Aggressive drivers in Texas? Why? (Houston, Dallas: transplants, to buy, live)

[michaeltx9412]

Okay... I've lived in this great state of Texas for almost three years and have been to all over TX so far - Austin (where I live now), Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, the RGV area, Laredo, the Panhandle area, etc including many other states. I could be wrong, but drivers in Texas are the worst ever IMHO. No kidding. I lived in Northern Mexico for 8 years and Texas is far worse than Mexico..OK I admit that drivers in Texas are generally more courteous than those in MX, but it ain't any better. Why is that? Why are there so many aggressive drivers in TX compared to other states? Is it because of the transplants from other states? Or is it just me? I'm just curious because Texans have been very friendly to me

[C24L]

I think the drivers here in Texas are pretty bad.I dont know how drivers are in Mexico though as I have never been.

[CosmicAries]

Could be the sheer amount of transplants moving here, or simply people just don't know how to drive. From my experience Texas has alot of bad drivers but I can say Florida takes the #1 spot in overall worst drivers in the country. Having lived there then comparing here, I would choose Texas a much safer place to drive in. MX I'm not sure.

[TexasHorseLady]

Having watched it happen over the years, going from "Drive Friendly, the Texas Way" to what it is now, I have to say it's the transplants. You get enough people from other states all crowding into the same place, all with different driving laws and cultures, all insisting on keeping the laws and cultures of where they came from instead of learning those of where they came to, and you're going to get a mess and that's going to make people cranky and aggressive. It started slowly, about 35 years ago or so (I remember when I first noticed a slight change and it correlated at that time with New York and Kansas license plates - the New York drivers were worse then) and it's gradually gotten worse and worse. We now have a culture where there are people who honestly believe that the speed limit (a) doesn't apply to them or (b) means the LOWER limit you're supposed to drive, not the upper, and people who are much more highly stressed than we used to be, and that creates aggression.

[Thoreau424]

If you are comparing TX to Mexico, than it makes more sense to compare the US to Mexico instead. Everyone knows that Mexico is more relaxed and slowed down (midday siesta anyone?) OP - what you are seeing in US vs. Mexico culture, not anything particular to TX.

I used to buy into the "TX aggressive drivers" myth for years, and then moved to another state and encountered really psychotic drivers. Nah, Texas drivers aren't that bad...

[rynetwo]

When our drivers turn into Miami I'll care.

San Antonio is a cake walk compared.

[radiolibre99]

I think it's just that drivers are way more impatient on the road. TX drivers hate slow drivers, are intolerant of the slightest incompetence on the road and will let you know. If you cut them off, they will follow you just to give you the bird. They will get pissy if you're not doing 90+ in the fast lane too.

Mix this with the more relaxed and overly cautious transplants and foreign immigrants and you've got a recipe for disaster.

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by radiolibre99

I think it's just that drivers are way more impatient on the road. TX drivers hate slow drivers, are intolerant of the slightest incompetence on the road and will let you know. If you cut them off, they will follow you just to give you the bird. They will get pissy if you're not doing 90+ in the fast lane too.

Mix this with the more relaxed and overly cautious transplants and foreign immigrants and you've got a recipe for disaster.

This - I don't understand why the transplants get blamed, I feel like (at least in Houston) people generally drove much faster in the 80s and 90s. It used to be truly insane.

In the rural areas I do agree that people generally drive more aggressively than in other places, but not ridiculously so.

But yes, Texas drivers do not have a lot of patience for incompetence on the road. At least they generally don't sit in the left lane going 50 on the freeway and blocking the road though, and for that I'm thankful. That definitely isn't the case everywhere in the country.

[radiolibre99]

The Texas locals don't drive terrible in the sense that they're incompetent. They're actually really good drivers but just aggressive and mean toward people they think are bad and slow drivers. If a guy driving a huge Ford F-150 is slowed down bevause of a slow going, overly cautious lady in a Honda going less than 90 in the fast lane, the F-150 will tailgate that Honda, honk at it, or pass it up and tell the lady to F off. Those guys love driving super fast in huge vehicles and will run over anyone that gets in their way. They're impatient as hell and can engage in some reckless behavior to prove their point that you're slow as molasses on the road.

[DabOnEm]

Originally Posted by Mr. Clutch

This - I don't understand why the transplants get blamed, I feel like (at least in Houston) people generally drove much faster in the 80s and 90s. It used to be truly insane.

In the rural areas I do agree that people generally drive more aggressively than in other places, but not ridiculously so.

But yes, Texas drivers do not have a lot of patience for incompetence on the road. At least they generally don't sit in the left lane going 50 on the freeway and blocking the road though, and for that I'm thankful. That definitely isn't the case everywhere in the country.

Well the speed limits were higher in Houston back then. They are what DFW has now (mostly 65 or 70) and DFW has a u5MPH tollway. I was over there in December and they are probably Houston in the 90s.