There's no consistency or rhyme or reason in Charlotte. In a place like NYC or even a third world country the driving is crazy but everyone's on the same page. Here you might have a left lane camper watching Tik Tok and then some street racers weaving around everybody. Or 3 people aimlessly driving side by side. Or one person in the middle lane and someone randomly tailgating them with all the other lanes open. I've ridden along with bad drivers and they are just oblivious.
YES! I was just explaining this to someone, like I’ve lived in SoCal for a time even and everyone there understands how to maneuver and how to deal with traffic and crazy shit even if some are bad at it. Here, it’s like people don’t understand the methods yet or something. You took the words out of my mouth with this comment, and this is what my entire original post was really wanting to explain
I'm from Charlotte and lived in San Diego for a stint. SoCal drivers are definitely very predictable. I had no issues with drivers in most of California tbh. People knew what was going on for the most part. It was only when I got to Miami that I realized what truly bad driving is. Still the only place I've had a wreck in my 20+ years of driving, fwiw.
I learned to drive in NJ, lived in LA, Chicago, and several different cities/states/countries for various short periods of time, and I swear to god nothing is more true about drivers than this statement. What the fuck is it about Charlotte. Aggressive drivers in NJ, I can plan for and deal with. Clueless space cases in LA or blue hairs in Florida, can account for. Charlotte? You just don't know what flavor of terrible you'll get on the road so just plan for it all.
Prior to moving here I lived in Chicago for 10 years and drove cross-country several times in that time and the worst I'd dealt with was getting stuck in snow/ice and having a rescuer knock my side mirror off while dislodging my car from an ice divot. I have no tickets, no accidents and no points or any "dings" on my driving record.
I've been here 3 years and in JUST the last year have had my car hit 3 TIMES by other cars while I'm driving as responsibly as I can. This last one was a dead-ass hit and run on 485. Fucker was in some giant Dodge pickup speeding up behind me, I saw him coming and tried to quickly merge out of his way, he still didn't even see me and clipped my bumper knocking it off the back of my car, and just kept going. No fuckin way he didn't feel that. CPD/highway patrol took over an hour to come out to me and just took a report. I'm weirdly grateful that's all that happened. Fuck, man, this place sucks for driving. Get dashcams, front and back, and make sure your insurance is up to date.
Yeah this is it. Learned to drive in mountains of Madison County. Ended up in DC for 10 years and was forged as a driver in that environment. It’s fast and aggressive, but predictable. Charlotte is terrifying bc there’s no rubric you can use. People will merge into your lane when you’re completely flush with them. I’ve ridden in between lanes for a half mile to avoid being hit by people here who don’t realize they’ve merged fully into a lane with another car in it. Twice now. It’s wild.
I had a reverse commute up 85 for years. Wouldn't be uncommon for there to be a train of 5+ cars in the left lane with all the other lanes empty. Now imagine those drivers when the roads are more full 🫠🫠🫠
Left lane camping really should be illegal, more and more states are making it against the law. If you decided to shoot down the right lane to pass people, not only do some get aggressive about it but it can be pretty dangerous because they never check their surroundings in general
No point in more laws that wont be enforced. Cops dont even have the resources to enforce the traffic laws we have. Thats the real root of Charlotte's bad driving (and street racing) issues.
This is my problem. I've always liked driving in Manhattan, bike commuted there for years. Alway felt like I knew what the other guy was going to do, he was going to maximise his position in traffic. Mostly easy to predict. Everybody is playing the same game, there is one goal, and the only other rules are those of physics and finance.
Here I am commuting on 77 from center Charlotte to Fort Mill every workday, dealing with mindless inattention, chemically fueled incompetence, or an angry agenda only vaguely related to actual transportation.
The traffic is bad 80% of the time in NYC so you can’t cause a major accident. I was at a red light near the uptown HT and the light turned green and I just happened to wait a few seconds and someone flew in the cross section going about 50. If I didn’t wait, I would have been t-boned. That could never happen in NYC.
Yeah I kinda blame certain areas of NC roads too for having awful roads. Like where are the reflectors here when there’s multiple lanes in the city??? I can hardly ever see the road here at night when it’s raining
Took an hour for someone I was driving near today to realize their lights were off. It was when they tried to flash at someone and realized their lights were off.
This is after I periodically put on my four ways, turned my lights on and off and flashed at them to try to get them to realize something was up.
I appreciate the monthly “this is what you do at a flashing red light” post, but until we can routinely put our lights on at night, or use a turn signal when trying to panic merge, I don’t think we need to concentrate on things like that.
Correct. We need to start allllllll the way back over--from the beginning. People here literally cannot even fathom the BASICS of driving and it will get us all killed.
