Best and worst drivers by state.

[ChrisV]

Yes, New Jersey roads are ridiculous.  I remember driving someone from Jersey around who was shocked to see me make a left turn.  He'd never seen it done before.

Yeah, Jersey has its jughandles, where you get in the right lane, turn right into the jughandle to circle around and cross again to make your left turn. MD drivers have decided that that's too complex and takes too much time, so they merely turn left from the right hand lane across in front of you (and conversely, take a "free right" from the left turn lane...) Considering I've seen them do both in front of police officers with no repercussions, I'm going to have to assume that it's in the manual somewhere... lol!

[Raza]

Yeah, Jersey has its jughandles, where you get in the right lane, turn right into the jughandle to circle around and cross again to make your left turn. MD drivers have decided that that's too complex and takes too much time, so they merely turn left from the right hand lane across in front of you (and conversely, take a "free right" from the left turn lane...) Considering I've seen them do both in front of police officers with no repercussions, I'm going to have to assume that it's in the manual somewhere... lol!

When I was in MD, I stuck to the highways.  The drivers there seemed fine!  DC was the worst part of that trip. 

[r0tor]

"ongratulations, New Jersey drivers! You are officially the worst drivers in the United States!

captain obvious to the rescue!!

[r0tor]

Through O.C on the toll road or I-5 from the power plant north through Torrance on the 405 has the fastest drivers I've seen anywhere. 85 is the speed of traffic. haha

No lie... I-95 just north of Baltimore I gradually incresed my cruise control to 90mph and was still getting passed by just about everyone

[omicron]

Yeah, Jersey has its jughandles, where you get in the right lane, turn right into the jughandle to circle around and cross again to make your left turn. MD drivers have decided that that's too complex and takes too much time, so they merely turn left from the right hand lane across in front of you (and conversely, take a "free right" from the left turn lane...) Considering I've seen them do both in front of police officers with no repercussions, I'm going to have to assume that it's in the manual somewhere... lol!

I had to look that up on Wiki to work out what on earth you were talking about. A bit like a Melbourne hook-turn with its own slip-lane, it seems. I'd imagine the hook-turn is far more hilarious when you do it the first few times, though, because all the action takes place right in the middle of the intersection.

For those playing at home, a hook-turn for those driving on the right looks like this:



Parked at the front of the queue waiting to turn is always fun when cars pull up inches away from the driver's door.

[S204STi]

While New Jersey drivers don't deserve a pass, our state has some of the strangest obstacles on our roadways that you simply don't find anywhere else. For example, for several decades turning lanes were outlawed, and traffic was redirected through half-circles called "jug handles" to make a turn - sometimes two at a time to make a complete U-Turn. Then, in some areas, they got rid of the circles and made strange traffic light patterns that had traffic flowing forward, left, right and in up to two diagonal directions all at once.

Most New Jersey drivers just got with the flow of things and try to stay alive rather than pay much attention to official rules.

Another reason to stay out of that place.

[93JC]

I had to look that up on Wiki to work out what on earth you were talking about. A bit like a Melbourne hook-turn with its own slip-lane, it seems. I'd imagine the hook-turn is far more hilarious when you do it the first few times, though, because all the action takes place right in the middle of the intersection.

For those playing at home, a hook-turn for those driving on the right looks like this:

That is perhaps the single stupidest thing I have ever seen.

[S204STi]

That is perhaps the single stupidest thing I have ever seen.

+1

I still have a hard time comprehending how that is supposed to safely work.

[S204STi]

Also fucked up but slightly more logical solution: Michigan Left

[93JC]

I mean, who in their right mind thinks cutting across two lanes of traffic to make a left turn is a good idea? I could see this being necessary in places with trams/trolleys in the middle lanes, but for regular old car traffic? Dumb.

People around here constantly bitch about our road system, but given the alternatives I think we're doing just fine.

[omicron]

That is perhaps the single stupidest thing I have ever seen.

The map leaves out one crucial part - the tramline running down the centre lanes of the road. The idea is that the tram does not have to wait for drivers banked up in the left lane waiting to turn left, so instead drivers wait on the right and proceed once the light on the left goes green. Once all cars have turned, the east-west traffic crosses as usual.

It's only found on Melbourne CBD intersections with tramlines on the centre lanes.

[omicron]

Oh, and obviously I've reversed all the directions for your added convenience.

[93JC]

+1

I still have a hard time comprehending how that is supposed to safely work.

If you're making a left turn you stay in the right lane, pull into the intersection when you have a green light, sit and wait in front of traffic to your right, and then pull a sharp left when the lights change and the traffic on the road you're turning onto has a green.

I understand why they'd do it: if you have two lanes the traffic in the left lane can proceed straight through and is never slowed by people waiting to turn. It must make turning an incredible chore though.

We use one-way streets here instead. That way there are two lanes of free-flowing traffic in the middle and the two outside lanes are used for turning.

[Byteme]

If you're making a left turn you stay in the right lane, pull into the intersection when you have a green light, sit and wait in front of traffic to your right, and then pull a sharp left when the lights change and the traffic on the road you're turning onto has a green.

Not directed at you but that's the stupidist thing I've heard of this week.

[93JC]

The map leaves out one crucial part - the tramline running down the centre lanes of the road. The idea is that the tram does not have to wait for drivers banked up in the left lane waiting to turn left, so instead drivers wait on the right and proceed once the light on the left goes green. Once all cars have turned, the east-west traffic crosses as usual.

It's only found on Melbourne CBD intersections with tramlines on the centre lanes.

I mean, who in their right mind thinks cutting across two lanes of traffic to make a left turn is a good idea? I could see this being necessary in places with trams/trolleys in the middle lanes, but for regular old car traffic? Dumb.

I'm smarter than the average bear.

[Tave]

Doesn't that make right (left in OZ) turns really difficult at times?

[omicron]

Doesn't that make right (left in OZ) turns really difficult at times?

There are only 20-ish such intersections in the middle of Melbourne and one in Adelaide (for buses only), so as long as you know that you're coming up to a hook-turn intersection and stay close to the kerbside, all you're really doing is making the same turn from a bit further over than normal.

In the suburbs, it's every man and tram for himself:

[omicron]

I'm smarter than the average bear.

[BimmerM3]

Yeah- I missed that one to 3 seconds isn't enough time to be "safe" in most cases.  Maybe in areas where speed limits are lower but certainly not where it's 55 or higher.

Actually, they use the 3 second rule as opposed to a distance because 3 seconds changes distance depending on how fast you're going. But yes, in theory, your car should be able to brake as fast as the car in front of you. That gives you a 3 second window of time to hit your brakes after you see the brake lights of the car in front of you.

I also missed the question about passing on the right. [Spoiler] I thought it was technically illegal to pass on the right, but I guess not.

Oh, BTW, that with me learning to drive in the #47 state. I'm actually a bit surprised we're that low. Sure there are a lot of idiots out there, but I always figured there were idiots everywhere. It's good for me thought - if I can drive in Atlanta, I can drive pretty much anywhere.

and yeah, it's pretty common that the flow of traffic in Atlanta is 85-90. I love it.

[93JC]

Twice ditto. Actually, thrice. It is bullshit.

It's illegal here, so I didn't know what to do with that question.