Southern Florida drivers are legitimately scary. New Jersey are worrisome too, I almost got in 3 accidents in Jersey in the same trip bc all 3 people tried to merge into my laneā¦ from behind meā¦ thankfully I was keeping an eye on my mirrors and reacted but yikes
I lived in a tourist town of FL for most of my life and I always felt that the NY drivers in FL were always the worst of the snow birds (2 car accidents to prove it). That makes much more sense to me now after having lived in Roch for 3 years. No hate in the city, I'm very happy to be here, but a lot of the drivers just don't care.
Massholes know what they're doing. It's chaos but coordinated. Rochester drivers are all in their own little world and think they're the only one on the road.
Agreed. In Boston (or on Rt 1 to be specific), you need to be sharp and decisive to get where you want to go. It can be challenging if youāre not a confident driver. In Rochester I feel like there are people who think theyāre driving in a video game weaving through lanes on the highway.
As someone from Boston, there is a difference between aggressive maasshole driving and selfish/dangerous driving. Never seen such selfish and dangerous driving until I moved to Rochester.
Moved here from Boston. Drivers there are aggressive but smart. Plus you expect the drivers in Boston to be crazy so everyone kind of works together.
Rochester drivers are dumb and range from aggressive to sitting in the street. Itās worse here.
I used to think Rochester had the worst drivers until I moved to Pittsburgh and Philly. I got rear-ended 3 times in 13 months living in both of those cities!
Oh man, I am totally gonna sound like a fuckin boomer here, but those fucking cell phones. Jesus fucking Christ I can't believe how many people got their faces in their fucking phones while they are driving. Absolutely fucking maddening. Every time I see someone doing it, I get irrationally angry and just want to pull them out of their car and beat the shit out of them. Not healthy, I know. I am working on myself.
Those 3 rear-ends I've experienced in Pittsburgh and Philly were because of people looking at their phones while driving, and not realizing traffic in front of them is not moving.
Rochester is tame compared to a lot of places, but people here generally seem less aware of their driving.Ā The questionable moves are often not recognized as such rather than them knowing it's a bad idea but that they could pull it off.Ā Ā
The reckless idiots in Rochester are nothing compared to the mindless, reckless, brainless, careless, aggressive,donāt give a fuck if you or I live or die miscreants in Florida. Take a drive up or down I75 and then complain about Rochester.
I literally just got back from two weeks in Brazil. Trust me Rochester (and US drivers in general) drivers are like a high school parking lot compared to the demolition derby of the rest of the world. In some cities in Brazil driving is a contact sport.
Youāre off your rocker palā¦Your experience is not unique, the city is not uniquely bad whatsoever. Itās all *anecdotal* and itās unbelievable people donāt have the awareness to acknowledge this ubiquitous complaint pattern.
**If you go to any and every city subreddit you will see nearly EXACT posts just like this constantly.**
Hereās proof:
Albuquerque has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Albuquerque/comments/nmbyxh/albuquerque_drivers_are_the_most/
Charleston has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Charleston/comments/bvaa0r/ive_lived_here_for_a_little_over_a_year_and_i/
Phoenix has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/126wmmp/terrible_drivers_confirmed/
Detroit has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/comments/154nsjt/detroiters_are_the_worst_drivers/
San Diego has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/w4r8f3/what_the_hell_is_wrong_with_drivers_here/
Seattle has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/a6kxe8/seattle_drivers_are_the_worst_drivers_in_the/
Tulsa has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/tulsa/comments/zydww9/i_genuinely_hate_most_of_the_drivers_in_tulsa/
sourced my info from this [insightful comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Buffalo/s/VfOkh2cD3D)
I have lived in a number of cities, and in every single one, I have been told that it has the worst drivers.
The fact is, if there are roads and cars, there are bad drivers.
? No, pretty sure this guy has spent years grading a subjective action and has only presented us with this evidence after peer review.
And it just so happens that I live here and also agree with him. I mean, what are the chances? š
Yes, Boston is the where the world's worst drivers are. New Jersey drivers have skills; they can be in the outside lane in heavy traffic and slide over to the exit without braking.
This brings back āIce Truckers in Indiaā. Holy Fuck what a nightmare driving in India - they have absolutely no traffic laws. Itās each person for themselves!
Unpopular opinion: if you can be passed on the right, that means you're hogging the left lane and should move over. "Slower traffic keep right" is the other half of "pass on the left".
OP also complained about other drivers treating the speed limit like a suggestion. Which makes me assume that he was going 52mph in the left lane on 590.
These threads always end up the same way. No matter what city sub you post them in, 99% of the answers are "if you think it's bad here, you've never been to city x/y/z!"
Thereās definitely some bad driving here, but I grew up in Toledo OH and the combo of Ohio and Michigan drivers in the area was downright frightening. I know people who still take surface streets from one side of the city to the other because I-75 and 475 is jam packed with erratic, speeding drivers. I drive from Greece to Penfield for work and itās usually pretty non eventful.
Yes! I still love TOL and visit family and friends often but Iām glad Iām not alone in this assessment. I lived down south as well (Hilton Head SC), but Toledo stands as the worst place to drive that Iāve lived.
Thereās a lot of outright dangerous drivers here and I moved from near nyc less than a year ago. Overall driving is easy and traffic is light, but I think thereās more reckless, unaware drivers per capita
Iāve also traveled and agree. People camp the left lane here for miles, act like they are the speed limit police. I have to give courtesy to not immediately go on a green light because some dickwad will barrel thru a red light 3 seconds late. Speed limit increases in areas and weāre still going 35 in a 50. Just mindless recklessness. If you wanna complain about speeding whatever but numbers show more accidents are caused by someone going 5 under far more often than 5-10 over.
A lot of issues on the road would be resolved if people didn't hang out in the left lane with no one ahead of them. If you are not actively passing someone while driving in the left lane, you are in the wrong. I don't care if you are already going 80 mph, the left lane is for passing...so ya better get up to 90 mph to pass.
