Survey ranks states with dumbest drivers

CNN.com ^ | May 27, 2005

[Straight Vermonter]

[bigsigh]

Took the train west to Palermo to connect to a flight to Milan. We got to the train station 40 minutes before the flight was to take off. One cab at the station. We grabbed it. Told the driver when our flight was leaving. I have never been inside such a wildly driven car. At one light, the traffic was backed way up. No problem. He took the sidewalk. We arrived with 15 minutes to spare. $20 tip. No real security check.

PS: This is post-9-11. On the AlItalia plane we were in the first row. The door to the cock pit was open all the way to Milan. I asked the attendant what the policy was. He said "I look at all the passengers coming aboard. If they look OK, I leave the door open." I guess the flights from Palermo must have MAFIA Insurance.

[Irish Eyes]

..........This was back in 1988 so things might have changed since then

Oh yes, In Phoenix things have certainly changed since then.

[freedumb2003]

I live in the DFW area and we have some real dumb drivers here

They drive SLOW (I curse the Nancyboy Texicans daily) and wait until the last second to change lanes for the offramp.

Many is the time I jhave been driving along the freeway/expressway and had some dumb-a$$ try to cut me off so he can make a 3 or 4 lane right turn to make it onto an offramp (I don't let them do it out of spite).

Jeeze, doesn't anyone in Texas PLAN AHEAD a few miles?

[blackie]

Oregon leads in something good, for a change. :)

[packrat35]

Memphis is one of the worst. I live here and people here just can't drive. Orlando is the only place I am been that is as bad. Probably because of all the tourist in rental cars.

[who knows what evil?]

I will say that, in my brief experience driving through New England, those are the worst drivers this side of Italy.

Easily explained...New Englanders are VERY Euro-centric (hence the socialist ideology). They identify more with Europe than America. Look at all the European cars...Saabs, Volvos, Volkswagens, et al. They are horrible drivers...especially people from Connecticut and the M*ssholes.

[armymarinemom]

No wonder long road trips to the south from Maine make me so irritable.

[DennisR]

"Northwestern states had the most knowledgeable drivers. In those states, just one to three percent failed the test. Oregon and Washington drivers knew the rules of the road best. In Oregon, the average test score was 89."

Concerning Washington (where I live), I have to say that even if many people know the rules of the road, they are still idiots. Biggest offense: 60 mph in the passing lane. These particular folks drive like they are on the salt flats - they are the only ones there, and no other drivers exist. Never look in their rear-view mirrors ("Why? I am in Drive, aren't I").

[Levante]

Hi bigsigh:

Wow. Interesting trip.

I was in Sicily for a few days in Catania, Palermo and Messina. In Catania, about 1/2 of all the cars seemed to be missing one or both rear view mirrors (the ones mounted on the doors), in addition to all the bumps and scrapes. It seems the Sicilians love to drive, well, crazy.

I rented a car and drove from one end of the island to the other (very beautiful). What's scary is that you begin to adapt to their way of driving - VERY AGGRESSIVELY!

Thanks for your post,
cheers,

Levante in Spain

[mirkwood]

[TheForceOfOne]

LOL! What does he do if they don't stop? chase them down the road on the horse making a siren sound! :P

[jws3sticks]

ping

[anniegetyourgun]

I don't know how I missed this thread!

I would have chalked up this survey to little more than a single-subject IQ test....but then I saw that W. Virginia was in the top ten!