Seattle Area Driver Sins (Bothell: how much, home, living in)

[revelated]

I admit, I haven't been here long. But I'm appalled at what I've seen so far. Worse than San Diego had in over 30-some years of living there.

I'd like input on why people do these things. Is the driver's ed out here insufficient? Are the teachers just weed-smoking hipsters?

• Car exits, then apparently, suddenly, realizes they have taken the wrong ramp...so they BACK DOWN IT AND ONTO THE FREEWAY despite traffic conditions.
• Cars, bumper-to-bumper in traffic, suddenly hitting the gas and rear-ending each other. You had ONE thing to F'n do - KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE.
• Car, driving slowly, takes major single lane road. Passes 2-4 open parking lots and side streets....only to break down, blocking the major road. IF YOU KNOW YOUR CAR IS DYING ON YOU WHY ARE YOU NOT PULLING OFF ONTO A SIDE STREET?
• Cars catching fire - IN THE RAIN. It's not hard, people...WATER....COOLANT. Every 10,000 miles.
• When the weather changes - ONLY when the weather changes...accidents SPIKE. There were a total of NINE accidents on the way home today....within a 60 mile radius. CLEAR skies.

[seattlerain]

I've lived in many cities around the country and have witnessed all of the "sins" you have listed.

They are not exclusive to the Seattle area.

[kaday]

Actually what I really like about Seattle drivers is that when a merge is occurring (like after a bridge has been up or a lane is unexpectedly closed) almost always everyone lets the "mergers" in every other car. Its very polite. I have not experienced that anywhere else.

[portlanderinOC]

Originally Posted by kaday

Actually what I really like about Seattle drivers is that when a merge is occurring (like after a bridge has been up or a lane is unexpectedly closed) almost always everyone lets the "mergers" in every other car. Its very polite. I have not experienced that anywhere else.

What annoys me is how mergers here don't seem to understand that the merge lane is used to get up to the same speed as the other drivers, then people let them in and it slows down traffic.

Another thing that annoys me is one second everyone is going 5 miles over the speed limit, then randomly go down to 10 miles under the limit with almost no warning; half the time it's caused by a cop, but what people don't realise is a cop CAN'T pull you over for going the speed limit (mind you, this is during the summer, NOT when it's raining heavily or snowing).

[Yakscsd]

Statistically the infractions you mention happen roughly the same in all similar sized cities. There is no regionality to driving habits in large cities. In the last century, before people moved as much, it was possible to see some variance. You still see some in smaller towns with less new residents from diverse locations.

Regarding merging, remember the Washington DOT supports the "zipper" method for merging, not lining up. So let 'em in at the last minute.

[Bimmerfanboy]

One would normally think that driving "sins" are not specific to one city, but I am a bit baffled by one of them that I only seem to notice in the NW. I've been to cities all over the country, and nowhere else do I see so many people driving slow in the left lane, driving in "packs" so that nobody can pass around them, and generally just driving like slow pokes and irritating everyone behind them. It seems like people are won't step on the accelerator out of fear that they may cause global warming.

Jokes aside, the real reason is probably because Seattle's highways and city roads (a) have low speed limits and (b) are very narrow, so people are conditioned to driving slowly.
In cities without all the restrictions from mountains and water, highways and city roads are wider. I find it appalling that a major route like I-405 S becomes just 3 lanes (2 if you're not carpooling). In any other city the highways are consistently 4-5 lanes in each direction. City roads are also 1-2 lanes wide at most and have low speed limits that top out at 40 but are usually around 30 mph. Like I said before, people just seem to be conditioned to driving slowly...

[Kalex]

they actually just started a "crackdown" on all the slow drivers in the left lane! Crazy!

the only things I think are unique to Seattle is how sloooooooow people drive - I seem to always end up behind people going 20 in a 45 on a sunny, easy day. An awful lot of people seem to have no clue how to merge, and slam on their brakes. I'm chalking that up to how many people here are driving for the first time in their lives.

Also, how much everyone complains about it. 9 accidents in a day for this size and scale of a metro area is pretty good compared to everywhere else I've lived. Major accidents are so rare I remember most of them since I moved - at home, which is not even sort of metro and barely qualifies as suburban, there have been fatal accidents a few times a week for the last several months. There's only one main road there.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by revelated

• Car exits, then apparently, suddenly, realizes they have taken the wrong ramp...so they BACK DOWN IT AND ONTO THE FREEWAY despite traffic conditions.

Let me guess, it happened at the hwy 18-i5 junction? I've seen it several times there. Other places, not so much. It bowls me over as well.

You want to talk about bad driving? Try living in Vegas. It actually made me appreciate the lame drivers here, lol.

[revelated]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

I've lived in many cities around the country and have witnessed all of the "sins" you have listed.

They are not exclusive to the Seattle area.

Originally Posted by Yakscsd

Statistically the infractions you mention happen roughly the same in all similar sized cities. There is no regionality to driving habits in large cities.

First off, backing down the ramp? I have NEVER seen that in any other metro and I've driven in most all of them at least once.

Now maybe that's because Western Washington is the only region whose freeway is not conducive to such mistakes, because once you get off the freeway, it's nearly impossible to get back on it without some effort - but STILL. You screwed up, eat crow, pull out your GPS or your phone and deal with it.

Second, I didn't say that all of these were exclusive to the region. I said that the sins are worse than San Diego at the very least, who has a California-inherited rep for having the worst drivers. I don't agree with that notion now that I've dealt with Washington drivers.

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

Let me guess, it happened at the hwy 18-i5 junction? I've seen it several times there. Other places, not so much. It bowls me over as well.

I've seen it there and Weyerhauser. More at Weyerhauser as far as the 18. But I've also seen it on south I-5 tons of times, I've seen it on south I-405 near Bothell....I even saw some nut do it on the west end of the 520.

[CanadaMatt]

Originally Posted by Kalex

they actually just started a "crackdown" on all the slow drivers in the left lane! Crazy!

the only things I think are unique to Seattle is how sloooooooow people drive - I seem to always end up behind people going 20 in a 45 on a sunny, easy day. An awful lot of people seem to have no clue how to merge, and slam on their brakes. I'm chalking that up to how many people here are driving for the first time in their lives.

Also, how much everyone complains about it. 9 accidents in a day for this size and scale of a metro area is pretty good compared to everywhere else I've lived. Major accidents are so rare I remember most of them since I moved - at home, which is not even sort of metro and barely qualifies as suburban, there have been fatal accidents a few times a week for the last several months. There's only one main road there.

Seattle seems like it is one of those cities that Autonomous driving is made for. The effect of these vehicles on traffic is going to be wonderous