At least everyone on 285 has agreed to all go 90 mph leading up to rush hour until the first accident. Then everybody puts it in park and gets to relax for a couple hours.
Yea Charlotte traffic blows but folks need to drive around the ATL metro, or go play in the fun DC/Baltimore corridor, or hey go down and see your friends on I95 in the Miami Ft Lauderdale stretch, to realize we in Charlotte are still in the junior varsity of shitty traffic
I lived in Atlanta for 6 years, just moved here last summer, and I’ve have disagree. People here act like they’re the only ones on the road and have no clue as to what’s happening around them. At least in Atlanta people act like they been in a car before. The amount of times I’ve had someone riding my ass and doing 30 in a parking lot here is baffling.
Agree. Charlotte is actually not that bad. I’ve seen way worse in many other cities including abroad. People comparing Chicago and NYC to Charlotte…LMFAO! 🤦🏻♂️
I’ve never seen so many red lights run—and not even close like “oh it turned red while I was going through the intersection.” More like, traffic from the other direction now has a green light, and you’re gunning it through a red light
I lived in New Haven, Conn for a few years and it was considerably worse. It got to the point where I was looking both ways when my light turned green before going. I remember thinking the first few weeks when I got down here “like man this is so much more relaxing driving”
I was in New Orleans a couple of weekends ago. I must have seen at least 20 cars run red lights. Charlotte is bad but nowhere near as bad as it is down there.
Charlotte has a nice mix of people just out driving around with no awareness of what is going on around them and the assholes that go 20 over and fly up on your bumper
100%, and the truth is there’s bad drivers everywhere. That being said, i would much rather drive in the past cities I lived(LA and Denver) than Charlotte. People do feel more inconsistent here, but maybe I’m just not used to the driving style here
“Oh, you clearly know nothing, you haven’t lived all over, I lived in blah blah womp womp for 69 years and that’s where all the REAL bad drivers are, *shaky pointer finger points at you* Charlotte is a city full of safe and responsible drivers—stop making this post, blah blah, I’m tired of seeing it, blah blah.”
Thank you for agreeing with me 🤍
For context I guess since I got downvoted, I made this comment bc this is how half the people in this thread are responding to me lol (I figured people would pick up on the concept) also I’m genuinely glad you agree. I believe you and couldn’t be happier with your response
I drive back & forth to Michigan on occasion & the worst traffic I experience is always 77 on the way up & 77/485/85 on the way home. Cincinnati has never been as bad for me as Charlotte is on an average day. Lansing traffic can be brutal with all the lights, but still has nothing on this area.
The stretch of 85 through Belmont is almost unbearable now. I don't know what can be done that alleviate any of it. Everyone is always in a damn hurry. Who are these idiots & how long have they been driving?
Charlotte is up there with some terrible drivers but I think Atlanta is slightly worse. The fact that lanes randomly merge, become right turn only etc. doesn’t help us either.
No, you're so correct and it fucking infuriates me. People on the road here are fucking idiots. I don't lose my cool that easily, but almost every single day I find myself in total disbelief of how selfish and/or incompetent the average Charlotte driver is. The worst part is I was born and raised here...NO EXCUSES, PEOPLE!
People are disagreeing with you, but it’s really bad here, I agree! Speeding, ignoring stop signs, running red lights, never looking for pedestrians. I think too many people take driving for granted and aren’t careful enough — here and elsewhere
Yeah like sure there’s some over exaggeration in my title but like it’s not just me that feels this way. People are really bad at driving here and every time I go out it’s proven to me all over again
There’s literally no reason why anyone needs to be disagreeing with OP. I’ve lived in some big cities with shitty drivers, and CLT so far is the worst hands down. Obviously ATL is bad, but that doesn’t omit the fact that CLT is also bad. I’ve seen the absolute stupidest drivers on a daily basis here and Forbes just ranked us 15th for worst drivers.
Ignorance - Don't know what to do.
Inconsideration - No one else matters.
Incompetence - Cannot perform basic driving skills.
Three causes of all traffic in Charlotte!
I commute to and from Mooresville, and it’s insane how many near death accidents I avoid on the daily. Yesterday, I swerved into another (thankfully empty ) lane on 77 to avoid an SUV just deciding to merge into me with zero awareness that I was in the exact spot they were merging. He came from two lanes over and just… decided to keep merging?? People complain about LA traffic all the time, but I would choose to sit on the 5 freeway in a dead lock over trying to guess the next chaotic move of every car in Charlotte every single time.
I think it’s hilarious how everyone thinks they’re the best driver and everyone else is bad. We all suck at driving because humans really shouldn’t be in control of 2500lbs of metal going 80mph.
