Perhaps its the fact that there are thousands of doddering septuagenarians plying area roads, but Miami, Florida has just been dubbed America's least courteous drivers. Or to put a finer point on it, they've got some road rage and rude driving issues. A new AutoVantage survey of 2,000 adult commuters in 20 major cities has concluded that Miami has the worst road etiquette. The Norwalk, Connecticut company's phone survey also found a lot of negative feelings in:
- Phoenix, Arizona
- New York, New York
- Los Angeles, California
- Boston, Massachusetts
And there must be something to the whole 'Minnesota Nice' thing, as Minneapolis topped the list of friendliest commuter cities. Other top finishers included:
- Nashville, Tennessee
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Seattle, Washington
- Atlanta, Georgia
AutoVantage questioned participants on everything from obvious displays of motoring anger (middle fingers, cutting off other cars, tailgating, etc.), turn signal use, talking on the phone, and 'driving too fast.'
[Source: The Associated Press via CNN.com]
(Top Tip, Evan!)
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
AJB @ May 17th 2006 8:36AM
Atlanta is one of the friendliest commuter cities?!
On a different topic, I question the significance of this survey based on the sample size. 2000 adult commuters in 20 major cities were questioned, which probably breaks down into 100 commuters in each city, right? Shouldn't the survey be a little more detailed? And did the company ask about smaller cities? Colorado Springs, CO, for instance, has some of the worst traffic in the country for cities under 500k people; does this translate into increased road rage for its commuters? I'm curious . . .
Hotlanta driver @ May 17th 2006 9:18AM
Atlanta? That is FOS!
Buck Futter @ May 17th 2006 9:37AM
Try driving in Miami. You'll be raging yourself in no time.
Our roads are full of old people who drive 10 below the limit in the LEFT lane, do not respond to high-beam flashes or even honking. When everyone has to weave around them to go at a decent speed, it not only creates rage but a dangerous situation on the road.
Of course our cops are too busy setting speed traps in 30-mph zones on three-lane-wide roads where the 85th-percentile safe speed is more around 45mph. Our cops do not care about safety, only filling their coffers.
Add to that the fact that anyone with an IQ above 50 can get a driver's license and that everyone here drives according to the rules of his country of origin and you've got a fun situation on your hands.
Oh, and half of the city's roads are currently under construction. I'm not exaggerating. They've been "repairing" 125 blocks of Biscayne Boulevard (a major artery) for the past two years. Why? You'd think, to add a lane to ease congestion! But no! They're doing it to put in a bloody median! "Beautification" has cost millions of people time, money, and stress for a long time.
Oh, and you think they'd be wise enough to change the traffic-light patterns if they're closing down half the road for construction. But that would be too smart.
Incompetence, thy name is Miami.
Big Old Andy @ May 17th 2006 9:53AM
I commute every day in Minneapolis, and I can tell you this survey is way off. "Minnesota Nice" translates to passive-aggressive behavior. People pretend to be nice and ten get in their car and let their real face show; tailgating, refusal to let someone else merge, zoom around someone, get in front of them, and slam the brakes so they know you are upset with their driving, general ignorance of driving etiquette, etc. It's not so much that Minnesota drivers are bad, it's that they are mean, vindictive, and petty.
bernie @ May 17th 2006 10:00AM
Atlanta, friendly? That's a laugher!
mario @ May 17th 2006 10:02AM
I totally agree with Buck (#3).
Add to that hispanic's custom of going out late and trying to arrive on time, speeding, frenzy changing of lanes, crossing lights in yellow, running along middle lanes, honking hectically, driving aggressively, showing everybody the finger... aaah, I love Miami.
...it must be terribly boring driving in a quiet city, like Harrisburg, PA
Buck Futter @ May 17th 2006 10:07AM
By the way, it has become custom in Miami that after a 'turn-left' arrow turns red, cars still keep turning left for at least two seconds. Of course, that's another thing the cops don't give a damn about, and it does wonders for road-rage in rush-hour traffic.
This little phenomenon has only developed during the past few years. The 'accepted red-light-running time' keeps getting longer and longer.
To think that eight years ago driving in MIami was semi-sane. Now it's completely batsh*t insane.
Leo @ May 17th 2006 10:07AM
Pittsburgh is hard to navigate but very friendly. people don't crawl, but don't go 90, either. They also use their signals and actually let you in when you use yours. I've driven in St. Louis and Nashville and they're not even close to Pittsburgh in the friendly and courteous dept.
Atlanta, along with Houston are the two rudist cities. Lots of big pickups and SUVs, no signals, 20 mph over, running red lights, you name it. Tehir beltways are NASCAR events. Boston drivers are aggressive, but its more of a game than a personal offense there.
AJB @ May 17th 2006 10:23AM
#5: yes, let's generalize about an entire racial group ("hispanics," a european designation for a diverse array of local ethnicities) and their poor driving habits. I also hear that "blacks" all drive stolen cars and "whites" drive like old people. Being from Florida, I find your observation to be . . . well, idiotic.
