Your thoughts about Atlanta drivers (work, price, fit in)

[xxman777]

Originally Posted by Sharon R.

You know, there are a lot of people that do 80, but that is NOT the norm. I drive on the highways a lot during non-rush hour, so traffic is moving very fast. If I'm doing 80, I'm pretty much passing everybody. Between 70-75 is more normal. Let's not make it worse than it is.

What's really the problem is just BAD drivers. It's not speed alone, it's that they're not paying attention, which is compounded by speed. There are left lane hogs, changing lanes without signaling, missing exits and then trying to cut over. I hate to see folks driving badly and talking on their cell phones, but I also see a lot of bad drivers who are just talking to their passenger and are not focused on their driving.

I couldn't agree more. I go between 70 & 75 and always seem to be traveling with the majority of other drivers. I pass some and am passed by some but most people seem to drive about the same speed as me. If your driving 80 your going faster then most people. The real problem is attentiveness. People focus on other tasks while driving. I still stand by my statement that Atl drivers really are courteous, they just don't know how to drive.

[brian_2]

The drivers that have me shaking my head are the ones trying to back their vehicle up to get onto the exit they just missed. Nothing like endangering all oncoming traffic because you're to clueless to continue to the next exit and backtrack.

[Trianrida]

Originally Posted by Sharon R.

I agree that Atlanta drivers are rude. However, the behavior you describe is very common in most other large metro areas. I'm originally from the DC area and they do that too. The biggest difference I've seen down here is that people drive faster! So when they hit you, it's going to be bad. I've also noticed, compared to DC, that there are more SUVs and full size pickups, and honestly, those seem to be the worst. People who are nice and considerate in person seem to take on a different persona when behind the wheel of something large and powerful.

I do not have a problem with people changing lanes in front of me IF they signal and move over politely. I will not let anybody rudely shove their way in front of me. A lot of people here will say that they don't use their turn signals because then people will deliberately speed up and not let them in. That is true, but it happens everywhere. I will also not let anybody in who zooms to the front of the lane that is ending, when you KNOW that they probably do it every day! Sorry guy, it ain't happening, and I know you don't want to get a scratch on your new truck Now, when somebody lets me over, I will always give them a wave of thanks. And when somebody waves a thank you at me, it makes me feel good. Come on Georgia drivers, start waving!

I have to agree with Sharon. The drivers here are very very aggressive!! They ride right up to your bumper on the expressway!! I don't get that. They speed just so they can get stuck in traffic on I 75/85. Give people some time. They try to ride you to make you go faster, but every car is different, engines are different & transmissions are different. People need to slow down and go around or move to the other lane. Riding on someone bumper is stupid.

Has any noticed all the destroyed rails on the expressway??? Does Atlanta ever repair those??? I mean just looking at them makes you feel like your about to crash. They are all over 285, 85 & 75. They are just mangled up railings... some even poke out in the lane. Ridiculous!!!

[atlantagreg30127]

Differences in cities:

In a city like Asheville, Omaha, or Knoxville, you get a lot of people who move to those areas from the same region - or "regional relocators". While you get people from other areas as well, a lot come from smaller areas in that same region, hence, similar driving habits.

Then you have larger cities like Cleveland, Columbus, or Sacramento, and again, you're still getting more people from that region of this country than you are from "elsewhere", and again, you find more have similar driving habits.

Well, now you come to the major cities... New York, Atlanta, Chicago, DC, and L.A. In these cities, you have people moving here in mass from every corner of the world. Small town folks, other big city folks, and people from many other countries as well. You might have an aggressive L.A. driver, next to someone from Jamaica who has barely drive a car, next to someone from New York who only just got a license because they're used to riding subways for years, etc. Toss in a fair helping of new teen drivers as well as slower Old South elderly drivers - all sharing the same roads with each other - and it's a recipe for traffic and driving hell. It's like tossing every miss-matched combo of people you possibly could, and then tossing them all out on the streets and saying, "Here ya go - have fun!" This is why drivers seem so much worse in the mega metro areas - not because they're all local and bad, but because they all come from somewhere else and have different levels of driving skills (or not).

So the badness of drivers here is due to the fact that you have thousands of different driving styles and levels of experience, all driving in the same city and metro area, and all trying to find some middle ground so they match those around them and don't casue total chaos. As most discover, it doesn't work that well.

There's no way to solve this unless they make drivers ed mandatory in all schools for the locals, and then require EVERY transplant to take an actual road test with an instructor and pass the test before they get their local license. With 100,000+ people moving into the area each year, it's unlikely the state will cough up that much money for all the driver's instructors to do this, or even pay for driver's ed in schools.

[Trianrida]

Greg...C'mon why to do you always to refer to Transplant V. Locale man?? I mean the speed limit is the speed limit right? If I'm getting on an on ramp that says 30mph and Im doing 40 mph, why is the guy behind me riding my tail on the same on ramp that I am already speeding on?? If I slam on my breaks its a rearender. Not that Id want to go though the hassle Greg, but Im saying. Rear end collisions most be big here the way people ride one another. I can see in bumper to bumper traffic.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Last, it's just plain bad habits. Regardless of age, or where people are from, people here quickly seem to just develop really crapola driving habits. Speeding, tailgating, zipping in and out of lanes too often and without using turn signals, and much much worse, using cell phones while driving!!!