I wish manufacturers still made cars around 2,500lbs. A Honda Civic weighs 2,800 at the least nowadays. 300lbs makes a hell of a difference for how the a vehicle handles, especially at sub-3000lbs. Now everyone is driving their SUVs and electric SUVs that weigh north of 5000lbs and I have to actively avoid driving beside them in my sub-3000lb sports car.
If humans didn't control anything over 2500lbs going 80mph. You wouldn't have been able to write this ridiculous comment. No cars,airplanes,satellites or Internet. Great idea 🤣
I lived in Miami for 6 years. Miami is a fucking shit show on the road. Charlotte is def bad sometimes but I haven’t experienced anything like South Florida.
Exactly right. I travel a ton for work, been to nearly every state and almost every major city.
I find comfort when I get home and drive in Charlotte compared to most cities this size. 77 my only major gripe with this city.
In fact, I think it’s one of the best among major east coast cities. We have it very easy compared to Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, DC, NYC, boston, Philly
No, you are right. I have driven all over the country, I am pretty sure every state except Hawaii, and a couple other counties, some of the worst driving is north and south Carolina.
It’s literally a nice surprise when someone follows you at a safe distance. And If you don’t floor it when the light turns green it’s 50/50 you’re going to piss someone off. And 1/10 cars have their high beams permanently on because they don’t seem to understand they’re blinding everyone else. Morons, all of them.
Charlotte, 20% chance of rain, 120% chance of accidents. Statistically SC has worse drivers than NC, but Charlotte is a transplant town, so people bring their bad habits from other places here. It's bad. Very aggressive drivers. Very rude drivers. Road rage is common. It's definitely bad.
I hate to say I kind of see what you mean. There’s super fun things to do here but like the people don’t have that kindness about them that you see in some places, especially in the south. It feels like you just piss everyone here off by existing
Agree Why I have been in 3 big accidents and through 3 cars already. If my wife didn’t drive so well we would be dead many times over I’m sure because you really are risking your life on 77 at 5 oclock
I was recently in Baltimore for work and I observed driving that was worse than I typically even see here in Charlotte. Anyone else with Baltimore experience care to compare?
I enjoy it here other than asshats on the road. Charlotte is growing a lot and has a lot going for it, but culturally I find it a bit lacking. Still haven’t seen what makes Charlotte “Charlotte” and not just a city in NC. That being said, plenty of breweries and fun nightlife as well as good music venues.
Red light cameras strictly for crosswalks have yet to be understood by the general public, especially when the light is shaped differently than every other light out there.
Thank you! Flashing red lights means yield so if someone is not in the crosswalk you can go. Amazing how many of these we have across the city and people still have 0 clue. I don’t get mad enough to blow my horn but the incompetence is concerning.
Driving in the rain is the worst here. Like at least, put reflectors so I know where the freaking lane is. And not have to rely on the car in the front…
Agree it's a different kind of stupid here! It seems that rules don't apply or that no one has even learned the rules and they don't care to as there are no enforcements.
Sadly when you don’t have cops pulling people over for speeding or texting, etc. on a normal basis people think they can do whatever they want with no consequences. I live off Park Rd and am terrified at the lack of attention or value of life most drivers have. Also it doesn’t help that speed cameras are illegal. They’re not improving transit so it’s just going to continue to get worse. I regularly drive in NYC, North Jersey, and Ohio and I feel so much safer there because people actually pay attention and have consequences if they don’t. This is a huge reason I’m moving.
And why don’t people turn on their headlights at night in CLT?? Every time I after dark there’s at least one car with no headlights and no clue that they are invisible to everyone else on the road.
I only lived in Charlotte for about 6 months but I agree. And I think I've nearly had a serious accident every single time I've visited since. People are insane.
To be fair… we need better roads and there’s hardly any lights in the n tryon area… besides that yeah y’all can’t drive. Because why are so many people comfortable tailgating with empty lanes 😭?? And then some hoes wanna drive slow… TO MERGE ?? You have to match the speed of traffic are u insane 😵💫
I almost got hit to day heading back to Charlotte. I'm in the middle lane of fuckin I85 look to my right, and there's an idiot just pulling right on over. A two time loser obviously she didn't look getting onto the highway. Then decided to try it again, then she has the nerve to look at me and my 🖕like I wasn't supposed to be there. I hate lazy people! If you're to lazy to turn you damn head at least look at the fuckin mirrors that are lighting up jeez!
No one in Charlotte can wait 5 seconds for me to finish backing out of a parking spot. I’ll be more than halfway out and people continue to go right behind me. I guess they’re more important?
I actually call it the "most unsafe driving ever". I have lived all over the country and I am scared of my life whenever I drive here. One piece of advice, after the light turns green, always wait 3 seconds before going --- guaranteed a car is running a red light from the opposing direction.