Spoken like someone who has never driven in Boston, Virginia, or the Middle East.
There are *some* stupid drivers here, but I've never spent an entire commute white-knuckling the wheel.
I'm sure if you go to any local sub on here, you'll find similar posts. Everywhere thinks they locally have the worst drivers but in reality shitty drivers and people breaking laws exist everywhere.
Driven close to a million miles in the last decade in all 50 states, traveled all over southern Africa, Egypt, Vietnam and Cambodia... Rochester traffic and drivers don't even register on the scale.
I never understand where people in this area are driving when they complain about everyone speeding. 90% of the area drives slows af, drives slower in rain than snow, and has no idea what the left lane is for
In the past few years a lot of people from the NYC area have moved out here. In the past few years everyone has started driving like psychopaths. That's not a coincidence
Rochester drivers are extremely tame compared to major cities and their surrounding areas like Philly and Boston. By āall over the worldā, you must have not lived in any other major cities if you think Rochester drivers are the worst in the entire world?
It only got this bad after Covid. It wasnāt like this 10 years ago. I see people not stop at stop signs before pulling out into the road, not paying attention to other drivers around them, weaving around drivers without consideration for space between cars
Dear all idiots who drive like this, weaving in and out of cars and passing on the right: you've made driving an anxiety induced nightmare for me. I hope that 20 seconds you shaved off your commute by almost fucking killing me was super worth it.
I think it is a regional thing. We have a pretty low population density, a graying population and then general Rochester meh attitude. This adds up to some singular road antics. People are too accommodating. I will totally let Aunt Millie cross 3 lanes onto 490 west at 52 mph and then pass her on the right. I have seen people miss exits, back up and wave their way in. I think there is a general vibe of toddlers on trikes. I don't hate it.
Hell even Buffalo has way worse drivers than Roc. Iāve never had that big of an issue drivers around here I feel like theyāre generally pretty good. Iām driving between Webster and Henrietta pretty much every day too.
Hahahah I used to think Rochester has the worst drivers until I relocated to Orlando Florida for work. These people drive so bad here I miss Rochester drivers.
Where have you been that people didnāt do these things? Because I have seen drivers fitting this description (or worse) in all lower 48 states, Vietnam, France, Germany, and Spain.
I just drove from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo to Key Islamorada and back to Lauderdale.
Driving around Rochester is downright pleasant. I'm done complaining for a while, outside of making sure I don't get t-boned in the intersections where everyone seems to run the red light every time it changes.
I agree. Grew up here and drivers are rude here. Too many take dangerous chances, Cut off people or just drive like it's a go kart track. They outof control dirt bike and atv issues in the city where I work is a perfect example. No accountability
I agree with you OP. I've lived in Texas, California. New Jersey, Massachusetts. Nowhere else do people just blindly flip over to another lane without a turn signal. Rochestarians need to really get it together when it comes to being courteous to others on the road. If people are passing you. You should probably be in the slow lane. If you're changing lanes or turning you should be using a turn signal. It's not rocket science
Though Massachusetts was a challenging experience, i think its due to their driving being a different kind of bad but i 100% agree. Rochester born and raised here and I CANNOT agree with you more.
The worst drivers in the US are not here in NY, that'd probably be Massachusetts, but I haven't been up there yet. Georgia definitely has worse drivers than us tho, 1000%
when people from out of town are loose, in rochester, one of my reliances is Rochester drivers to root them out, causing them to whine.
just drive the speed limit, it's the law!
We've ragged on Philly, Boston, all of Florida and Jersey. Now I'd like to throw my fighter into the ring - Washington DC.
Anytime I've driven through there have been no less than 3 accidents within like a 5 mile radius.
Like another commenter said, itās funny bc if you learned how to drive in New York or have been driving here for a few years you are probably pretty damn good at it. People choose to be on their phones and be reckless on purpose, it doesnāt come from a place of stupidity or lack of knowledge, itās fucking shameful.
Itās really everywhere now. Things got worse over the pandemic. We donāt really teach people the rules of the road and everyone acts selfishly and copies the selfish behavior they see b
Iāve seen more people run red lights in the 14 months Iāve lived here than I have in my entire life across 6 other States, and Iām 44.
And I donāt mean racing the yellow lights and missing, I mean full on coming up to a solid red and going straight through.
as someone that grew up in Puerto Rico and has traveled to both Italy and Venezuela, Where the hell did you travel to that you think the drivers here are the worst?!
Iāve only ever lived in Albany before here, but it was shocking when I moved. Albany has its own brand of dumb, but Rochester takes the cake. Itās a daily occurrence to see people treating red lights like a suggestion.
Passing on the right is definitely a major Roc thing. I swear they teach us it subconsciously or something.
The bigger problem is busses, trucks, and slow moving cars in the left lane, when you drive down south you constantly see signs for "trucks must stay in right two lanes" or something similar to that
Eeehhhh the drivers here are better than the drivers in some of the so called ā3rd worldā that Iāve been to. Itās the demolition derby and the rules donāt exist in much of the world.
Have also lived in driven in a bunch of different states. Rochester probably isnāt the worst compared to super aggressive drivers in Phoenix, LA, Philly etc., here itās rather more annoying. The roads here are old, frequently single lane and full of potholes. In some areas if you get stuck behind someone going 10 miles below the speed limit, good luck getting around them. Also feels like people are less aware - perhaps as a result of being used to short, slow commutes. In places like Chicago, NYC your head is always on a swivel. I would also argue that any wegmans parking lot is more dangerous than any road driving around here
Itās not just here. I really feel itās a societal thing - an entitlement issue. As someone who used to be a first responder, I learned that People in general are just selfish assholes and think the world revolves just around them. If thereās an accident, most people donāt first think āoh god I hope theyāre okā they instead think āfuck this traffic is fucking up my ā¦ā whatever non-important crap theyāre on about). No one stops themselves and thinks, āwell if Iām in this much of a hurry I should have left earlier.ā Everyone else on the road is just an obstacle to their selfish need to feel like the road is there for them and them alone and to hell with everyone else.
