May 15, 2007
D.C. Ranks 5th in Road Rage Survey
A new survey conducted by AutoVantage, a Connecticut-based automobile membership club, and Prince Market Research reveals which U.S. cities have the worst cases of road rage -- and D.C. came in at number five, behind only Los Angeles (#4), Boston (#3), New York (#2) and Miami (#1). From CNN.com:
The most frequent cause of road rage cited in the survey was impatient motorists. Drivers also said road rage can stem from poor driving in fast lanes and driving while stressed, frustrated or angry.
"The best piece of advice is to take a deep breath. Slow down, be aware and be careful," AutoVantage spokesman Todd Smith said, adding the aim of the survey is to increase driver safety across the nation.
More than 2,500 drivers who regularly commute in 25 major metropolitan areas were asked to rate road rage and rude driving in telephone surveys between January and March.
Call us crazy, but it's always seemed to us like driving within D.C. was actually fairly polite. Most of the time, you don't see a lot of speeding on our city's streets (except on the diagonals leading in and out of the city), and the preponderance of stops and lights has always meant that the chances of being cut-off in such a manner that you'd fly into a road rage situation are pretty slim. But no doubt those of you who commute into the city for work have different tales to tell. The projectile beverage incidents of earlier this year suggest the suburbs could be boiling over with rage that us city dwellers never see. So tell us -- is D.C. really one of the top five road rage cities in the country? Worse than Phoenix or San Francisco?
Photo by billadler
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I can’t imagine anything more worthless and unscientific than a phone survey about road rage. What did they ask? “On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your city’s road rage?” All that would measure would be a community’s propensity towards hyperbole.
You're crazy
DC is full of crazy drivers. I once saw a car speeding down K Street at Connecticut at around 60 MPH running red lights along the way. The maniac narrowly missed a pedestrian and came so close to a turning car that it visibly shook. No, that's not really an example of road rage, but the same kind of personality that would show blatant disregard for every relevant traffic law would probably not hesitate to cut someone off if pissed.
Sorry, folks, you're crazy. People sitting in the middle of the lanes, perpendicular to traffic, waiting to finish their left turn? I must get the finger at least twice a day. I've seen people tailgating, weaving through traffic, driving on the shoulder, hitting parked cars and continuing on, just about all of what people regard as reckless, rage driving. I'm shocked we're not #1 or 2, actually.
Just get out of the left lane and no one will get hurt.
DC drivers are horrific. I attribute this to the fact that a huge proportion of DC's population falls into one of two demographics:
1. Hostile, poor people from the hood who feel that obeying any laws whatsoever is a symbol of weakness and that threatening to run over whitey is kind of fun.
2. Self-entitled yuppie slime who feel the world really does revolve around them, so they spend their entire time driving futzing with their Blackberry or chatting with their boy/girlfriend while making left turns and weaving in and out of multiple traffic lanes.
In short, both of DC's major population groups exhibit pathological levels of entitlement and arrogance. So yeah, I'm surprised DC drivers aren't rated worse on the list.
Oh, and in NY, the asshole drivers usually have Jersey plates. And you can generally key their cars in traffic and run away because they can't get out to chase you and won't be able to find you if you turn the corner and pop into a bar.
I've also found driving on DC streets to be pretty polite, at least for a major city. Moreover, almost all the instances I've seen of people driving aggressively or recklessly on DC streets have been from people with VA or MD plates. Ultimately, I lay blame for road rage on suburbia.
Ultimately, I lay blame for road rage on suburbia.
I lay the blame for pretty much everything on suburbia. Hurricane Katrina, Virginia Tech, political unrest in Nepal--you name it. Mostly because it makes me feel good, and I'm too lazy to come up with anything better.
People in washingon are awful drivers because the roads are in such horrible shape and/or confusing as hell. You can't help but drive like an idiot when you can't tell who has right of way or whether or not the street is one way.
