake and I told everybody I liked driving there better than Toronto. Now mind you I just don't care if people do dumb shit while driving and will simply forget about them as soon as they or I move away so maybe the whole bad drivers thing is simply a state of mind more then a solid fact. |
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For example, in most places it's not against the law to block someone entering the highway from a ramp when you could get over or slow down to let them in. It's rude, and in some places it could cause an accident that could get someone killed. But if that happened, it wouldn't be your fault, despite the fact that you could have avoided it. On the other end, speed limits really do have little to do with safety in the US. Do you even know how speed limits are set here? When a state or local government wants to set or change a speed limit, they conduct a "speed survey." The speed survey involves putting a speed detection device on the side of the road to determine the natural average speed of traffic on that roadway. Most people will gravitate toward that natural average, and the wanton speeders and grannies who can't find the accelerator will be averaged out. Then the speed limit is supposed to be set near that average. But those speed detection devices also include a big display that says, "YOUR SPEED:" and reads out the numbers. Those displays affect the behavior of the drivers. Enough drivers slow down when they see those numbers that the average skews downward. It's usually about 10 MPH less than normal. And that's where they set the speed limit (which is why most people end up feeling most comfortable about 10 over). Then, when they remove the device and put up the speed limit signs, everyone who is driving at the natural speed is "breaking the law." Now why would they do that? Is it for safety? Of course not. The safest speed on the road is the natural speed of that road. People will naturally accelerate to that speed. People who drive slower than the natural speed increase the number of vehicle interactions, thus also increasing the likelihood of accidents. If ten people are in a group driving exactly 70, nobody is interacting with anyone else. If you throw in one guy going 60, you jump from zero interactions to at least ten, but probably more like 50 interactions as people interact with the guy going 60 and also with each other as they slow down and speed up. Thus you drastically increase the likelihood one of those interactions will become physical. If not safety, why artificially decrease the limit? The answer is revenue. Speed limits are set low enough to maximize fine revenue without angering people enough to vote the incumbents out of office. State and local governments actually budget for that revenue. So don't try to tell me that you can't have a discussion about rude or reckless drivers without discussing laws. Laws are mostly irrelevant to this subject, especially considering that the ones that are enforced most are the speed laws (which are in place for revenue rather than safety) rather than reckless driving laws (which cops are rarely around to witness and rarely cite until after someone causes a collision). Quote:
I'm rarely the fastest thing on the road, and in cities I'm usually driving right on the speed limit. I still use the radar detector, because it serves as an alarm when I might have drifted up a little unintentionally because of the conditions of the road. If you drift up 5 miles above the speed limit going down a hill, do you deserve a ticket for that? If you drive into a speed trap where the signs dropping the limit are hidden, should you not avail yourself of a warning? If you unintentionally drift up to the natural speed of the road because, psychologically, that's the safest speed at which to be travelling, should you be fined? In my territory, there are plenty of places where the speed limit is actually not even clear because road crews will come along and take the signs down without ever replacing them. Cops will set up there anyway. Good luck trying to explain to a judge that you couldn't be speeding because there was no speed limit sign. And there are a lot of small towns out here that drop the speed limit as you approach but hide the signs behind bushes to preserve their revenue stream. More than once I've had the radar detector go off and cause me to be extra observant as I enter town, and sure enough, there's that sign behind that tree where I would have missed it if not for the heads up. So no, it's not just for breaking the law. And even if it were, it wouldn't be any of your business, because in most places in the US it's our right to be able to detect when we're under electronic surveillance. Quote:
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I agree with OP. I've been in major cities all over the world(from some of the wealthiest and poorest countries), and US drivers are still absolute dogshit despite all the advancements we have over other others. The US has one of the highest populations of automobile drivers and yet we still put relatively very little into our infrastructure and driver training/education. Granted most poorer countries' roads are just just mayhem without lanes and/or seemingly without road laws, but for the sake of argument we shouldn't compare cities like Bangkok or New Dehli to London or Chicago.
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IMHO the #1 problem with driving in the US are the police. When I am alone on the highway doing 80 in a 65, no one is endangered. At all. Anywhere in the world even theoretically. It is 100% safe for me, in my new sports car to go 80 MPH on the highway with no one else around. AND YET, I have to be paranoid that I'll get a ticket. The reason being that it's easy for a cop to give a ticket for 80 in a 65 and it brings in revenue to the local PD.
But if I am tailgating- which is NEVER safe and endangers me and the person in front of me, it is almost impossible to get a ticket. If I do the speed limit in the left lane and cause a traffic jam, I cannot get a ticket even though it causes a dangerous condition behind. There are so many dangerous stupid things I can do and can't get a ticket doing. But cops are mostly stupid. I offer no apologies for saying that even if there are cops on here. Stop being a dope if you want to be thought to be anything other than a moron. If the cops enforced laws that cause dangerous driving, the dangerous driving will lessen. If they stop hassling people for doing things that are not dangerous and concentrate on the dangerous stuff, traffic incidents will diminish in number and severity. Yes, I put this mostly on the police. |
I've watched so many "fail compilations" regarding traffic accidents and the majority of them aren't from the U.S.
there's over 320 million people in the U.S, you can't fault every one of us, but yes, there are a lot of bad drivers. Yet, there are bad drivers all of the world. |
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Jersey drivers are the best drivers. Period! You can close the thread now.
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I clearly said that it was even the worst that think they are good not all. You seem to read an awful lot into some simple statements on my viewpoint. I give up. Debating with you is a waste as you simply read what you want into every word and oviously have some serious authority issues. Yep all the cow are bad and they are only trying to screw over the honest citizen that should be able to do as they please. Since all the laws and rules are only for other people. Good day sir I will not be responding so have fun twisting these comments around to your fantasy world. |
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