Worst Drivers in Texas (Houston, Dallas: neighborhood, construction, subdivision)

[Rwarky]

Overall, which Texas city has the worst drivers (i.e.: most aggressive, fastest drivers, tailgaters, etc.): Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, or El Paso?

[KewGee]

Originally Posted by Rwarky

Overall, which Texas city has the worst drivers (i.e.: most aggressive, fastest drivers, tailgaters, etc.): Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, or El Paso?

I don't know about the other cities but Dallas is awful. I don't drive up there, but I've seen as a passenger and hear the stories of all that you mentioned. My daughter told me I'd better not drive up there or they'll "cream" me. I don't drive like a maniac and it seems that if one wants to survive in Dallas, one must become a maniac behind the wheel, i.e. speed, tailgating, and down right rude. Road rage is a problem as well

[Trainwreck20]

This is kind of an interesting question. I have driven extensively in Austin and Houston, quite a bit in El Paso, but only limited amount of time in Dallas or San Antonio. Anyway, 'Worst' can have lots of meanings. I have found that, although the Houston drivers generally are very fast and somewhat aggressive, they are not nearly as rude or dangerous as Austin drivers. Somewhat contradictory, I have found that there are several areas of Houston where the drivers seem to be in no hurry to get anywhere, even in 'rush' hour. In any case, in Houston, drivers seem to understand sharing the road and alternating at merges, etc., which is less common in Austin.

Now, before anyone gets mad, this doesn't apply to everyone, obviously, but based on many thousands of miles driven in both cities, it seems to be a 'trend'.

[AK123]

I have found that, although the Houston drivers generally are very fast and somewhat aggressive, they are not nearly as rude or dangerous as Austin drivers. Somewhat contradictory, I have found that there are several areas of Houston where the drivers seem to be in no hurry to get anywhere, even in 'rush' hour. In any case, in Houston, drivers seem to understand sharing the road and alternating at merges, etc., which is less common in Austin.

I've noticed the exact same thing from living in both cities. Houston drivers speed more and run red lights, while Austin drivers honk way more, cut you off and are bad about right-of-way and merging.

[momof2dfw]

After yesterday, I did not even have to leave my neighborhood to see bad drivers. Bad wreck at the entrance yesterday morning as some moron in their little red souped up Honda with a giant spoiler on the back ran into a car that had slowed to turn into our subdivision. Three cars ended up in the ditch.

I've seen bad drivers in ALL of those cities. Which one is worse? Take your pick. If I could name some that were the worst and not limited to Texas, Miami, Los Angeles, Sacramento.

[Trainwreck20]

I will say this much about traffic in Austin:
- There are people from all over the US that bring their idea of how you are 'supposed' to drive. It does not always blend together well.
- The city used to be small and traffic was not really a problem. Austin used to be the friendliest place in the world to drive. Then the city grew, and I don't think people living here (me included) necessarily adapted well . In Houston, everyone has driven in that traffic since before memory....
- and PLEASE do not come from a rainy place and say we don't know how to drive on wet roads (that we drive to slow in the rain). Yes, it doesn't rain much, but that does let the roads get oily.
- Ditto for snow/ice. Of course we don't know how to drive on snow (it almost never snows, there is no road equipment to deal with it, and half the highways are elevated and freeze). We DO know how to drive on ice...you DON'T. Make fun of us, but without hordes of deicing equipment and winter tires, it just isn't safe.

Opps...I will get off my little soap box

[jread]

Well, for me it's between Houston, Austin and Dallas.

I think that Houston pisses me off the most because people drive as fast and aggressively as possible. When I'm in Houston, I just try to stay in my lane and avoid all the insanity. Houston is also perpetually under construction so you never know when you might be walled in or have to turn at sharp angles just to stay in your own lane.

In Dallas, things are a little better. The problem there is that there is this snooty sense of "entitlement" from all the people in BMW's and Mercedes. They will cut you off without even looking to see if you're there. It is just your job to stay out of their way. I find that people are more rude in Dallas than in Houston.

In Austin, driving is an adventure but for entirely different reasons. For some reason that I'll never understand, people drive SLOOOOOWLY in Austin. Everyone goes either exactly the speed limit or under it. Other times they'll just flat out stop... yes, STOP in the road if something distracts them. Other times they get into "nice battles"... as in a 4-way stop where each driver is trying to get the other to go first, "go right ahead, no you go ahead, no it would bring me great pleasure to let you go first, well I just can't go first".... this will happen until everyone goes at the same time and almost wrecks, lol. Also, trainwreck is not going to like this but: AUSTINITE'S CANNOT DRIVE IN THE FREAKING RAIN!!!!!!! If it is even drizzling you'd better just stay off the roads for the rest of the day. I've never seen such idiocy in my entire life. It can be drizzling and everyone has their wipers on high-speed (don't the realize this just wears them out needlessly?) and will drop their speed at least 20mph. Sometimes they'll just pull completely off the road and sit there. In Austin's defense, though, much of our population is from California where it hardly ever rains, so they could be the ones causing this. I don't know. Like I said, driving in Austin is quite an adventure.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by jread

In Dallas, things are a little better. The problem there is that there is this snooty sense of "entitlement" from all the people in BMW's and Mercedes. They will cut you off without even looking to see if you're there. It is just your job to stay out of their way. I find that people are more rude in Dallas than in Houston.

Hey , I have one of those cars and I don't drive like that. Never have not even in my Suburban. I use my signals and always have. What I have found to be more the problem and even more so when in my BMW is I will need to get over so I will signal, the morons beside me will on purpose move to where I can not get over and stay there. Hello, I was being nice and signaling and planning ahead because I needed to get over. Same goes for merging onto of off the highway, discourteous people that will intentionly keep you from getting over. Then you have the people that drive w/ blinders on and have no clue of what is beside them, so they sit in your blind spot and will not move. I never do this as it is a good way to get hit. I'd say this is the rude element. We also had the moron one time while in the Suburban that our lane was going to be ending so hubby was going to get over and their was a small p/u in the lane we needed into but w/ more than ample room and a semi behind us. This moron that it was funny to get up to keep us from getting over and laughed hard as the semi almost took us all out. Sick people out there.

Overall I'd say more cluelessness over rude. People that wake up and realize that is their turn or exit and streak across three lanes of traffic w/o a care who or what they are doing.

[movin'out]

Sorry! My town has the worst drivers hands down! (Cape Girardeau, MO) While talking on their cell phones or listening to music that is both startling and deafening as they approach you from behind, they're really good at running lights, stop signs, changing lanes without looking much less signalling and pretending to not see that they have run you off the road! You have to drive very defensively in this town. However, amazingly enough, you don't hear about road rage or during the five years I've lived here I've only heard (honest to God!) one or two persons honk their horn! mmmmmmmm interesting.

[BobTex]

I get along with the other drivers in Houston well enough even though there is aggressive driving tactics(fits my style).....as stated above the issue is construction and sudden lane changes/endings. Dallas has the market on arrogant drivers I think. Austin drivers (I go there rather infrequently) drive me up the wall.......seems to be no rhyme or reason in their driving habits. I hate driving in Austin the most.