In five minutes, standing outside of my house, I can watch one or two metro buses run red lights, 10 to 15 people make illegal turns (while cutting off other drivers), and usually catch an officer of the law running lights as well. Add that to the almost constant horn-blowing of the people sitting 2, 3, or 4 cars back in line while the first car waits for yet another metrobus to run the light, and you've got a road rage nightmare. People passing one another by entering the oncoming traffic lane and throwing fingers in the air as they speed by at 50+ on a residential street (usually narrowly missing the hordes of stroller pushing pedestrians). Oh, how I love this city.
Gosh, Jason is it that bad?
I think it may have something to do with the following:
1. Very few protected left hand turns
2. No turn on red signs throughout the city, including many of the circles
3. Lights that are not timed
The worst road rage I've seen in the area seems to be centered around I-66 and the Dulles Toll Road. Always a source of frustration. Inside the District, the worst offenders are the cab drivers, who can regularly be seen stopping in the middle of traffic for no apparent reason, pulling some third-world lane change maneuver, or otherwise driving erratically.
Virginia seems ok.
Maryland is the problem.
The worst drivers I have ever seen anywhere are from Maryland.
Straddling the middle line going 7 miles per hour with your blinker on.
Or, driving 60 down residential streets not paying any mind whatsoever to crosswalks or stop signs.
I blame all the driving and parking problems in DC on Maryland residents not having a clue how to drive.
I would expect DC to be higher on this list as a result of Maryland.
Let the occasional shootings on the GW Parkway be testimony to DC's place in the 'road rage top 10.'
And don't just think that it's drivers. I routinely get the stink eye from bicyclists failing to yield, pedestrians crossing 6 lanes against the light with 50 mph traffic - not to mention the lead footed Marylanders.
What is it about Maryland that causes folk to drive so fast? Maybe because you only have to have your car inspected once - ever?
Jason is too much. "Drivers are douches, but of course it's perfectly ok for me to key them." That's not road-rage??
Yeah the article's author is unaware of how shitty it is to drive in this city. I live in town and commute to Herndon for work. That sucks enough. Then I come back to my Foggy Bottom neighborhood (I live in the one last shitty building there. I aint rich. Trust) and every dickheaded moron and their mom are running the red light along Penn at 24th street. Honk at them and they act like you're the asshole. I had one woman - in an SUV no less - stop in the middle of the intersection to curse me out like it was my fault she was running the red. Hope she has an aneurism at her own birthday party
DC streets are maddening and follow a peculiar logic all their own; throw in random traffic backups throughout the area, more tour busses per capita than any place on Earth, and confused citizens from every state in the union craning their necks to decipher DC street signs and you have our current morass or traffic. I wouldn't assign blame to any one group of people or factor, it's just a mess out there and always will be.
Just in case any of these people are reading this deep into the comments...
On the Spout Run Pkwy, just before it merges into the GWPkwy, two lanes merge into one. The signs clearly indicate that the merge direction is to the right (yes, even though the merge onto GWPkwy will be to the left). So when people stay to the left until the last minute, it really gets me steamed. Nothing gets me all road-ragey like having to yield to someone not obeying road signs just because their car is more tank-like than mine.
Actually, I don't think road rage is the biggest problem in DC. The thing that makes driving here dangerous is the variety of driving styles. In Boston or New York you see a lot of aggressive drivers, but at least it's consistent - in DC you see people from all over the country driving as they would at home, and the aggressive Northeastener crashes into the more patient Southerner or the cautious Midwesterner.
Of course the West-Coasters are oblivious, God Bless them...
No, vor, I lay blame on suburbia because entire streets and towns are designed to encourage the notion that the inside of a motor vehicle is distinct and oblivious from what is outside of it, and that we need not consider ourselves a part of our surroundings as long as we are safely behind the steering wheel.
I'll agree the whole piece seems precariously balanced atop a very un-scientific survey. Screw "road rage" anyway...I'd love to see a survey of top RAGE cities in general. ...c'mon DC! c'mon HATE! We can win this one!
