Best and worst drivers by state.

[Rupert]

Three seconds is a pretty long time... Ten would be ridiculous. I can see four, though.

[dazzleman]

I was taught in driver's ed way back in the stone age that 2 seconds was the absolute minimum but 3 seconds was optimal.  That question I got right.

[cawimmer430]

I bet Maryland was ranked 10th because of IFCAR, who is always photographing cars from his Kia Sedona in order to give me a hard time in the Guess What Car American Edition thread! 

[Tave]

All I know is I don't want any of you inept, crash-ready bozos driving anywhere near me.

[S204STi]

I have never seen such aggressive driving as I did in Boston. I thought New York was bad...unitl I visited my dad's friends in Andover. The drivers in Boston where the absolute worst I've ever seen. People don't just cut you off, they practically merge right into you and force you to move.

It was insane.

I know I'm not the one to talk about bad driving, but damn. MA drivers were awful. Here in Cali, people just drive fast. Make that SoKal. Here in the Bay Area, everyone drives pretty slow. In L.A/O.C, if there's no traffic, it's Nascar. 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

I disagree, MA drivers are my heros.  They know where they are going and they GTFO of the way.  Almost everyone speeds, so the flow of traffic is superb.  And if you need to get into another lane you simply do it.  People slow down to let you in and then work it out without fussing like folks do here, because they are actually paying attention to the road; basically they take it seriously as opposed to the assholes everywhere else.

[S204STi]

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.

What?  I count to three-one-thousand behind a car at 80mph and I am literally 5 or more car lengths behind them.  That's a lot of space.

I'll have to test it out sometime to make sure.  But even 2 seconds gives me a ton of reaction time, again because I am paying attention to the road.

Then again, the way others drive I wish they would count to 10 instead lol, while they fuck with their iPuds.

[Raza]

I'll bet Raza got that one wrong.

Ha!

You really think that, don't you?

I pick up the PA driver manual every year or two to brush up on the laws in case anything has changed.  The only question I missed was the signaling distance question. 

Here's a question for you.  What do you do if you come to a downed traffic light?

[Raza]

What?  I count to three-one-thousand behind a car at 80mph and I am literally 5 or more car lengths behind them.  That's a lot of space.

I'll have to test it out sometime to make sure.  But even 2 seconds gives me a ton of reaction time, again because I am paying attention to the road.

Then again, the way others drive I wish they would count to 10 instead lol, while they fuck with their iPuds.

As I recall, in PA, it's taught as two seconds. 

[MX793]

Ha!

You really think that, don't you?

I pick up the PA driver manual every year or two to brush up on the laws in case anything has changed.  The only question I missed was the signaling distance question. 

Here's a question for you.  What do you do if you come to a downed traffic light?

If the light's out of commission, the intersection is supposed to default to an all-way stop, IIRC.

[Raza]

If the light's out of commission, the intersection is supposed to default to an all-way stop, IIRC.

I did that when a copper was behind me, and he looked very, very confused, as well as a little upset about me making a full stop. 

[S204STi]

As I recall, in PA, it's taught as two seconds. 

Same here.  Two seconds is a safe distance, three very safe, IMHO.

[S204STi]

If the light's out of commission, the intersection is supposed to default to an all-way stop, IIRC.

We had a major intersection go down one day last year... omg what a clusterfuck.  People flying through it while others sat there stupidly, and a few of us had a clue and just GTFO of there before someone got nailed.

[Tave]

Here's a question for you.  What do you do if you come to a downed traffic light?

Is this supposed to be a hard question?


I guess when you're comming from #36, it's a miracle that you even know how to navigate a working traffic light.

[Raza]

Is this supposed to be a hard question?


I guess when you're comming from #36, it's a miracle that you even know how to navigate a working traffic light.

Most people don't know it, considering the reaction of the sheriff behind me one of the times I've had to stop. 

[S204STi]

Is this supposed to be a hard question?


I guess when you're comming from #36, it's a miracle that you even know how to navigate a working traffic light.

Wyoming only has like 2 lighted intersections in the whole state man.

[Tave]

Wyoming only has like 2 lighted intersections in the whole state man.

Silence! You need to learn to treat your superiors with some respect, #15

[S204STi]

Silence! You need to learn to treat your superiors with some respect, #15

[Submariner]

I've never been to 4, but passing through 2 was almost worse than a day of driving in 1.

4 is awful.

[sandertheshark]

90%

I'll be damned if I stop for a jaywalker, and how the hell is using your foglights in fog a wrong answer?

[MX793]

90%

I'll be damned if I stop for a jaywalker, and how the hell is using your foglights in fog a wrong answer?

I believe it said "use only your foglights", which you shouldn't do.  You should have your low beams and, if your car is equipped with them, your foglights.

[hotrodalex]

I believe it said "use only your foglights", which you shouldn't do.  You should have your low beams and, if your car is equipped with them, your foglights.

Still a stupid question.

I got the one about the diamond shaped sign wrong. It was really late and I was tired, so I was thinking triangular...

[TBR]

I have never seen such aggressive driving as I did in Boston. I thought New York was bad...unitl I visited my dad's friends in Andover. The drivers in Boston where the absolute worst I've ever seen. People don't just cut you off, they practically merge right into you and force you to move.

It was insane.

I know I'm not the one to talk about bad driving, but damn. MA drivers were awful. Here in Cali, people just drive fast. Make that SoKal. Here in the Bay Area, everyone drives pretty slow. In L.A/O.C, if there's no traffic, it's Nascar. 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

Try Atlanta, I was going 75 in a 55 and got passed by a Greyhound bus in the HOV lane.

[TurboDan]

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.

[Byteme]

Hell yes!  Texas is 18!

Apparently they've never been to the Houston area.  Some of the worst drivers I've ever encountered reside in this area.

I scored 100% by the way.   

[Byteme]

Most people don't know it, considering the reaction of the sheriff behind me one of the times I've had to stop. 

I suspect most people know what to do. Their hesitation probably results from them being afraid the other person doesn't know.  I know when I come to that situation I don't assume everybody else understands you take turns.  I make damn sure some bozo isn't going to jump out there when I'm suppose to be going. 

[Byteme]

Still a stupid question.

I got the one about the diamond shaped sign wrong. It was really late and I was tired, so I was thinking triangular...

No it's not.  Using only your fog lights means you have no taillights and side marker lights on.  In the fog you want to see and be seen.

[Byteme]

Maryland state law allows passing on the right.

As does Texas on a two lane road with a paved shoulder when there are signs that specifically state you can pass on the shoulder.

[ChrisV]

Man, I expected MD to be up in the top 5 (or is that worst 5?). I mean, DC is mostly part of MD, so it follows that most of the drivers there are from MD (and northern VA).

[Raza]

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.

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.

[Raza]

Still a stupid question.

I got the one about the diamond shaped sign wrong. It was really late and I was tired, so I was thinking triangular...

It's like a permit test question, they're meant to trick you.