Does North Dallas Tollway seem a bit dangerous? (Irving, McKinney: school, to live)

[EDS_]

Originally Posted by TXred

I wasn't going to mention this since I don't live there yet but...I was there this past weekend, including Friday, during rush hour even. I drove everywhere in the North Dallas area from Irving to McKinney and all parts around and in between. I drove on DNT, 35, 114, 75, 121, PGBT etc...I kept thinking what are all these people complaining about????? The drivers there are NORMAL!!!! Sure someone is going to pass you at some point, sure you're going to pass someone at some point, yes someone might be a little eager and get to close behind you...move over!

As an out-of-towner, I never once felt freaked out, or white knuckled, etc. And it was dumping rain on Sunday (we are not used to that much rain at once where I live). Also, I found the freeways and main roads to be so easy to navigate! I know this doesn't have to do with other drivers but...I loved that the roads are clearly marked ahead of time, the freeway exits and ramps are clearly marked, there was no mistaking where I needed to go at any time. I loved it!

I think with an area that size there's always going to be bad peas in the pod...that does not make it "The worst drivers in the country".

IMO people who complain about driving here have limited experience driving in other big cities. That's the only conclusion that makes sense.

[Gilah G.]

Op, I agree with you on the s shaped and fast drivers..but in my defense, I don't usually drive that stretch.
It was a new destination, I was following my gps, I was driving slower than usual to read all the exit signs. Cars were just streaking past me, but I was going about 55-60.
I am not a fan of DNT.
75 and 190 and 635, I'm more comfortable with here.
When someone tells me to catch the DNT, I find an alternate route.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by EDS_

IMO people who complain about driving here have limited experience driving in other big cities. That's the only conclusion that makes sense.

Agreed. When I moved to FL for a few years, that was hands down the worst state I'd driven in yet. Coming back to TX driving was great. After a few months though, it wears off and you tend to forget how good it is here vs other places.

[aznkobee]

Its the combination of extremes... really fast drivers and the really slow drivers together in very narrow winding freeway. Yes you can simply move to the right lanes and you can break and follow the same speed as the same 55 mph car in front of you. But of course it is what you can not control that makes the situation dangerous. It seems like there's always that car driving 90 mph that wants to pass the car driving 85 mph who wants to pass the guy driving 80 mph on the DNT. So when you have cars driving 55-60 mph on the middle and right lane that's when things can get pretty dangerous IMO. It just seems especially prevalent on DNT. I am not complaining about crappy drivers because that warrant another thread. I don't think DFW has more crappy drivers than other states. I grew up in LA area so I have driven my share of dangerous roads so maybe this is a sign I am getting old or I am getting too used to feeling safe here.

I drive an IS250 but I have no idea why my car matters?

[synchronicity]

Originally Posted by EDS_

IMO people who complain about driving here have limited experience driving in other big cities. That's the only conclusion that makes sense.

Having lived in Portland (OR), Chicago, Boston and New York, I believe (granted, it's just my opinion, that and two bucks gets you not quite enough for a latte at Starbucks) that the drivers here are, in fact, the WORST of any of those cities. I used to think Boston was the worst, but no more. At least in Boston they have the excuse of roads that were built following old horse trails or whatever that wind around and about and have bizarre intersections.

Oregon drivers are the slowest of any of those places, and they don't appear to use their rear view mirrors, either. I'm not a tailgater by any means but I suspect tailgating there would be as useful as radio for the deaf.

That said, (especially in light of the Florida comment), I've been told by people who've lived in Miami (I've never been) that the drivers there were far worse than DFW and were the worst of any city they've lived in, so maybe it's all relative.

(Specific things I see more often in DFW than other cities - speed disparities (the 90MPH person whizzing around the 55 MPH person on a 65MPH speed limit road), the "slow" person usually driving in a middle lane like a rock in a creek, with cars flowing around them like water, the "oh, look, there's my exit" last-second cutover across the painted divider to the offramp (I see this literally at least once EVERY TIME I go driving on the freeways/tollways), and use of turn signals here seems even worse than the other cities (I joke that at inspections "why are you checking my turn signal? Aren't we prohibited from using them here?")

Again, just anecdata and personal observation very possibly colored by my own biases.

[HockDad]

The rule of thumb is simple- you go as fast as possible in the left hand lane. If you don't like going that fast, scoot over to the right hand lane and let someone blow pass you. Don't go 70 mph in the left lane- you are asking for trouble.

[barnabasc]

It used to be that some drivers had manners and would let you in, and you would wave thanks to them. Now it's more like drivers shooting the bird than a friendly exchange.

[MckinneyOwnr]

Originally Posted by aznkobee

I drive an IS250 but I have no idea why my car matters?

It matters.

You posted that you think driving in the left lane is dangerous and you're going 80 and people are still tailgating you. I wondered if you were driving a vehicle that has any business even being in the left lane in the first place. There are a lot of cars out there that shouldn't be going 80 mph, much less ever be found in the fast lane. They are unsafe at those speeds. Kia and Izuzu come immediately to mind, as do jacked up pickup trucks and vans.

[TXred]

Originally Posted by HockDad

The rule of thumb is simple- you go as fast as possible in the left hand lane. If you don't like going that fast, scoot over to the right hand lane and let someone blow pass you. Don't go 70 mph in the left lane- you are asking for trouble.

OMG California drivers have NO knowledge of this rule!!! They will diddle in the fast lane forever! I usually just go around them on the right unless another slowpoke is in the right lane then the two of them battle it out see who can go slowest!

I don't know how people can stand this...if I see someone coming up behind me in the fast lane I scurry to get over to the right...I'm usually only in the left lane long enough to pass anyway, but I don't like having people come up on me because I know how annoying it is so I always get over. Do these people not care that they're p*ssing everyone off behind them??

[elan]

Originally Posted by aznkobee

Maybe I am getting old but it seems like Dallas Tollway is a pretty dangerous highway to drive when its not clogged with cars. I usually drive faster than average drivers but it seems like even when I am driving over 80 MPG I am constantly being tailgated by many different cars. It normally wouldn't be an issue if not for the large number of cars in the middle and right lane driving slower than 60 mpg. And then you combine with all the S shape winds of the freeway and how narrow all the lanes are, I am surprised it doesn't have more accidents...

It moves along pretty fast, I don't know that it's anymore dangerous than the other freeways. Back in the day, I used to speed, but it's too crowded now. I haven't seen that nice looking (as in handsome) black cop who used to hang up by the exit to Ojeda's. He used to slow it down, lol. Anywho, I go with the flow in the right or middle lane. Guess I'm getting old too.