Yup, and I don't know whether people develop these habits once they get here to "fit in" or what it is. What I do know (first hand knowledge) is that drivers in other big cities do not drive as badly. Sure there is bad driving everywhere, but not as ubiquitously as here.

Maybe it's the huge multi-lane interstates or better built and maintained roads, or lack of police presence on the roads that makes people drive the way the do when they get here. In other parts of the country roads are smaller, more bumpy and potholed, and police do a much better job keeping speeds and agressive drivers in check.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Sharon R.

You know, there are a lot of people that do 80, but that is NOT the norm. I drive on the highways a lot during non-rush hour, so traffic is moving very fast. If I'm doing 80, I'm pretty much passing everybody. Between 70-75 is more normal. Let's not make it worse than it is.

Absolutely untrue. I usually drive 70 or 75 in a 65 MPH zone or around 65 in a 55 MPH zone, and people usually pass me like I'm standing still. Even in rush hour on 285, people will be doing 80 or more in the left most lanes. The most dangerous people are the ones who when a car in the left lane is only doing 70 - 75 pass on the right.

And in case no one noticed...I-285, GA 400, I-75 ITP, are 55 MPH zones, so even 70-75 is 15 to 20 MPH over the limit.

[wxjay]

People are quite aggressive and fast drivers in Atlanta, but I do not find them as rude or obnoxious as the drivers in RI or MA, where I grew up. Here, at least people just blow by you on the highway. There, people blow by you, weave in and out, and scream out obscenities when they deem appropriate.

One thing that is my BIGGEST PET PEEVE, however, is that people here have no idea about the concept of allowing cars entering the highway to merge in. Just move over a lane people! Don't speed up to beat out the oncoming traffic!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by wxjay

People are quite aggressive and fast drivers in Atlanta, but I do not find them as rude or obnoxious as the drivers in RI or MA, where I grew up. Here, at least people just blow by you on the highway. There, people blow by you, weave in and out, and scream out obscenities when they deem appropriate.

One thing that is my BIGGEST PET PEEVE, however, is that people here have no idea about the concept of allowing cars entering the highway to merge in. Just move over a lane people! Don't speed up to beat out the oncoming traffic!

I agree completely on your pet peeve. Merging into traffic and falling into a gap aren't strong suits in Atlanta.

As to MA drivers, we'll have to agree to disagree. I lived and drove in the Boston and Worcester areas for 15 years, doing an average of 30K miles per year. Sure there are morons who do stupid things and flip you off, but at least most people use signals and mainly drive in a safe manner. I'd love to see you do 80+ mph on Rte128 or 495... the Mass staties would have you in cuffs in short order.

When we drove here during our move in August, my wife who was born and raised in MA, immediately made note of what was happening on I-85 in Gwinnett as we arrived. It stood out to her like a sore thumb and she still tells me her daily story of morons on the road.

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Trianrida

Greg...C'mon why to do you always to refer to Transplant V. Locale man?? I mean the speed limit is the speed limit right?

It's very easy to understand and sensible to make the comparisons, Trianrida...

Driver # 1: He moved here from Raleigh, where the pace is much slower, and people drive slower as well. They'll be the first to panic during rush hour on 285.

Driver # 2: Moved here from NYC where everyone rides transit, so he's getting used to driving in congested traffic.

Driver # 3: Came here from L.A. Used to packed roads, road rage, and aggressive driving techniques. They speed and tailgate more.

Driver # 4: Come from Arizona, where people can drive 90mph on long stretches of roads and speed limits are "just for the heck of it".

Driver # 5: Moved here from an Island nation with no paved roads. Driving over 35mph to them is flying. They'll do 45mph in the left lane on 285 and could care less what anyone thinks about it.

Driver # 6: UK transplant. They're still trying to figure out how to drive on the right side of the road.

Driver # 7: Born and raised locally. They learned to drive when Atlanta was a sleepier southern "big town", and now they've had to adapt their driving styles to try to match all the other drivers above moving into the area so they don't get squished on the local roads. They tend to use turn signals less when abruptly switching lanes because due to the ingrained southern rebel attitude, "no one's gonna tell them what to do", and they switch lanes much more often because they pretend they're a NASCAR driver to pass the time on the road.


You get the idea. The comparisons are valid because it shows the different driving styles of the varied drivers coming into the area, which contribute to the disorganized chaos on our roads. Locals and those who come from smaller southern towns who have moved here are used to a more laid back and slower way of life, including that on the roads. Then, about 15 or so years ago, things around here started getting hairy as the number of transplants to the area increased dramatically. Then, after the Olympics, it got even worse, as we started adding more international transplants as well. All with varied levels of experience and very varied rules of politeness when on the road.

So, the transplants try to keep their "original" style of driving. The locals try to change theirs to match everyone else. You wind up with crazy chaos on the roads, thereafter.