I had blew a tire prior to driving on the Beltway and had to drive with a donut while on 495. There wasn't a lot of traffic but I had my hazards on since I would be going slow in the right lane the entire trip home, but when I was merging onto 495, a BMW that was zipping across lanes nearly cut me off that had to be going at least 90mph. My friend flicked him off which set off a case of road rage I've never witnessed before. The driver proceeded to rapidly accelerate and then slam his breaks to the point where the tires screeched so that we would essentially rear-end him, on the frickin Beltway no less. He did this several times and it was one of the scariest things I've ever witnessed behind the wheel. I basically had to perform evasive maneuvers with a donut in order to avoid rear-ending this maniac. When I changed lanes, the driver did the same thing. When I slowed down, the driver did as well. I pulled to the shoulder going 5-10mph and the driver again proceeded to do the same. My friend advised me not to get out and confront him which was probably a smart idea. After moving back to the right lane and staying behind this lunatic for about half a mile, he finally sped away and took the next exit. How we were able to avoid other cars on the road was a miracle. This was awhile ago but something similar happened on 270 just a few weeks ago but with a much more tragic outcome. I honestly can't believe drivers like this actually exist and I would've got his plate number had I not been too busy trying to keep me and my passengers safe.
In my experience as a District resident, the worst drivers are the ones with VA plates. They never have a clue WTF they are doing. Also, why doesn't anyone understand that in a traffic circle (Washington Circle is a prime example) the traffic entering the circle MUST YIELD to the traffic already in the circle!!!!
I know that the above photo (bridge construction on Conn Avenue south of Porter) makes me want to rage all the way to work everyday.
I'm not sure which is worse -- hoopdie taxis that have all outward appearances of being driven by 3 year old crack addicts, or self-entitled pedestrians and bikers who think the street is a party playground for their own personal amusement.
I can't tell you the number of times I've avoided collisions with a taxi turning left from the right lane only to have to slam on the brakes so that some idiot pushing a baby carriage can cross a six lane avenue mid-block without even looking at the traffic.
"I'd love to see a survey of top RAGE cities in general. ...c'mon DC! c'mon HATE! We can win this one!"
Does self-loathing count? If so, I think we've got this one tied up.
I'm also surprised that DC is not rated higher on the list. Driving around here is a nightmare. I nearly have a heart attack every time I drive on Georgia Ave. People are incapable of using their turn signals, or, you know, stopping at red lights or stop signs. The roads are too narrow and I agree that the signage could be clearer.
ah you silly geese,
you all seem pretty incensed about this survey, not to mention how you must be when driving! and sure, place all the blame on the suburbs like you always do - i am originally from VA and now live in dc, have always noticed that those with DC plates are usually the worst drivers (especially cabbies). can't say i'm an angel, but i try not to run over pedestrians and am courteous when i have the opportunity..
As a lifetime Miami resident until 4 years ago, I call bullshit. The source article defines "road rage" unbelievably broadly and includes all acts of poor driving, whether they result from anger or incompetence.
I hate driving here; in Miami at least the insanity was predictable. Here, there is a sense of entitlement that borders on homicidal.
In Miami, the highway system is designed in such a way that warnings (i.e. lanes ending) are always given well in advance. Likewise off the highway. Up here, lanes end randomly, streets are closed or one way, people take random u-turns, merge without looking.
Reasons listed by Mark above (Very few protected left hand turns, no turn on red signs throughout the city, and Lights that are not timed) are all problems that DON'T exist in Miami.
Down there you can get by if you're alert. Up here, I'm counting the days until some idiot runs into me and then beats me up.
Cabbies don't count when comparing drivers from different jurisdictions. DC has far more of them and a far higher percentage of them drive around looking for fares rather than waiting for a dispatch call.
Being from the NYC area, I can attest that DC area drivers are way more filled with rage.
Nowhere else have I ever seen someone change lanes only to have the person behind them SPEED UP TO HIT THEM WITH THEIR CAR.
As in, I'm not letting you in front of me because you will get there 1.5 seconds faster and therefore I would rather rear-end you in my rage.
'Nuff said.
I would say it's pretty benign in DC, a complete bore in Virginia, and who the hell wants to go to Maryland, Home of the "Health Cult" moonbats, who can't figure out what a car is let alone how to get mad in one. All their rage is directed against President Bush for everything including their hangnail.
In Boston we have a fairness doctrine. I drive the way I want and you jaywalk the way you want. We miss each other all the time. Compensatory Avoidence System.