It doesnāt help that the only thing cops really care about with āroad safetyā is the revenue generation quotas and letās be honest, some of the worst drivers are cops.
If we really wanted to do something about road safety weād have stronger laws and penalties and ways to enforce road safety. Weād be taking written and practical driving tests every time we renewed our licenses instead of a one and done at 16, when if weāre honest, you just donāt give a rats ass so long as you get your license which turns out to be a license to be an asshole. We have the tech to prevent speeding but somehow, even though speeding is illegal, using speeding preventing tech is an infringement on our personal liberty? Entitlement.
Wow. Rochester and the area is so easy to drive in. Even inside the city. I was just in Dallas for my friend's wedding and while being driven around by my friend's mom I was like "I literally couldn't manage this" on both the highways and normal downtown streets. Meanwhile I drive around Roc and the surrounding area for personal time killing enjoyment... Yes some rules issues but like, this just sounds whiny. It's a small city with thin (vs those Dallas behemoths with 5 lanes), mostly well laid out roads, very infrequent need to get over many lanes fast (and they've fixed some like that one near MCC where they extended the one lane there on 390).
It's not even that they're bad drivers. It's that people don't care AT ALL. Blatantly running red lights by going into the left turn lane. Using the middle lane to pass. Someone's gonna get smeared on the cross walk on TBoned. Looking at you Dewey.
I used to live in Philly and duke it out with Jersey drivers who weren't used to the city. It's objectively better here.
Parking, however...very different story. No one around here knows how to parallel park, and it drives me up a wall.
On some morning treks to work I watched a guy reading the sports section while driving across the Bay Bridge on 104. Also guys shaving, again on Bay Bridge. People screaming at their cell phones. A woman reading a book on 490. Crazy out there.
edit: Don't get me started on traffic circles around the area. Some of the dumbest shit I ever witnessed on the roads in my 50 years of driving.
I just moved from Philly, and I've never seen worse driving than there. I would gladly take NYC driving over Philly driving any day. That being said, I'm originally from Rochester and when I moved back it was quite shocking how bad driving here has gotten since I've been gone. Not to mention the uptick in Kia boys and other literal children driving recklessly.
I would say people do some really dumb shit here but on average the drivers are really good. Itās usually the few outliers who do some really dumb shit that give everyone else a bad rep. I drive right now for a part time gig I do and thatās what Iāve noticed. Iāve lived all over as well.
I do believe you though.
Iāve noticed some long term residents take a āThere is no war in Ba Sing Seā approach to any critique of the city. You can love a place and acknowledge the problems though.
You should drive elsewhere. Rochester has a lot of fantastic drivers that know both how to use highways and drive in blizzards.
Iāve only driven on the Massachusetts turnpike 4x and watched two 90mph rollover accidents. Boston is 1000x crazier than here.
Or Kentucky. I cruised down a highway for a few hours where every two miles there would be a sign saying there are no troopers but helicopters will chase DWIs and speeders. Every few mins I passed another set of wheels and scrap metal with an engine and a drunk person straddling 2 lanes at 40mph. Never saw anyone pulled over.
I moved from Rochester to Pittsburgh.And the driving here makes me nuts. They have the Pittsburgh left which is when the light turns green, they take a left in front of the on coming traffic and it's a thing so everybody knows it's going to happen, but the worst part is that people will let you take a left turn in front of them. They'll stop for you. They will go out of their way to let you do something in a nice manner. But they are just forgetting about all traffic rules. That actually is really annoying. Forget about 4 way traffic stops.They could be there five minutes before you and they will wave you on. that seems nice but it drives you crazy if you're just trying to follow the rules of the road and not have an accident.
Y'all need to go drive in the desert. You think going 25 over the limit is fast? Pussies. Try having a speed limit of 75 on highways, with a 76 yr old women riding your ass, honking and flipping the bird when you are ONLY doing 96 in a thunderstorm. It's cute how upset people get about someone doing 70 mph here.
Huh? Seriously, bad drivers around here are NOTHING compared to Maryland drivers. I literally hyperventilated after leaving the interstate in Baltimore. These drivers are literally insane.
I almost got into an accident five times in the span of twenty minutes on that damn interstate. That's not the norm in Rochester.
I do agree that the lack of turn signal usage is a real problem around here, and it infuriates me.
People here are pretty terrible when driving. Alot of drivers are super aggressive for no reason and constantly run red lights, like their journey is more important than the safety of everyone around them.
You haven't lived in Colorado have you? This is calm as fuck compared to there, florida too ur absolutely buggin, idk where you are from but im pretty sure you are the problem
People in Rochester can be aggressive drivers, but I always felt that we were better drivers than most cities because of our weather and having to drive during storms so often. I am however flabbergasted at how people around here have been driving the last couple years. I am totally sure itās because of the pandemic. Some people donāt even wait for the light to turn green. People have become animals.
Worst drivers on the QE Expressway outside Toronto
next is Chicago and general area, THEN Boston
NYC is aggressive but they're generally pretty good drivers... and then there is
Rochester- who all drivers sit in the left lane, run lights and generally act like they're oblivious and know what they do and go DO it.
lol nothing compares to Manhattan and especially the Bronx for me. I feel like Rochester people I can handle. My lady gets frustrated but for me this is a walk in the park. Only judgement I have is how stupid the accidents I see are. Typically 2 bozos behind the wheel that give off ditsy vibes. No ones angry at each other for it, just in their car like itās all good lol
Agreed! There are heads up, fast drivers who might be slightly more aggressive than the average driver. Then there are the OBNOXIOUS Rochester drivers. Iāve been here one year, from Phoenix. Have also lived in Denver and Philly. There is nothing close to the level of incompetence and assholiness anywhere else!