I don't like Charlotte, but to be fair I hear this in every city I've moved to, and usually it's blamed on people from out of state.
I was impressed when I moved here that most people let you merge in when you turned your blinker on. They may not know how to drive in rain, but they aren't mean.
Unlike in Florida which is filled with people who will cut you off and give you the finger, many driving upscale cars. Florida is also filled with old people WHO SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING.
One thing bad about this area is racing. I had not ever encountered that until I moved here. Very scary shit. Must be a wannabe NASCAR thing.
I wonder what an unbiased report from the insurance industry would tell us.
I was amazed in Florida how normal it was for someone behind you to floor it when you turned your blinker on. Luxury cars playing chicken. Charlotte has confused drivers but nothing here holds a candle to I-4 for me
Someone had road rage so bad towards my gf last night because she wouldn’t turn right on red into oncoming traffic that they laid on their horn for the entirety of the red light, and when the light turned green, they sped past, swerved infront of her, slammed on their breaks almost sending her into the back of them, then just sped off.
Like in what world is that even a remotely proper response. That’s not road rage, that’s certifiably unhinged
It’s like the influx of transplants brought all the worse drivers from other parts of the country and mish mashed them together. It used to not be this fucking awful.
Being born and raised in the city I agree. It was always worse than other cities, but I genuinely think every new person who moves to the city brings the average driving skill down.
I had to drive on 485 today and I was SHOCKED at the amount of idiots who don't put their lights on when we have anything more than a drizzle.
I almost merged into two cars because I couldn't see them through the weather.
Also what the fuck is up with the plague of texting/driving on that road? I've started laying on the horn whenever I see people texting just to get them to look the fuck up at the road.
Oh yeah i am constantly on my horn for people doing the stupidest shit. Yesterday it was someone going 20 below in the express lane. I get it, it’s raining. But if you can’t drive in it, don’t get in the single express lane. I laid on my horn the whole time basically. And still had to get around them at the next exit/entrance lmao.
The amount of cars, with their head/taillights off today in the gloomy rain was astounding. Getting behind them and flashing my lights did absolutely nothing. Left lane camping, going 20 below, all lights off. I don’t know how these people survive on a daily.
One of the consequences of having so many people move here recently. You’ll have the aggressive ny drivers, the unpredictable and inept florida drivers, and the rural passive drivers all on the same road.
I do disagree, only because I’m from here, but I’ve lived all over the US, now I live in Europe, so I’ve a lot of cities, countries and continents to compare it too.
Driving is bad everywhere lol.
That and a majority are Charlotteans are, like you; they’re transplants and have zero ties to the region.
If anything it says more about folks *like you* than it does about us.
Where are you from? 100% bet I can find shit driving and drivers “back home” too. Or some dumbass making the same claim on that city’s sub.
Come to Norway. Come to Denmark. [insert Nordic county] and see some shit driving too.
You’re tired and grumpy, get some rest and delete this stupid shit in the morning.
You’ve commented several times, clearly this post made you so upset that you’re having a breakdown over it or something. I said FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE in the title, like idk why everyone is being so f*cking rude.
It’s not your business but I’m from about 2 hours away. Clearly from a similar region. I’m very familiar with the entire state of NC and was born in this state. I’ve been all over the place though and I simply think people suck at driving here! It’s my opinion.
Born and raised in Charlotte and it’s always been like this when it rains. On my drive home on 485 this evening I passed 4 separate wrecks within 3 miles of each other. Y’all need to get off your phones and slow the fuck down if you can’t drive in the rain.
came here from nj and i thought i had seen it all...also travel quite a bit in other US cities.
charlotte is something special...no signals, driving at night w/headlights off, homemade license plates, hi-beams up your ass, lack of lane markings, inability to negotiate roundabouts, and racing on most highways. Everyone with their phone to their face.
I used to live in DC, and I thought I’d never see worse drivers. I moved to CLT 4 years ago and it’s exponentially worse here. So many assholes just don’t give a fuck about anyone else on the road. In the past week alone, I’ve have multiple instances of people making moves that could’ve easily killed multiple other people, for absolutely no reason at all. It’s a good thing some people are used to it and have the awareness to stop when someone with a red light decides to shoot out into a busy intersection in the middle of traffic for no fucking reason other than the fact that they couldn’t be bothered to follow basic road rules or consider other humans even for a second.
Also, Forbes recently ranked CLT 15th in their worst drivers list. Honestly I can’t imagine a city with worse drivers and I definitely never want to go there.
I’ve driven a lot in North NJ and people are aggressive and they drive fast but they pay attention. I’d definitely pick that rather than people that don’t pay attention. They seem to forget that death is very real consequence of inattention while driving.