Illegal Immigrants are the problem in Boston. Borrowed car, No license, no registration, no insurance, no english, no read signs, 10 kids in car, wrong way OK, no brakes, these are the ones who shoot and run people off the roads. They can't be found later either.
I would say I contemplate murder at least 3 times a day during my commute to and from work.
yikes! I hope to never run into any of you on the roads! Try this - don't care what other people do, just for a day. Someone cuts you off, or does something stupid, don't worry about it. Put a good song on the radio, light up a cigarette, and enjoy some alone time in the car. And when you get somewhere 5 minutes late, you won't spend your first 20 minutes talking about the bad traffic or the idiot who cut you off. seriously, try it!
I've done that Steph and it definitely works (not the smoking, but everything else). That's not to say that the morons on the road don't annoy me but I just sit back and watch them get nowhere fast. What exactly are we racing for? No one wants to be at work so why drive like a maniac to get there?
Honestly, DC drivers are much better than the maniacs out here in Chicago.
boston ray, what are you talking about?
Yeah, Boston Ray, given how conservative Maryland is I think your post is my vote for "very confused post of the day."
I lived in NYC and anyone who thinks DC traffic is bad should attempt to drive things around in NY, Chicago, Boston or Los Angeles. Those four cities are way way worse than we are.
But if given my druthers I'd drive in Maryland over DC or VA. VA drivers are flat out nuts, the only times my car was ever hit, it was by VA drivers. MD drivers have reliable licenses, VA... I have my doubts based on all the recent news...
Of course I was in Las Vegas and a resident told me, in no uncertain terms, that they had the worst traffic in the country. They have basically 12 streets in the entire city.
I just hate getting yelled at when I honk at someone who is clearly in the wrong. Like the woman who didn't yield when entering the traffic circle, nearly hit me (already in circle), and flew into a rage when I had the audacity to honk at her.
And there was that one time last week that I was patiently waiting for someone to do a 3-pt turn in a tight residential street. She couldn't see out the back and I gave a little tap on the horn to let her know she was about to back into another car. She went NUTS and flicked me off and started cursing at me out her open window.
Maybe it's all the honking.
I feel your pain, CherryCoke. Again, I attribute it to the overwhelming sense of personal entitlement and arrogance that oozes throughout DC, i.e, how DARE you honk at me or otherwise imply that I'm not the center of all known universes?
As to other people's comments on Chicago, speaking as a native Chicagoan, I have to agree that people there drive horribly, BUT this is a relatively new phenomenon. I remember when I was in college in the late 80s/early 90s, and I brought friends from Boston to visit me, they were amazed by how mellow the drivers were. I distinctly remember the days when you could be driving on the Dan Ryan downtown in the left lane, put your flicker on, and the cars would let you move through 2-3 lanes to be able to get into the exit ramp on the right. People were far more yielding then. However, in the 90s and early 00s, Chicago's attracted so many people from elsewhere in the Midwest, and so many natives have left, that the driving style has completely changed. I agree - people there now do drive like maniacs. However, most of these people are in fact from Michigan or Indiana or Iowa, not real Chicagoans.
Just my 2-cents' worth.
Drivers are a product of the roads they are given. Too few left turn lanes? U-turn in the middle of the street! Not enough merge area? It's either cut people off or be cut off! Traffic light timing too slow? It's your civic duty to make it through that yellow light to reduce traffic backup! DC roads are bad, but at least they force you to interact with other roadway occupants. The suburban car entitlement mentality teaches them that cars are special and invincible, there will always be a special lane designated for where you need to go, and it's perfectly reasonable not to expect you need any driving skill whatsoever to get from point A to Point B.
Everywhere I have ever lived, everyone says they have the worst drivers. The scariest place, aside from outside the country, has been Boston. Those people are nutso. The easiest place to drive was Omaha, Nebraska. I wasn't concerned much about crashing, but I thought I'd die of boredom. I agree with the poster who wrote that we have too many drivers from too many places and they use the same style they would at home. It's amazing anybody makes it to work in one piece.
Holy crap I forgot about the stresses of driving. I'm glad I ride the metro now =) Life is good.