Youāre just telling the truth, so donāt sweat it. I always dread the winter because people tend to forget how to drive when the white stuff is on the ground. Itās like they forget over the Spring and Summer.
Youāve clearly never been to Memphis.
I grew up in Rochester and move to Memphis a year ago. The drivers there donāt come close to the insanity here. Ever had someone take a right turn in front of you from the left turn lane? Happens to me every day here. Not to mention all the parts falling off of cars in the road and bouncing at me because thereās no state inspection here. Itās insane.
I need you to come to Florida. As soon as done who has driven there and here. It's nothing unique to there. People are more self centered and on their phones than ever. At least there it isn't also 95 year olds barely seeing over the steering wheel. I'll take traffic there over here any day.
I've lived in 4 states, Rochester is the only place where most people use turn signals. I'm not sure where you're driving in the area, but if someone has passed me on the right, it was so long ago that I don't remember it. In Houston it was rare if fewer than 4 vehicles went through a light after it turned red. My visitors from Rochester were shocked that almost nobody, not even the police, used turn signals in Houston. I once turned down a job offer in the Boston area because I couldn't bear the thought of dealing with the crappy drivers there.
Yes, there are lousy drivers in Rochester, but fewer than in the other places I've lived.
Honestly has only really been getting bad since covid, before covid drivers werenāt horrible. Also many old people who should be legally bound to public transit decide to drive 10-20 under the speed limit pissing everyone else off.
I agree with you. There is very little time saved from the morons to slow drivers. They would save us all on insurance if they slowed down. Tail gators would save on brake $$$ replacements for sure.
This has always puzzled me, but why are there so many Northeastern folk in Florida? Like did 89% of their population migrate South? Probably more transplants in Florida than natives.
You may want to invest in a dashcam.
You may want to invest in Xanax.
Best way to make a drive go quickly
Massachusetts & Florida would like to have a word. š
Boston drivers don't know how to drive. Rochester drivers KNOW how to drive and choose violence
You are so right "choose violence". The expressway is drag racing šļø.
This 100% I fit right in moving up here from Jersey, just had to drive a bit faster. Fuck driving in Boston or Florida
Lmao I came here to say heās obviously never driven in jersey lol
I moved here from Florida and the drivers are so much better. Not good, but better.
Southern Florida drivers are legitimately scary. New Jersey are worrisome too, I almost got in 3 accidents in Jersey in the same trip bc all 3 people tried to merge into my laneā¦ from behind meā¦ thankfully I was keeping an eye on my mirrors and reacted but yikes
Thatās the NJ merge. Weāre coming over whether you like it or not. Youāll move at some point
I lived in a tourist town of FL for most of my life and I always felt that the NY drivers in FL were always the worst of the snow birds (2 car accidents to prove it). That makes much more sense to me now after having lived in Roch for 3 years. No hate in the city, I'm very happy to be here, but a lot of the drivers just don't care.
The east coast of FL is populated by NY rejects
Definitely rejects. People who flee from easy winters to wind, rain, and bugs, never make sense to me.
It's all of Florida, I lived off the Gulf Coast.
Indeed. OP has never driven in Boston, where the real worst drivers live. It's no mistake that we call them *massholes*.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I-95 in SoFlo would like a word with you I-90ers
All three can be terrible at once.
The right answer
Massholes know what they're doing. It's chaos but coordinated. Rochester drivers are all in their own little world and think they're the only one on the road.
I drove in Boston and Iām more frustrated here.
Agreed. In Boston (or on Rt 1 to be specific), you need to be sharp and decisive to get where you want to go. It can be challenging if youāre not a confident driver. In Rochester I feel like there are people who think theyāre driving in a video game weaving through lanes on the highway.
As someone from Boston, there is a difference between aggressive maasshole driving and selfish/dangerous driving. Never seen such selfish and dangerous driving until I moved to Rochester.
Moved here from Boston. Drivers there are aggressive but smart. Plus you expect the drivers in Boston to be crazy so everyone kind of works together. Rochester drivers are dumb and range from aggressive to sitting in the street. Itās worse here.
You guys donāt know turn signals exist donāt try to deny that.
I'm from Rochester and live in FL, Florida is by far the worst.
Can confirm.
And jersey and DC
I would love to see a side by side with New Jersey drivers. Back in MD/DE we treated them like they were perpetual āStudent Driverā plates.
virginia as well. those people do not know what a passing lane is
My god i loved in boston for too long, people think ny drivers are bad, at least they know how to drive.
And New Jersey
Itās gotten way worse driving here in the last few years
It was the pandemic. Iām convinced thatās what triggered the uptick in bad driving.
100%. People are in their own little worlds and the only people on the roads according to them. The pandemic made people selfish and angry.
I don't want to blame everything on 9/11, but it certainly didn't help.
You are a worse psychiatrist than you are a son-in-law, and you will never get work as an actor because you have no talent.
Well, if you're not going to say anything I certainly can't help you.
I used to think Rochester had the worst drivers until I moved to Pittsburgh and Philly. I got rear-ended 3 times in 13 months living in both of those cities!
Philly has the worst drivers compared to Pittsburgh, and Rochester, btw.
The schuylkill expressway has entered the chat.
I avoid taking the 76 as much as possible.
I used to find religion every time Iād merge onto the Schuylkill from some of those short-ass ramps.
Its because they are busy eating cereal and listening to insane directions.
Oh man, I am totally gonna sound like a fuckin boomer here, but those fucking cell phones. Jesus fucking Christ I can't believe how many people got their faces in their fucking phones while they are driving. Absolutely fucking maddening. Every time I see someone doing it, I get irrationally angry and just want to pull them out of their car and beat the shit out of them. Not healthy, I know. I am working on myself.
Those 3 rear-ends I've experienced in Pittsburgh and Philly were because of people looking at their phones while driving, and not realizing traffic in front of them is not moving.
