Tampa Bay back in the news for worse driving. (Miami: transplants, high school)

[The Villages Guy]

Yep. Drivers here are horrible, which is why I started this thread where "some" people swore I was wrong.

//www.city-data.com/forum/tampa...courteous.html

Looks like I was right.......which I knew all along.

[espizarro]

Yes, people in Tampa do not drive very well. I once saw a car hitting another behind when the the latter quickly switched lanes during a traffic congestion in 56th St.

[GoRays813]

Originally Posted by BucFan

It appears to be the college-aged or 20-something driver who doesn't have a lot of driving experience and a reason why insurance rates for that age group is higher than the rest of the drivers on the road.

When I was that age, I was driving on the autobahn in Germany. U.S. driving policies are ridiculous and absent-minded.

[BucFan]

Learned to drive in Deutschland as well - they have it down to a science over there. Requires your full and complete attention. And your car needs to be fit for driving. None of this over there...

[Spring Hillian]

If you look you will see your photo isnt taken in the U.S. The driver is on the right.

Originally Posted by BucFan

Learned to drive in Deutschland as well - they have it down to a science over there. Requires your full and complete attention. And your car needs to be fit for driving. None of this over there...

[Spring Hillian]

Since a good majority of the drivers in FL are from somewhere else to begin with, I think that the problem is elsewhere and the results show up when you have all the lousy drivers from around the world coming here to live and drive.

This was not a problem 20 years ago here.

Its the new implants and their home bred problems.

[DUNNDFRNT]

Originally Posted by BucFan

It appears to be the college-aged or 20-something driver who doesn't have a lot of driving experience and a reason why insurance rates for that age group is higher than the rest of the drivers on the road.

I always thought that Tampa has the perfect storm of drivers. You have a lot of younger kids, elderly, nascar dads in pick up trucks and lost tourist. There just isn't a way to tell what the person in front of you is going to do, in NYC or even Miami you can count on the other drivers to drive aggressively, here you just don't know.

[D-R-B]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Since a good majority of the drivers in FL are from somewhere else to begin with, I think that the problem is elsewhere and the results show up when you have all the lousy drivers from around the world coming here to live and drive.

This was not a problem 20 years ago here.

Its the new implants and their home bred problems.

It might not have been a problem in and around Spring Hill 20 years ago, but it was definately happening in Pinellas back then.

We moved here from Massachusetts in 1987 and both of my parents were shocked at the drivers then- of course, it's a lot worse now.

Road design..(or lack there of) has a lot to do with it-many of the roads up north don't allow left turns across traffic like on U.S.19 and also don't have traffic lights every 200 yards like through out Pinellas.

In addition, the amount of time spent sitting at red lights (especially going east/west in Pinellas) is unreal. I have travelled all around this country (and other countries) and have never experienced red light wait times as excessive as here.....anywhere....period.

The lack of traffic enforcement (especially in Pinellas) adds to the problem also. I almost never see anyone getting pulled over for reckless/careless or aggressive driving around here......just accidents and DUI's. Compared to other places I've been, I don't think we have enough traffic law enforcement for the amount of people crammed onto our roads.

[Spring Hillian]

20 years ago in Spring Hill you could lay in the road on Spring Hill Drive and not get hit. :-)


20 years ago I was in Orlando and it just wasn't as bad as it is now.

I blame the influx of people from everywhere blending their driving skills, or lack of them.

I find those who complain about red lights have a nasty habit of racing from one light to the other.

Originally Posted by D-R-B

It might not have been a problem in and around Spring Hill 20 years ago, but it was definately happening in Pinellas back then.

We moved here from Massachusetts in 1987 and both of my parents were shocked at the drivers then- of course, it's a lot worse now.

Road design..(or lack there of) has a lot to do with it-many of the roads up north don't allow left turns across traffic like on U.S.19 and also don't have traffic lights every 200 yards like through out Pinellas.

In addition, the amount of time spent sitting at red lights (especially going east/west in Pinellas) is unreal. I have travelled all around this country (and other countries) and have never experienced red light wait times as excessive as here.....anywhere....period.

The lack of traffic enforcement (especially in Pinellas) adds to the problem also. I almost never see anyone getting pulled over for reckless/careless or aggressive driving around here......just accidents and DUI's. Compared to other places I've been, I don't think we have enough traffic law enforcement for the amount of people crammed onto our roads.

[BucFan]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

If you look you will see your photo isnt taken in the U.S. The driver is on the right.

Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the car that looked identical that I was behind while in Brandon yesterday.