Pittsburgh drivers rated most courteous (Liberty: live in, moving, authority)

[Mugatu]

kdka.com - AutoVantage Survey Ranks Pittsburgh As Having Most Courteous Drivers

As someone that moved here from Florida, the road rage capital of the U.S., I do agree with this survey. Pittsburgh drivers are certainly the most polite that I have ever seen. To a fault.

They are TOO polite, and often do ridiculous things on the road. Just yesterday, I was driving behind some woman in light traffic, moving comfortably at the speed limit, when she decided to come to a complete stop in the middle of the road to let someone make a left turn in front of her from the opposite lane. Are you freaking kidding me!?!??

And I've seen countless instances of traffic backups caused be some "polite" person stopped to wave several cars through from different directions while traffic backs up for blocks behind them.

Then throw in the fact that many people drive 5-10 mph below the speed limit, and this truly is the weirdest and most frustrating place to drive I've ever been.

Question to long-time Pittsburghers: Why on earth do "yunz" drive like this?

[pghcleak]

I hate when people decide they should have the authority to direct traffic.

I don't drive like that. I'm always 5-15 above the speed limit and I believe the left lane is for passing and higher speeds. I know the Parkway is limited on lanes...but if you're going to go 5-10 under please do it in the right lane(s).

I can't speak why a lot of people drive like this but it could have something to do with the amount of elderly drivers in the Pittsburgh region.

[Humanoid]

People in Pittsburgh HAVE to be courteous or traffic simply would not move. The city's streets are planned very poorly for whatever reason. There are many turns you simply can't make when there is traffic unless someone is courteous, the people that live in the city realize this and let them go.

[right-here-i-say]

I moved here from Florida. I received more middle fingers in my 1st day here than in the 8 years I was gone. I also gave more.

[pghcleak]

Originally Posted by right-here-i-say

I moved here from Florida. I received more middle fingers in my 1st day here than in the 8 years I was gone. I also gave more.

Maybe you picked up some of Florida's bad driving habits. After all, Miami was ranked the worst on the list

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by pghcleak

Maybe you picked up some of Florida's bad driving habits. After all, Miami was ranked the worst on the list

Yeah I lived in Miami for 6 years....driving here is a pleasure compared to driving down there.

I will admit that my driving habits have changed for the worse though. In Miami, I got very used to "nudging" my way into traffic ("Oh you don't want to let me in? I'll just keep inching and eventually you will give in because you are afraid I'll hit you!"). Thankfully Pittsburgh drivers don't put up a fight and it usually goes over quite well

[BrianTH]

Yep, I agree that Pittsburgh drivers can actually be too courteous in situations where it is unwarranted, causing unnecessary problems for other drivers. And although this isn't really relevant, I still don't understand why people here hit the brakes both going into a tunnel and coming out of a tunnel.

That said, it is nice when I am doing things like merging in congestion and I am watching cars just alternate without a lot of fuss, which is both courteous and efficient.

[stasia]

Really?

... no, really?

If I had a nickel for every time another a-hole driver made a left hand turn across traffic, cutting off my right of way, I could have retired at 23.

And don't get my starting about driving on the area highways. Hello, ever heard of yielding the left hand lane to faster moving traffic? As soon as you cross the state line into Ohio, THEN you see some courteous highway drivers!!

[Chuckles1821]

If I had a nickel for every time another a-hole driver made a left hand turn across traffic, cutting off my right of way, I could have retired at 23.

I'm going to have to agree with Humanoid in saying that sometimes these people simply can't make these turns unless someone lets them or unless they try to gun it before opposing traffic starts.
It's nice that when you're going through the Fort Pitt tunnels in the morning that people let you merge on without it getting too out of control.
However, I had a grown man threaten to fight me while driving up the the stop light before the Liberty Tunnels. He had cut in front of me (even though both lanes go through the tunnel), and I held up my hands in a "wtf" fashion (did not give the finger, though), and he stopped suddenly (not at the light), and then yelled out his window to me, a 24 year old girl, asking if I wanted to fight him. While that is obviously the exception to the rule (since I remember it enough to write it here), clearly not everyone here is curteous

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by stasia

Hello, ever heard of yielding the left hand lane to faster moving traffic?

I'm pretty sure the answer to your question is "no", meaning I think a lot of people in Pittsburgh are blissfully ignorant of this rule. Personally, if it was up to me I would put flashing signs to this effect on all the roads.