Do people in Oakland County not know how to drive or is just me?

**PDXwonderboy** · September-08-11, 02:49 AM

I've lived in a lot of different places around the country, and I'm fairly certain that the whole of SE Michigan has some of the worst drivers I've ever encountered. I've only found people driving in Manhattan and Downtown Chicago far worse.

**Django** · September-08-11, 04:01 AM

Were not out to have fun wonderboy, were on a mission here when we drive. But hey, some ppl like driving Vermont style.

**Pam** · September-08-11, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by PDXwonderboy

I've lived in a lot of different places around the country, and I'm fairly certain that the whole of SE Michigan has some of the worst drivers I've ever encountered. I've only found people driving in Manhattan and Downtown Chicago far worse.

Have you ever been to Boston or Miami?

**sirrealone** · September-08-11, 07:19 AM

I used to live in Macomb County and moved to Oakland County four years ago. One big difference that I've seen is the impatience level is so much higher in Oakland County when it comes to waiting to enter a road. You practically have to tailgate the car in front of you, otherwise someone will pull out of a driveway or side street because they can't wait another 10 seconds. I have a two mile commute to work and this happens at least once each trip back and forth. People figure that they're too important to wait, I guess, and I never saw it until I moved here.

**rjk** · September-08-11, 07:32 AM

Bad drivers are everywhere, but I do think that the overwelming majority of people are pretty good drivers with an occasional screw up. It happens to everyone now and then.

The one thing I have noticed is an increase in is drivers behind me becoming impatient when I have to slow down to make a turn on to a residential street. I guess I'm a bad driver because I can't handle the turn at 40 MPH?

It's a small percentage of drivers, but the scariest by far are in Detroit. Scary not in the sense that they're going to cause and accident, but scary in that they're going to kill someone. Just last week I saw someone make a u-turn on a main road and proceed to scrap the car along a fence and then bounce it off a telephone pole as they maneuvered through a red light. I'm sure it wasn't their car, it had to be stolen and taken on a joy ride.

**detroitsgwenivere** · September-08-11, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by rjk

I guess I'm a bad driver because I can't handle the turn at 40 MPH?

I heard that. Maybe I just perceive that the driver behind me is being impatient, because I know I tend to get impatient when someone turns in front of me. It's not because I think the person turning is a jerk, it's because my gas mileage droppes to -50 when I have to speed back up again.

Originally Posted by rjk

Just last week I saw someone make a u-turn on a main road and proceed to scrap the car along a fence and then bounce it off a telephone pole as they maneuvered through a red light. I'm sure it wasn't their car, it had to be stolen and taken on a joy ride.

Not to dog out the young people, but I don't believe the secretary of state has actually issued the majority of Detroit kids an actual license to drive. Matter of fact, lots of twenty and thirty somethings I've talked to will admit that they've never had a license. Ever. They kind of see it as conforming to the man, and also see driving as an entitlement instead of a necessity requiring regulation.

Single parents don't help when they are giving the keys to their 12 and 14 year olds to run errands, I've seen that a few times.

And in the dopehoods, buyers will lend their cars to the trappers in exchange for goods, and the "custocar" becomes the neighborhood car. Unless the car is real clean, or the person tends to spend a lot, nobody cares what happens to it or in it. It's more common than you'd think.

**DetroitPlanner** · September-08-11, 02:08 PM

Oakland has more congested roads than either Macomb or Wayne Counties. This leads to people doing odd things as they are stressed out. In most of Wayne or Oakland you have collecor roads such as West Chicago, Meyers, Stephens, or Masonic, that take a lot of traffic off of the Mile Roads. Once you get outside of Oakland's SE quadrant these types of roads are nearly non-existent. Oakland also has a lot more hills and lakes than the other two counties. This means that the roads do not have consistent geography as they need to get around topographic features. This too leads to irregular intersections.

I think a lot of what you are experiencing is based on congestion and the average person's want to master it.

**Islandman** · September-08-11, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by Pam

Have you ever been to Boston or Miami?

Miami for sure. For a taste of that closer to home, head on over to Hamtramck.

**English** · September-08-11, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Oakland has more congested roads than either Macomb or Wayne Counties. This leads to people doing odd things as they are stressed out. In most of Wayne or Oakland you have collecor roads such as West Chicago, Meyers, Stephens, or Masonic, that take a lot of traffic off of the Mile Roads. Once you get outside of Oakland's SE quadrant these types of roads are nearly non-existent. Oakland also has a lot more hills and lakes than the other two counties. This means that the roads do not have consistent geography as they need to get around topographic features. This too leads to irregular intersections.