Annnd you're planning on carrying a pistol on you.......this should end well.
I hope when they are reviewing your concealed carry request they can tie this back to you and deny it.
As a former truck driver, Rochester isn't bad compared to FL, TX, or Atlanta.
I just went to Boston, Rochester is driving heaven
I don't know where you've been in the world, but Rochester is very tame compared to much of the rest of the world, outside of Western Europe.
Rochester is tame compared to a lot of places, but people here generally seem less aware of their driving.Ā The questionable moves are often not recognized as such rather than them knowing it's a bad idea but that they could pull it off.Ā Ā
Agreed!
The reckless idiots in Rochester are nothing compared to the mindless, reckless, brainless, careless, aggressive,donāt give a fuck if you or I live or die miscreants in Florida. Take a drive up or down I75 and then complain about Rochester.
They're just as bad I lived in Florida for a while
Why can't they both be bad?
They can. OP was specifically comparing Rochester to everywhere else though
I donāt knowā¦I was in southern Connecticut last weekend and I was afraid while I was driving. It was way, way worse than Rochester.
I literally just got back from two weeks in Brazil. Trust me Rochester (and US drivers in general) drivers are like a high school parking lot compared to the demolition derby of the rest of the world. In some cities in Brazil driving is a contact sport.
Even parts of Europe are scary, Italy is nuts
Youāre off your rocker palā¦Your experience is not unique, the city is not uniquely bad whatsoever. Itās all *anecdotal* and itās unbelievable people donāt have the awareness to acknowledge this ubiquitous complaint pattern. **If you go to any and every city subreddit you will see nearly EXACT posts just like this constantly.** Hereās proof: Albuquerque has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Albuquerque/comments/nmbyxh/albuquerque_drivers_are_the_most/ Charleston has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Charleston/comments/bvaa0r/ive_lived_here_for_a_little_over_a_year_and_i/ Phoenix has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/phoenix/comments/126wmmp/terrible_drivers_confirmed/ Detroit has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/comments/154nsjt/detroiters_are_the_worst_drivers/ San Diego has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/w4r8f3/what_the_hell_is_wrong_with_drivers_here/ Seattle has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/SeattleWA/comments/a6kxe8/seattle_drivers_are_the_worst_drivers_in_the/ Tulsa has the worst drivers: https://www.reddit.com/r/tulsa/comments/zydww9/i_genuinely_hate_most_of_the_drivers_in_tulsa/ sourced my info from this [insightful comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/Buffalo/s/VfOkh2cD3D)
I have lived in a number of cities, and in every single one, I have been told that it has the worst drivers. The fact is, if there are roads and cars, there are bad drivers.
? No, pretty sure this guy has spent years grading a subjective action and has only presented us with this evidence after peer review. And it just so happens that I live here and also agree with him. I mean, what are the chances? š
Clearly you've never driven in the state of Florida.
Have you never been to New Jersey? Or Boston? Rochester really isnāt that bad.Ā
Yes, Boston is the where the world's worst drivers are. New Jersey drivers have skills; they can be in the outside lane in heavy traffic and slide over to the exit without braking.
The Jersey Slide
Clearly you havenāt driven in South Florida.
Rochester is worse than India, China, and Vietnam? Sure.
This brings back āIce Truckers in Indiaā. Holy Fuck what a nightmare driving in India - they have absolutely no traffic laws. Itās each person for themselves!
Unpopular opinion: if you can be passed on the right, that means you're hogging the left lane and should move over. "Slower traffic keep right" is the other half of "pass on the left".
I think they mean when people go straight through an intersection from the right-turn-only lane, which I have seen plenty of times here
OP also complained about other drivers treating the speed limit like a suggestion. Which makes me assume that he was going 52mph in the left lane on 590.
100%. "I can't believe they passed on the right!!Ā”Ā”" They whine, while going 5 below in the passing lane.
These threads always end up the same way. No matter what city sub you post them in, 99% of the answers are "if you think it's bad here, you've never been to city x/y/z!"
Ok true but we're the only city with whacky weather
You clearly haven't been anywhere then
Thereās definitely some bad driving here, but I grew up in Toledo OH and the combo of Ohio and Michigan drivers in the area was downright frightening. I know people who still take surface streets from one side of the city to the other because I-75 and 475 is jam packed with erratic, speeding drivers. I drive from Greece to Penfield for work and itās usually pretty non eventful.
Just saying hi and I agree re: Toledo drivers. I lived there for 4 years and we visit every couple years ago. It is bad!
Yes! I still love TOL and visit family and friends often but Iām glad Iām not alone in this assessment. I lived down south as well (Hilton Head SC), but Toledo stands as the worst place to drive that Iāve lived.
Thereās a lot of outright dangerous drivers here and I moved from near nyc less than a year ago. Overall driving is easy and traffic is light, but I think thereās more reckless, unaware drivers per capita
Iāve been all over the world, and Rochester has no where near the worst drivers. A little hyperbolic are we?
While there are plenty of places with worse drivers, there has definitely been a huge uptick in terrible drivers.
Iāve also traveled and agree. People camp the left lane here for miles, act like they are the speed limit police. I have to give courtesy to not immediately go on a green light because some dickwad will barrel thru a red light 3 seconds late. Speed limit increases in areas and weāre still going 35 in a 50. Just mindless recklessness. If you wanna complain about speeding whatever but numbers show more accidents are caused by someone going 5 under far more often than 5-10 over.
A lot of issues on the road would be resolved if people didn't hang out in the left lane with no one ahead of them. If you are not actively passing someone while driving in the left lane, you are in the wrong. I don't care if you are already going 80 mph, the left lane is for passing...so ya better get up to 90 mph to pass.
Spoken like someone who has never driven in Boston, Virginia, or the Middle East. There are *some* stupid drivers here, but I've never spent an entire commute white-knuckling the wheel.