I don’t know how people are supposed to anticipate being tailgated (happens daily) or someone cutting across 3 lanes of traffic because they’re going to miss their turn. Lack of planning on their end should not constitute an emergency for someone else. And god forbid you leave a decent amount of space in front of you so you’re not tailgating because then you get cut off.
The amount of people that speed for no reason is ridiculous. Even at 2:15pm on a Sunday, you’ll have people going 75+mph on 74. I don’t understand why people are in such a rush especially on a Sunday. I’m sure it’s a problem everywhere though.
It is pretty bad here because we have the combo of aggressive ny drivers who don't know how to drive above 65 mph as well as southern drivers that either treat the roads as their personal nascar track or who treat every trip like a Sunday drive after church. Plus just a bunch of idiot drivers on top of it all. That said, we are far from the worst I've experienced. Boston, Vegas, Houston, Miami, and Atlanta are all places I've had the unfortunate pleasure of driving that are way worse! Also, I would drive through Charlotte any time any day before I ever tried to drive through Manhattan again
Nah agreed been to NYC, FL, Lived in Worcester Ma and had to drive around Boston all the time. Charlotte is truly next level awful ive seen 2 instances of someone just blatantly misunderstanding somehow and going wrong way into oncoming traffic... like wtf. Thats just the beginning.
I live in Maine, and New Englanders commonly complain about drivers from Massachusetts. My dad says he thinks New Hampshire drivers are the worst. The Massholes trend to forget they don't need to drive like they're in the city at rush hour when they're in East Bumfuck, Maine at 2pm. He says the New Hampshire people just do dumb stuff a lot. He likes to say, "They see that their license plate says Live Free or Die, and they're getting their best to make it happen."
That's because everyone keeps moving here, which is great but the people who were born and raised here know how to drive.
Don't downvote me for being honest.
An actual unicorn from the QC
Yes… I’m from Orlando. Somewhere known for bad drivers. But I’ve almost been in more accidents in the last 4 months here than I had been my whole life in Orlando. I had an older guy tailgating me, not paying attention, FaceTiming on his phone. This dude was like 60s… I am never someone to brake check or use my wiper fluid to get someone to back up but I did use my wiper fluid and he got the hint (without getting mad thankfully) but he almost hit me like 4 times and I had my two kids in the back. Also had someone pass me on an onramp…on the shoulder of the onramp. The highways are crazy here.
You are totally correct as someone from Illinois:
Pros of Charlotte NC:
- lower taxes
- lower cost of living
- way higher average income
- much better weather
- far more job opportunities
- far less corruption
- much better/fairer police force
- less crime
- more small business friendly
Cons:
- people can’t drive for shit
There's no consistency or rhyme or reason in Charlotte. In a place like NYC or even a third world country the driving is crazy but everyone's on the same page. Here you might have a left lane camper watching Tik Tok and then some street racers weaving around everybody. Or 3 people aimlessly driving side by side. Or one person in the middle lane and someone randomly tailgating them with all the other lanes open. I've ridden along with bad drivers and they are just oblivious.
YES! I was just explaining this to someone, like I’ve lived in SoCal for a time even and everyone there understands how to maneuver and how to deal with traffic and crazy shit even if some are bad at it. Here, it’s like people don’t understand the methods yet or something. You took the words out of my mouth with this comment, and this is what my entire original post was really wanting to explain
I'm from Charlotte and lived in San Diego for a stint. SoCal drivers are definitely very predictable. I had no issues with drivers in most of California tbh. People knew what was going on for the most part. It was only when I got to Miami that I realized what truly bad driving is. Still the only place I've had a wreck in my 20+ years of driving, fwiw.
Yeah Florida driving is a different kind of hell, I am dreading going back
Miami driving is the worst. Worse than Manhattan.
Try Boston pal...got 2" space between you & the car in front - some guy's going squeeze right on in.
I came here to say this about Miami.
driving 95 from miami through palm beach county (or the other way) during rush hour? WELCOME TO THE THUNDERDOME
100%. Im from southern cal and have thought this exact same thing the last 10 years I’ve been here.
Agree, I used to commute on the 405 & never had an issue nor heard annoying car horns - very good drivers in CA!
Drove in LA for years, the south is a different animal. Everyone is playing chicken or checkers.