#3 phrased his comments in a more accurate manner: people drive according to the customs of their country or place of origin, which helps to create conflicts on the road.
Nguyen Van Thoc @ May 17th 2006 10:29AM
My favorite Miami move is the "turn-lane shortcut." This entails approaching a red lighted intersection in the right turn lane and timing it so that you can merge over to the left just as the light turns green. Time it properly and your momentum will put you well ahead of the drivers who were old-school enough to actually come to a complete stop and wait for the light.
I see this one almost daily in my one-hour 15 mile commute, and it's getting popular to do it from the left turn lane also. The best part is when a matador at the front sees it coming and tries to put the offender on the sidewalk. Ole! Welcome to Miami.
Scott @ May 17th 2006 10:50AM
Atlanta, one of.... oh wait. Three of you beat me to it. :P
It's always a wake-up call when I return to Atlanta (where I lived most of my life) from Denver (my current home) and get back out on the highways there.
jamie @ May 17th 2006 10:57AM
#7 Buck
The "left turn" runners have got you beat in NYC. No one dares enter the intersection until at least FIVE cars run the light.
Do so, only at your own peril.
The BUCK stops here!
FLMFB @ May 17th 2006 11:17AM
Buck Futter hit the nail on the head. Anyone can get a license and everyone drives according to their native land. Also no one gives a crap about courtesy, respect, or even trying to avoid an accident. It seems like everyone has to be somewhere important and everyone else needs to make room for them. I believe that if you can drive successfully in Miami you can drive anywhere. The running of the red arrow is getting worse. If I'm at the front of the light when it turns green I look to the sides to make sure no one is running so I don't get T-boned but then I head straight out horn blasting at the person running the light. It's incredible how they look at me like I'm the one at fault. But when anyone can get a license I guess the whole red means stop yellow means slow is too confusing. The blatant running of red lights and stop signs is unbelievable. Defensive driving is not an option in Miami that is what is going to get you in a wreck, or worse killed.
AJB I do blame mostly the hispanics for this, if you went out driving on May day, the national immigrant boycott day you would have noticed the change in driving. Driving was far less stressfull, there where still stupid drivers but far less and there was actually a few signs of courtesy between drivers. I thought I was in the Twilight Zone.
ZoomZoomin' @ May 17th 2006 2:09PM
Anything survey that ranks Atlanta as driver friendly is seriously flawed...SERIOUSLY flawed. OMG, I felt like I was in another country when I first got there.
Then combine that with the city planner who thought merging every major interstate right in the heart of downtown was a brilliant idea and you have a commuting nightmare.
Heydn @ May 17th 2006 2:14PM
I'm a Nashvillian, thank you very much. We're stupid, but I guess we're nice. I wave, for instance, at the person who lets me merge into their lane. It's the small things.
I'm sure once Nashville gets bigger (and we're growing fast) drivers will become more rude. We rarely even use our horns down here!
Keith M @ May 17th 2006 2:19PM
#9 - its my bet you dont live in Miami.
Its not about race - its about culture. Miami has a disporportinate amount of first generation drivers - and a horrable driver education system - where are these new drivers to lean better?
In Miami:
The drivers drive like they are from a third world country. They are.
The drivers act like they don't know the rules of the road or understand them because they don't speak English. They don't
First generation drivers are not a good mix when it comes to the road, and we have done little here to fix the situation.
On the other hand there are a heck of a lot more areas where the cultural diversity is a delight in Miami.
zoomer @ May 17th 2006 2:37PM
GO Minnesota! I have driven and lived in many areas in the country, and that MN drivers are on average nicer and generally more aware of their surroundings.
Big ol' Andy, I don't know what kind of driver you are, but if you have people speeding around you and slamming on the breaks, it makes me wonder what you are doing to piss people off!
FLMFB @ May 17th 2006 2:41PM
Miami's problem is not the first gen drivers, I first started driving in Miami, no accidents or anything. Everyone drives like they do in their home country couple that with the fact that anyone can get a license oh and the whole everyone is in a rush to get somewhere and expects everyone to get out of the way for them, and you have what is known as Miami traffic. Did you drive during May day, when all the immigrants boycotted, the roads where 100 times less stressful.
saimin @ May 17th 2006 2:44PM
Oh darn. I thought the blog title said "Nude Driving"
I have a friend who grew up in Florida (tho not Miami) and he's the craziest, most road-rage prone driver I know.
Russ @ May 17th 2006 4:45PM
There is a major issue with this survey: It doesn't differentiate rudeness from road rage. I think they're completely different things.
Road Rage comes about where people get set off too easily. Rudeness is the lack of politeness or courtesy.
I've driven in cities all over the country and now live in the Seattle area. I think Seattle is the least courteous of them all. It's an insidious, meek, passive aggressive type of rudeness where people don?t care about letting others in and are incredibly unaware of what?s going on around them.