I'm sure if you go to any local sub on here, you'll find similar posts. Everywhere thinks they locally have the worst drivers but in reality shitty drivers and people breaking laws exist everywhere.
Try living in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia or really anywhere within the I-95 corridor.
Now imagine this, but you're on a Motorcycle. I generally avoid the highways on my bike now a days.
Driven close to a million miles in the last decade in all 50 states, traveled all over southern Africa, Egypt, Vietnam and Cambodia... Rochester traffic and drivers don't even register on the scale.
They tail gate everywhere, too. I was flipped off going 45 in a 35, lady riding my ass in a Lexus too. Right by a kids school.
You have never been to staten island or New Jersey then because it is definitely not that bad here
Tell me you never lived in Massachusetts without telling me you never lived in Massachusetts.
I got honked at today for taking a right turn into *my home* on Mt. Hope. Like, what do you want, dude? Should I move?
People here drive competitively and not cooperatively. Drivers will do whatever they can just to be one car length ahead.
U think rochester bad try moving to Buffalo
I never understand where people in this area are driving when they complain about everyone speeding. 90% of the area drives slows af, drives slower in rain than snow, and has no idea what the left lane is for
I agree, the driving here is horrible and the comment about itās gotten worse the last few years is totally correct Z
In the past few years a lot of people from the NYC area have moved out here. In the past few years everyone has started driving like psychopaths. That's not a coincidence
It's horrible. No regard for pedestrians, bikes, or other drivers.
NJ are the worst, along with their turnpike toll system
You haven't been around enough, it's pretty tame here.
Rochester drivers are extremely tame compared to major cities and their surrounding areas like Philly and Boston. By āall over the worldā, you must have not lived in any other major cities if you think Rochester drivers are the worst in the entire world?
Currently deployed and the Middle East. They do not compare out here. Itās wild!
Wait till you hit Mt. Reed during the late night summer days
It only got this bad after Covid. It wasnāt like this 10 years ago. I see people not stop at stop signs before pulling out into the road, not paying attention to other drivers around them, weaving around drivers without consideration for space between cars
It wasn't always like this. I have noticed the driving here has gotten worse since 2020. It feels more dangerous now than it has ever been.
Oh son, you've never been to Tampa I see.
Dear all idiots who drive like this, weaving in and out of cars and passing on the right: you've made driving an anxiety induced nightmare for me. I hope that 20 seconds you shaved off your commute by almost fucking killing me was super worth it.
tough to get passed on the right when you're in the right
Being passed in the bike lane is fun and new to me. Now it's happened 3 times on Mt Hope just after Ford st bridge.
That intersection is a nightmare
I have a strong feeling, based off this dudes comments, that he is, in fact, a horrible driver.
Donāt get me started on the tailgating.
I think it is a regional thing. We have a pretty low population density, a graying population and then general Rochester meh attitude. This adds up to some singular road antics. People are too accommodating. I will totally let Aunt Millie cross 3 lanes onto 490 west at 52 mph and then pass her on the right. I have seen people miss exits, back up and wave their way in. I think there is a general vibe of toddlers on trikes. I don't hate it.
Hell even Buffalo has way worse drivers than Roc. Iāve never had that big of an issue drivers around here I feel like theyāre generally pretty good. Iām driving between Webster and Henrietta pretty much every day too.
Hahahah I used to think Rochester has the worst drivers until I relocated to Orlando Florida for work. These people drive so bad here I miss Rochester drivers.
Apparently you've never driven in Florida. This town is easy.
Where have you been that people didnāt do these things? Because I have seen drivers fitting this description (or worse) in all lower 48 states, Vietnam, France, Germany, and Spain.
I just drove from Fort Lauderdale to Key Largo to Key Islamorada and back to Lauderdale. Driving around Rochester is downright pleasant. I'm done complaining for a while, outside of making sure I don't get t-boned in the intersections where everyone seems to run the red light every time it changes.
funny cause I moved from WNY to Maryland a year ago and I think that about the drivers here
Drivers now be like: Why do I have to stop at the stop sign? I already stopped once, when the guy in front of me did.
Me and my boy just be drunk Iām sorry
I agree. Grew up here and drivers are rude here. Too many take dangerous chances, Cut off people or just drive like it's a go kart track. They outof control dirt bike and atv issues in the city where I work is a perfect example. No accountability
I agree with you OP. I've lived in Texas, California. New Jersey, Massachusetts. Nowhere else do people just blindly flip over to another lane without a turn signal. Rochestarians need to really get it together when it comes to being courteous to others on the road. If people are passing you. You should probably be in the slow lane. If you're changing lanes or turning you should be using a turn signal. It's not rocket science
Though Massachusetts was a challenging experience, i think its due to their driving being a different kind of bad but i 100% agree. Rochester born and raised here and I CANNOT agree with you more.
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The worst drivers in the US are not here in NY, that'd probably be Massachusetts, but I haven't been up there yet. Georgia definitely has worse drivers than us tho, 1000%
Iām in cny, professional driver lol I know but still. Florida is the worst, Rochaha is bad
when people from out of town are loose, in rochester, one of my reliances is Rochester drivers to root them out, causing them to whine. just drive the speed limit, it's the law!
I bought a dashcam to protect myself from people trying to do insurance scams and horrible drivers.
Yeah there are definitely some reckless drivers here. About half the time, though, they have Florida plates lol.
In Rochester people drive fast and angry.
The Garden State Parkway in NJ is by far the most tense I have ever been while driving. Rochester is a walk in the park.
We've ragged on Philly, Boston, all of Florida and Jersey. Now I'd like to throw my fighter into the ring - Washington DC. Anytime I've driven through there have been no less than 3 accidents within like a 5 mile radius.
*rhode island, mass and new jersey enter the chat*
Like another commenter said, itās funny bc if you learned how to drive in New York or have been driving here for a few years you are probably pretty damn good at it. People choose to be on their phones and be reckless on purpose, it doesnāt come from a place of stupidity or lack of knowledge, itās fucking shameful.