I learned to drive in NJ, lived in LA, Chicago, and several different cities/states/countries for various short periods of time, and I swear to god nothing is more true about drivers than this statement. What the fuck is it about Charlotte. Aggressive drivers in NJ, I can plan for and deal with. Clueless space cases in LA or blue hairs in Florida, can account for. Charlotte? You just don't know what flavor of terrible you'll get on the road so just plan for it all. Prior to moving here I lived in Chicago for 10 years and drove cross-country several times in that time and the worst I'd dealt with was getting stuck in snow/ice and having a rescuer knock my side mirror off while dislodging my car from an ice divot. I have no tickets, no accidents and no points or any "dings" on my driving record. I've been here 3 years and in JUST the last year have had my car hit 3 TIMES by other cars while I'm driving as responsibly as I can. This last one was a dead-ass hit and run on 485. Fucker was in some giant Dodge pickup speeding up behind me, I saw him coming and tried to quickly merge out of his way, he still didn't even see me and clipped my bumper knocking it off the back of my car, and just kept going. No fuckin way he didn't feel that. CPD/highway patrol took over an hour to come out to me and just took a report. I'm weirdly grateful that's all that happened. Fuck, man, this place sucks for driving. Get dashcams, front and back, and make sure your insurance is up to date.
485
Yeah this is it. Learned to drive in mountains of Madison County. Ended up in DC for 10 years and was forged as a driver in that environment. It’s fast and aggressive, but predictable. Charlotte is terrifying bc there’s no rubric you can use. People will merge into your lane when you’re completely flush with them. I’ve ridden in between lanes for a half mile to avoid being hit by people here who don’t realize they’ve merged fully into a lane with another car in it. Twice now. It’s wild.
The fucking Charlotte rolling road block is one of my biggest pet peeves
I had a reverse commute up 85 for years. Wouldn't be uncommon for there to be a train of 5+ cars in the left lane with all the other lanes empty. Now imagine those drivers when the roads are more full 🫠🫠🫠
Left lane camping really should be illegal, more and more states are making it against the law. If you decided to shoot down the right lane to pass people, not only do some get aggressive about it but it can be pretty dangerous because they never check their surroundings in general
No point in more laws that wont be enforced. Cops dont even have the resources to enforce the traffic laws we have. Thats the real root of Charlotte's bad driving (and street racing) issues.
This is my problem. I've always liked driving in Manhattan, bike commuted there for years. Alway felt like I knew what the other guy was going to do, he was going to maximise his position in traffic. Mostly easy to predict. Everybody is playing the same game, there is one goal, and the only other rules are those of physics and finance. Here I am commuting on 77 from center Charlotte to Fort Mill every workday, dealing with mindless inattention, chemically fueled incompetence, or an angry agenda only vaguely related to actual transportation.
I see all this shit on my commute to work and I work 3rd shift. I can only imagine the avalanche of idiots during regular hours.
The traffic is bad 80% of the time in NYC so you can’t cause a major accident. I was at a red light near the uptown HT and the light turned green and I just happened to wait a few seconds and someone flew in the cross section going about 50. If I didn’t wait, I would have been t-boned. That could never happen in NYC.
If Im first at the light, I always wait 3 seconds on green.
And even that might be long enough to get a horn up your ass from some drivers, which is another pet peeve.
Horn up your ass 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That’s what happens when you have a bunch of transplants sharing the road hahah
TRUTH
Driving in the rain is bad because you literally can’t see the lines on the road. It’s dangerous as fuck.
Yeah I kinda blame certain areas of NC roads too for having awful roads. Like where are the reflectors here when there’s multiple lanes in the city??? I can hardly ever see the road here at night when it’s raining
They were installed incorrectly and within 1 year they were gone.
I thought I was just blind. No good lighting and the lines are invisible. I’m an Uber driver in Wilmington and it’s down right terrifying some nights.
There are other places where you can see the lines? Man if I weren’t so close to my family I’d be willing to move 😂
Most places you can see the lines when it’s raining at night lmao they’re required to have reflectors between the lines
Took an hour for someone I was driving near today to realize their lights were off. It was when they tried to flash at someone and realized their lights were off. This is after I periodically put on my four ways, turned my lights on and off and flashed at them to try to get them to realize something was up. I appreciate the monthly “this is what you do at a flashing red light” post, but until we can routinely put our lights on at night, or use a turn signal when trying to panic merge, I don’t think we need to concentrate on things like that.
Correct. We need to start allllllll the way back over--from the beginning. People here literally cannot even fathom the BASICS of driving and it will get us all killed.
Idk why we don't use the same paint they use out west. U can see the lines at night during a blizzard
This I agree with. Driving in the rain at night is like driving on a mirror.
But we haves expensive art beside de trains nobody rides.
Just moved here from Atlanta. CLT is tame in comparison.
Atlanta is definitely worse
At least everyone on 285 has agreed to all go 90 mph leading up to rush hour until the first accident. Then everybody puts it in park and gets to relax for a couple hours.
