Montana Drivers? (Kalispell, Livingston, Circle: bus, safer, car)

[be_a_light]

Originally Posted by StuckPA

Ah forget it then,I like Montana but not enough to be endangered by speeding drivers. I can get that here in PA.

Well, there are speeding drivers everywhere. Hopefully a few speeders are not the "deal breaker" for you coming to Montana, or anywhere for that matter. We always tell our young daughter when she drives, "Watch out for the stupid people." Defensive driving is necessary wherever you are.

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by be_a_light

Well, there are speeding drivers everywhere. Hopefully a few speeders are not the "deal breaker" for you coming to Montana, or anywhere for that matter. We always tell our young daughter when she drives, "Watch out for the stupid people." Defensive driving is necessary wherever you are.

Actually I had been reading some of the threads here about the slowest drivers etc and it kinda sounded nice,a nice slow pace of life is what I'm ultimately looking for and I'm sure Montana may be that way in general so I probably wouldn't let it be a dealbreaker but it would be a factor.

[be_a_light]

You will find a higher percentage of "bad" drivers in the areas of Montana where the population and major attractions are. The Flathead Valley, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Helena, Great Falls etc. have the largest density of people so proportionally they are going to have the worst traffic problems. If you are in Philly, however, I don't think you will find our traffic a bit of a problem. I've been to Philly. Believe me, you won't have a problem here!

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by be_a_light

The Flathead Valley, Missoula, Bozeman, Billings, Helena, Great Falls etc. have the largest density of people so proportionally they are going to have the worst traffic problems. If you are in Philly, however, I don't think you will find our traffic a bit of a problem. I've been to Philly. Believe me, you won't have a problem here!

See you know
I've been reading the Montana forum for awhile and have been hearing about all the Californians moving into western MT so I knew I wanted to try and stay away from there,although I was looking at the Billings area because I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump right into an area with NO people(as tempting as it sounds).

[jimj]

I've been all over the east and trust me when I tell ya that the traffic here is nothing compared to almost ANY city in the east, and that includes the "high traffic" areas here.
The state just has a bit of an issue right now because the loonie is at par or above the dollar right now so we're being flooded with canadians who seem to have little regard for the fact that they are visiting our home and should act accordingly. Eventually this too shall pass...

[ArabiansRule]

Coming from PA, you will be shocked at the lack of people. But, drivers are idiots here, just like everywhere. 50%, at least, of drivers should park their cars/trucks for good. They are oblivious to the fact that they are NOT the only vehicle on the road. Watch out for the deer, they are idiots, too!

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by ArabiansRule

Coming from PA, you will be shocked at the lack of people. But, drivers are idiots here, just like everywhere. 50%, at least, of drivers should park their cars/trucks for good. They are oblivious to the fact that they are NOT the only vehicle on the road. Watch out for the deer, they are idiots, too!

I don't think I would be shocked so much,as I've been researching places like MT for years and have continually seeked out and travelled to the lowest populated places I could find. Though haven't been able to make it that far west yet.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by ArabiansRule

Coming from PA, you will be shocked at the lack of people. But, drivers are idiots here, just like everywhere. 50%, at least, of drivers should park their cars/trucks for good. They are oblivious to the fact that they are NOT the only vehicle on the road. Watch out for the deer, they are idiots, too!

My son's friend just had a deer run INTO his car! Driving down the hwy, saw the deer just standing next to the road and as he was going by the deer ran right into his fender and door shattering his window. The deer crawled away and a sheriff was right behind and saw it so he went out and took care of the deer.
Now that my friends was a stupid deer!

[Born&raisedMT]

I grew up not far from Hwy 93, then lived and worked along side of Hwy 93 near Flathead Lake, then to Missoula before they started all the construction/improvements on the highway around the reservation. Not many days went by that I didn't drive a stretch of that highway, and let me tell you, it is no picnic. I was routinely ran off the road by semi trucks unwilling to slow down for turning vehicles or for the reduced speed limits through towns. RVs and farm vehicles hold up the traffic in the summer, but there weren't any passing lanes then, so people would pass anyways, forcing oncoming traffic onto the shoulder, or if there wasn't one, into the ditch. Up towards Kalispell, where there aren't as many towns, etc, people go as fast as they can, passing illegally, between lanes of cars, around them on the shoulder- basically doing everything they can to avoid taking their foot off the accelerator. I've had several friends and family die on that highway, and my mother fears for her children who remain near 93, and drive on it regularly. There is a saying on the reservation- Pray for me, I drive 93. Never under estimate the danger of mixed traffic (tourists, semi-trucks, commuters, farm rigs etc) on a narrow, ill kept highway with long stretches of nothing!

[StuckPA]

Originally Posted by Born&raisedMT

Up towards Kalispell, where there aren't as many towns, etc, people go as fast as they can, passing illegally, between lanes of cars, around them on the shoulder- basically doing everything they can to avoid taking their foot off the accelerator.

Wow that sounds like out here! Thanks for the input.