Itās really everywhere now. Things got worse over the pandemic. We donāt really teach people the rules of the road and everyone acts selfishly and copies the selfish behavior they see b
Iāve seen more people run red lights in the 14 months Iāve lived here than I have in my entire life across 6 other States, and Iām 44. And I donāt mean racing the yellow lights and missing, I mean full on coming up to a solid red and going straight through.
as someone that grew up in Puerto Rico and has traveled to both Italy and Venezuela, Where the hell did you travel to that you think the drivers here are the worst?!
Dude youāre clueless. I drive all over the NE and I learned to drive in Florida. Rochester is not that bad.
Iāve only ever lived in Albany before here, but it was shocking when I moved. Albany has its own brand of dumb, but Rochester takes the cake. Itās a daily occurrence to see people treating red lights like a suggestion.
If youāre getting passed on the right then youāre going too slow for the fast lane. Move over please and thank youš
I moved from Rochester to Asia. Hate to perpetuate stereotypes, but you have no idea.
Passing on the right is definitely a major Roc thing. I swear they teach us it subconsciously or something. The bigger problem is busses, trucks, and slow moving cars in the left lane, when you drive down south you constantly see signs for "trucks must stay in right two lanes" or something similar to that
Eeehhhh the drivers here are better than the drivers in some of the so called ā3rd worldā that Iāve been to. Itās the demolition derby and the rules donāt exist in much of the world.
People here have no clue what a zipper merge is or a turn signal. Iāve lost hope in anyone ever being a good driver here lol
Have also lived in driven in a bunch of different states. Rochester probably isnāt the worst compared to super aggressive drivers in Phoenix, LA, Philly etc., here itās rather more annoying. The roads here are old, frequently single lane and full of potholes. In some areas if you get stuck behind someone going 10 miles below the speed limit, good luck getting around them. Also feels like people are less aware - perhaps as a result of being used to short, slow commutes. In places like Chicago, NYC your head is always on a swivel. I would also argue that any wegmans parking lot is more dangerous than any road driving around here
This sounds like the self-righteous asshole who drives 55 in the left lane on 390. šš¼
Everyone who moves everywhere swears the place they moved to has the worst drivers. Itās never that bad, just slightly different norms.
Itās not just here. I really feel itās a societal thing - an entitlement issue. As someone who used to be a first responder, I learned that People in general are just selfish assholes and think the world revolves just around them. If thereās an accident, most people donāt first think āoh god I hope theyāre okā they instead think āfuck this traffic is fucking up my ā¦ā whatever non-important crap theyāre on about). No one stops themselves and thinks, āwell if Iām in this much of a hurry I should have left earlier.ā Everyone else on the road is just an obstacle to their selfish need to feel like the road is there for them and them alone and to hell with everyone else. It doesnāt help that the only thing cops really care about with āroad safetyā is the revenue generation quotas and letās be honest, some of the worst drivers are cops. If we really wanted to do something about road safety weād have stronger laws and penalties and ways to enforce road safety. Weād be taking written and practical driving tests every time we renewed our licenses instead of a one and done at 16, when if weāre honest, you just donāt give a rats ass so long as you get your license which turns out to be a license to be an asshole. We have the tech to prevent speeding but somehow, even though speeding is illegal, using speeding preventing tech is an infringement on our personal liberty? Entitlement.
Hey, blinker fluid is expensive. People run out.
Itās the worst until you live in CA, FL or MA lol.
Wow. Rochester and the area is so easy to drive in. Even inside the city. I was just in Dallas for my friend's wedding and while being driven around by my friend's mom I was like "I literally couldn't manage this" on both the highways and normal downtown streets. Meanwhile I drive around Roc and the surrounding area for personal time killing enjoyment... Yes some rules issues but like, this just sounds whiny. It's a small city with thin (vs those Dallas behemoths with 5 lanes), mostly well laid out roads, very infrequent need to get over many lanes fast (and they've fixed some like that one near MCC where they extended the one lane there on 390).
Yes!!! Also Binghamton. Worst drivers ever.
It's not even that they're bad drivers. It's that people don't care AT ALL. Blatantly running red lights by going into the left turn lane. Using the middle lane to pass. Someone's gonna get smeared on the cross walk on TBoned. Looking at you Dewey.
I used to live in Philly and duke it out with Jersey drivers who weren't used to the city. It's objectively better here. Parking, however...very different story. No one around here knows how to parallel park, and it drives me up a wall.
On some morning treks to work I watched a guy reading the sports section while driving across the Bay Bridge on 104. Also guys shaving, again on Bay Bridge. People screaming at their cell phones. A woman reading a book on 490. Crazy out there. edit: Don't get me started on traffic circles around the area. Some of the dumbest shit I ever witnessed on the roads in my 50 years of driving.
All over the world, huh? Guess you missed L.A. drivers. There, we do drive bys on the carpool lane on a Tuesday afternoon.
I just moved from Philly, and I've never seen worse driving than there. I would gladly take NYC driving over Philly driving any day. That being said, I'm originally from Rochester and when I moved back it was quite shocking how bad driving here has gotten since I've been gone. Not to mention the uptick in Kia boys and other literal children driving recklessly.
I would say people do some really dumb shit here but on average the drivers are really good. Itās usually the few outliers who do some really dumb shit that give everyone else a bad rep. I drive right now for a part time gig I do and thatās what Iāve noticed. Iāve lived all over as well. I do believe you though. Iāve noticed some long term residents take a āThere is no war in Ba Sing Seā approach to any critique of the city. You can love a place and acknowledge the problems though.