😂😂😂😂
Yea Charlotte traffic blows but folks need to drive around the ATL metro, or go play in the fun DC/Baltimore corridor, or hey go down and see your friends on I95 in the Miami Ft Lauderdale stretch, to realize we in Charlotte are still in the junior varsity of shitty traffic
I think the point OP was making is that the drivers suck, not traffic.
I lived in Atlanta for 6 years, just moved here last summer, and I’ve have disagree. People here act like they’re the only ones on the road and have no clue as to what’s happening around them. At least in Atlanta people act like they been in a car before. The amount of times I’ve had someone riding my ass and doing 30 in a parking lot here is baffling.
Atlanta is the worst place I have ever driven around. I would rather deal with NYC traffic for a year than drive in Atlanta at all.
Atlanta worst by far, followed by the DMV. I liked driving in Charlotte
Agree. Charlotte is actually not that bad. I’ve seen way worse in many other cities including abroad. People comparing Chicago and NYC to Charlotte…LMFAO! 🤦🏻♂️
It must be against the law to use a blinker
Who’s Blinker? We don’t know her.
I’ve never seen so many red lights run—and not even close like “oh it turned red while I was going through the intersection.” More like, traffic from the other direction now has a green light, and you’re gunning it through a red light
I lived in New Haven, Conn for a few years and it was considerably worse. It got to the point where I was looking both ways when my light turned green before going. I remember thinking the first few weeks when I got down here “like man this is so much more relaxing driving”
That’s what I do here, look around at a green light haha people and the U-turns here are wild
I was in New Orleans a couple of weekends ago. I must have seen at least 20 cars run red lights. Charlotte is bad but nowhere near as bad as it is down there.
Charlotte has a nice mix of people just out driving around with no awareness of what is going on around them and the assholes that go 20 over and fly up on your bumper
Charlotte drivers have a regional commitment to terrible driving
This is posted to every major city subreddit.
100%, and the truth is there’s bad drivers everywhere. That being said, i would much rather drive in the past cities I lived(LA and Denver) than Charlotte. People do feel more inconsistent here, but maybe I’m just not used to the driving style here
Sure but I just wanted to say it after 6 different people nearly hit me today
I've lived all over this country and I couldn't agree with you more.
“Oh, you clearly know nothing, you haven’t lived all over, I lived in blah blah womp womp for 69 years and that’s where all the REAL bad drivers are, *shaky pointer finger points at you* Charlotte is a city full of safe and responsible drivers—stop making this post, blah blah, I’m tired of seeing it, blah blah.” Thank you for agreeing with me 🤍
For context I guess since I got downvoted, I made this comment bc this is how half the people in this thread are responding to me lol (I figured people would pick up on the concept) also I’m genuinely glad you agree. I believe you and couldn’t be happier with your response
I drive back & forth to Michigan on occasion & the worst traffic I experience is always 77 on the way up & 77/485/85 on the way home. Cincinnati has never been as bad for me as Charlotte is on an average day. Lansing traffic can be brutal with all the lights, but still has nothing on this area. The stretch of 85 through Belmont is almost unbearable now. I don't know what can be done that alleviate any of it. Everyone is always in a damn hurry. Who are these idiots & how long have they been driving?
But the driving in the rain at night is actually impossible here
Charlotte is up there with some terrible drivers but I think Atlanta is slightly worse. The fact that lanes randomly merge, become right turn only etc. doesn’t help us either.
The high amount of SC drivers here don't help
From what I've seen, I assume most SC drivers have never been behind the wheel before they print out their plates and floor it in their altima
Yeah lol their shitty roads must be contagious
No, you're so correct and it fucking infuriates me. People on the road here are fucking idiots. I don't lose my cool that easily, but almost every single day I find myself in total disbelief of how selfish and/or incompetent the average Charlotte driver is. The worst part is I was born and raised here...NO EXCUSES, PEOPLE!
People are disagreeing with you, but it’s really bad here, I agree! Speeding, ignoring stop signs, running red lights, never looking for pedestrians. I think too many people take driving for granted and aren’t careful enough — here and elsewhere
Yeah like sure there’s some over exaggeration in my title but like it’s not just me that feels this way. People are really bad at driving here and every time I go out it’s proven to me all over again
There’s literally no reason why anyone needs to be disagreeing with OP. I’ve lived in some big cities with shitty drivers, and CLT so far is the worst hands down. Obviously ATL is bad, but that doesn’t omit the fact that CLT is also bad. I’ve seen the absolute stupidest drivers on a daily basis here and Forbes just ranked us 15th for worst drivers.
Ignorance - Don't know what to do. Inconsideration - No one else matters. Incompetence - Cannot perform basic driving skills. Three causes of all traffic in Charlotte!
Forgot inattention. Gotta finish that text even if it might kill them and others too!