I think a lot of what you are experiencing is based on congestion and the average person's want to master it.

This. The more affluent areas in the OC really suck during rush hour. 696, 275, Orchard Lake... Sigh. Makes me glad I have a job that I love. It must stink to have a 9 to 5 that you hate.

Detroit drivers are just as bad, but there is far less traffic outside of the CBD. Midtown this week is terrible, though - I will be glad once the academic year settles in and folks know where they're going.

**East Detroit** · September-08-11, 04:53 PM

Why is it that every time I am in my Mustang I am surrounded by slowpokes, and every time I am hypermiling in my Focus I am surrounded by tailgaters?

**Detroitej72** · September-08-11, 05:10 PM

Traffic anywhere along the M-59 corridor pretty much sucks at most hours of the day. And if your trying to go anywhere north along the major roads in Macomb County during rush hour, well, your pretty much screwed.

**redvetred** · September-09-11, 07:01 AM

Spent time in New England, last Fall, and they firmly believe in obeying the speed limit. Rarely did I encounter anyone going 5 mph over rather 5 mph under. Oklahoma and Texas drivers see 75 mph as only a recommended speed as long as there's no cattle around. The worst I've found is Florida drivers - too many and too slow!

**Roq** · September-09-11, 09:16 AM

I have to drive into suburban hell every morning through Oakland County and yes, I can tell you the drivers here suck. Soccer moms with their monstrous Excursions deciding at the last minute to cut in front of you, gawkers,...I would rather drive in the City ANY day.

MojoRacer · September-09-11, 10:10 AM

Was the driver all leaned over in the middle of thu car?

Originally Posted by rjk

Bad drivers are everywhere, but I do think that the overwelming majority of people are pretty good drivers with an occasional screw up. It happens to everyone now and then.

The one thing I have noticed is an increase in is drivers behind me becoming impatient when I have to slow down to make a turn on to a residential street. I guess I'm a bad driver because I can't handle the turn at 40 MPH?

It's a small percentage of drivers, but the scariest by far are in Detroit. Scary not in the sense that they're going to cause and accident, but scary in that they're going to kill someone. Just last week I saw someone make a u-turn on a main road and proceed to scrap the car along a fence and then bounce it off a telephone pole as they maneuvered through a red light. I'm sure it wasn't their car, it had to be stolen and taken on a joy ride.

**Islandman** · September-09-11, 10:45 AM

The drivers I can deal with [[while actually driving), the damn roads, not so much. I had a garbage truck that hit some concrete "tumbleweeds" one the side of the road that went bouncing all along Davison. One of these conveniently found its way into one of my headlights. I guess I should consider myself luck that it didn't go through the windshield.

Since I've moved back I've had had to replace a taillight [[bumped while parked), passenger turn signal [[twice, also while parked), and now a damn headlight. All in less than a year.

**MSUguy** · September-09-11, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Meanwhile Detroit drivers piss me off because they act as if they have no where to go.

Is it that they have nowhere to go or their car can't go that fast? Far too many times I get stuck behind some shitbox who driver want cruise in far left lane on the freeway. Another thing Detroit driver love it is pull into traffic without our caring if it forces you to brake.

**jerrytimes** · September-09-11, 05:01 PM

People every where can't drive. Even today, I forgot how to drive for a couple of minutes.

DetroitPole · September-09-11, 07:47 PM

I can't really speak for Oakland County drivers because I never drive there, but if I had to generalize, in my experience, suburban drivers are extremely aggressive and city drivers drive like they have no place to be [[many of them, in fact, do not).
Besides the no-turn-signal-option phenomenon, I've noticed people seem to get personally offended when you try to change lanes and speed up to prevent you from doing so. I've had a lane ending and tried to get over at the speed of traffic and nearly been run off the road by testosterone-fueld SUV-driving oafs. It isn't a race, last I checked [[except for the ongoing race to move outward. What's next, Holly?)
What I think is universal is the total disregard for pedestrians. I run outdoors, and no one pays any attention to stop signs or turn signals. It is terrifying.

I guess when you have to drive half an hour to get anywhere you're going to drive like an asshole. Hey, it's the "motor shitty" after all. And it sucks.