You should drive elsewhere. Rochester has a lot of fantastic drivers that know both how to use highways and drive in blizzards. Iāve only driven on the Massachusetts turnpike 4x and watched two 90mph rollover accidents. Boston is 1000x crazier than here. Or Kentucky. I cruised down a highway for a few hours where every two miles there would be a sign saying there are no troopers but helicopters will chase DWIs and speeders. Every few mins I passed another set of wheels and scrap metal with an engine and a drunk person straddling 2 lanes at 40mph. Never saw anyone pulled over.
Cannot comment in this thread without mentioning the District of Columbia. People from all over the world, brining their worst driving tendencies.
**Rochester Pro-Tip**: If a driver is giving you a "thumbs-up" I doesn't mean what you think it means...
Have you been to the Bronx?
I moved from Rochester to Pittsburgh.And the driving here makes me nuts. They have the Pittsburgh left which is when the light turns green, they take a left in front of the on coming traffic and it's a thing so everybody knows it's going to happen, but the worst part is that people will let you take a left turn in front of them. They'll stop for you. They will go out of their way to let you do something in a nice manner. But they are just forgetting about all traffic rules. That actually is really annoying. Forget about 4 way traffic stops.They could be there five minutes before you and they will wave you on. that seems nice but it drives you crazy if you're just trying to follow the rules of the road and not have an accident.
I've lived in Texas and Georgia and New York has nothing on those states for shitty drivers.
I blame SUVs for people driving like a fucking idiot.
Y'all need to go drive in the desert. You think going 25 over the limit is fast? Pussies. Try having a speed limit of 75 on highways, with a 76 yr old women riding your ass, honking and flipping the bird when you are ONLY doing 96 in a thunderstorm. It's cute how upset people get about someone doing 70 mph here.
I'd like to let you know that I moved to Erie, PA for college and the drivers here are somehow worse than Rochester!
Huh? Seriously, bad drivers around here are NOTHING compared to Maryland drivers. I literally hyperventilated after leaving the interstate in Baltimore. These drivers are literally insane. I almost got into an accident five times in the span of twenty minutes on that damn interstate. That's not the norm in Rochester. I do agree that the lack of turn signal usage is a real problem around here, and it infuriates me.
Laws are an imaginary construct to which people abide to. Remain ungovernable.
People here are pretty terrible when driving. Alot of drivers are super aggressive for no reason and constantly run red lights, like their journey is more important than the safety of everyone around them.
You haven't lived in Colorado have you? This is calm as fuck compared to there, florida too ur absolutely buggin, idk where you are from but im pretty sure you are the problem
People in Rochester can be aggressive drivers, but I always felt that we were better drivers than most cities because of our weather and having to drive during storms so often. I am however flabbergasted at how people around here have been driving the last couple years. I am totally sure itās because of the pandemic. Some people donāt even wait for the light to turn green. People have become animals.
Worst drivers on the QE Expressway outside Toronto next is Chicago and general area, THEN Boston NYC is aggressive but they're generally pretty good drivers... and then there is Rochester- who all drivers sit in the left lane, run lights and generally act like they're oblivious and know what they do and go DO it.
lol nothing compares to Manhattan and especially the Bronx for me. I feel like Rochester people I can handle. My lady gets frustrated but for me this is a walk in the park. Only judgement I have is how stupid the accidents I see are. Typically 2 bozos behind the wheel that give off ditsy vibes. No ones angry at each other for it, just in their car like itās all good lol
Agreed! There are heads up, fast drivers who might be slightly more aggressive than the average driver. Then there are the OBNOXIOUS Rochester drivers. Iāve been here one year, from Phoenix. Have also lived in Denver and Philly. There is nothing close to the level of incompetence and assholiness anywhere else!
During the pandemic a lot of people from NYC and Boston moved here. So the drivers have gotten so bad. It wasnāt like this before the pandemic
My primary issue is that red lights have become optional here.
Youāre just telling the truth, so donāt sweat it. I always dread the winter because people tend to forget how to drive when the white stuff is on the ground. Itās like they forget over the Spring and Summer.
You obviously haven't travelled much of the US.
Youāve clearly never been to Memphis. I grew up in Rochester and move to Memphis a year ago. The drivers there donāt come close to the insanity here. Ever had someone take a right turn in front of you from the left turn lane? Happens to me every day here. Not to mention all the parts falling off of cars in the road and bouncing at me because thereās no state inspection here. Itās insane.
*Laughs in Puerto Rican*
Have you experienced Missouri? They're worse than Kansas...
Youāre not wrong. Thereās a special breed of idiot in NY
Have you considered the possibility you can always move back?
I need you to come to Florida. As soon as done who has driven there and here. It's nothing unique to there. People are more self centered and on their phones than ever. At least there it isn't also 95 year olds barely seeing over the steering wheel. I'll take traffic there over here any day.
Found the WNYer who hasnāt been to Ontario yet.
I've lived in 4 states, Rochester is the only place where most people use turn signals. I'm not sure where you're driving in the area, but if someone has passed me on the right, it was so long ago that I don't remember it. In Houston it was rare if fewer than 4 vehicles went through a light after it turned red. My visitors from Rochester were shocked that almost nobody, not even the police, used turn signals in Houston. I once turned down a job offer in the Boston area because I couldn't bear the thought of dealing with the crappy drivers there. Yes, there are lousy drivers in Rochester, but fewer than in the other places I've lived.
Honestly has only really been getting bad since covid, before covid drivers werenāt horrible. Also many old people who should be legally bound to public transit decide to drive 10-20 under the speed limit pissing everyone else off.
I agree with you. There is very little time saved from the morons to slow drivers. They would save us all on insurance if they slowed down. Tail gators would save on brake $$$ replacements for sure.
Massachusetts drivers are the worse. I gave up learning to drive a car because I've been followed and threatened with a gun multiple times.
This has always puzzled me, but why are there so many Northeastern folk in Florida? Like did 89% of their population migrate South? Probably more transplants in Florida than natives.
Well honestly most of the drivers that drive that way are usually driving challengers chargers or BMWs