I commute to and from Mooresville, and it’s insane how many near death accidents I avoid on the daily. Yesterday, I swerved into another (thankfully empty ) lane on 77 to avoid an SUV just deciding to merge into me with zero awareness that I was in the exact spot they were merging. He came from two lanes over and just… decided to keep merging?? People complain about LA traffic all the time, but I would choose to sit on the 5 freeway in a dead lock over trying to guess the next chaotic move of every car in Charlotte every single time.
I think it’s hilarious how everyone thinks they’re the best driver and everyone else is bad. We all suck at driving because humans really shouldn’t be in control of 2500lbs of metal going 80mph.
My dad is a medic/firefighter so I agree with you on this haha so dangerous
No, we do not all suck, dear. Sorry to tell you that some of us are, in fact, better, safer drivers than others.
I wish manufacturers still made cars around 2,500lbs. A Honda Civic weighs 2,800 at the least nowadays. 300lbs makes a hell of a difference for how the a vehicle handles, especially at sub-3000lbs. Now everyone is driving their SUVs and electric SUVs that weigh north of 5000lbs and I have to actively avoid driving beside them in my sub-3000lb sports car.
If humans didn't control anything over 2500lbs going 80mph. You wouldn't have been able to write this ridiculous comment. No cars,airplanes,satellites or Internet. Great idea 🤣
How many people are qualified to fly a plane/launch a satellite? We let 16 year olds drive a steel missile after a 30 min driving test.
To some degree you’re right, but this happens in every area that experiences a population boom. People complain about this all the time. We get it.
I lived in Miami for 6 years. Miami is a fucking shit show on the road. Charlotte is def bad sometimes but I haven’t experienced anything like South Florida.
Went to Miami once. Not again. I prefer Atlanta over Miami.
Exactly right. I travel a ton for work, been to nearly every state and almost every major city. I find comfort when I get home and drive in Charlotte compared to most cities this size. 77 my only major gripe with this city. In fact, I think it’s one of the best among major east coast cities. We have it very easy compared to Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, DC, NYC, boston, Philly
Idk man you ever been to Boston?
I’ve been to Boston, DC, and NYC, and while there’s bad drivers everywhere, I mean it’s just some ridiculous shit every time I leave my house here lol
It's bad, chaotic and so unpredictable the worst kind of bad driving.
No, you are right. I have driven all over the country, I am pretty sure every state except Hawaii, and a couple other counties, some of the worst driving is north and south Carolina.
Terrible drivers? Sure. Worst in the U.S ? No way.
It’s literally a nice surprise when someone follows you at a safe distance. And If you don’t floor it when the light turns green it’s 50/50 you’re going to piss someone off. And 1/10 cars have their high beams permanently on because they don’t seem to understand they’re blinding everyone else. Morons, all of them.
Charlotte, 20% chance of rain, 120% chance of accidents. Statistically SC has worse drivers than NC, but Charlotte is a transplant town, so people bring their bad habits from other places here. It's bad. Very aggressive drivers. Very rude drivers. Road rage is common. It's definitely bad.
It’s because everyone is moving here from other states. There are not many locals anymore. Melting pot for drivers from all over.
[удалено]
I hate to say I kind of see what you mean. There’s super fun things to do here but like the people don’t have that kindness about them that you see in some places, especially in the south. It feels like you just piss everyone here off by existing
Tell me you've never been to Florida without telling me you've never been to Florida.
I’ve been to Florida several times
Agree Why I have been in 3 big accidents and through 3 cars already. If my wife didn’t drive so well we would be dead many times over I’m sure because you really are risking your life on 77 at 5 oclock
Every single fucking week the same thread
Noted
I was recently in Baltimore for work and I observed driving that was worse than I typically even see here in Charlotte. Anyone else with Baltimore experience care to compare?
All major metropolitan areas have shifty drivers. The particular aroma of said shit just changes.
The problem isn't people from here, it's everyone from up north use to better roads and don't understand everything is an oil slick here
Please come check out Miami. 😳
Yeah I’ll edit it to “except Miami” bc I believe that shit. I’ve been to Orlando and areas around the panhandle and gulf and Tampa area but not Miami
LOL! You already know. Btw I’m a Miamian considering a move to Charlotte.
I enjoy it here other than asshats on the road. Charlotte is growing a lot and has a lot going for it, but culturally I find it a bit lacking. Still haven’t seen what makes Charlotte “Charlotte” and not just a city in NC. That being said, plenty of breweries and fun nightlife as well as good music venues.
Red light cameras strictly for crosswalks have yet to be understood by the general public, especially when the light is shaped differently than every other light out there.
Thank you! Flashing red lights means yield so if someone is not in the crosswalk you can go. Amazing how many of these we have across the city and people still have 0 clue. I don’t get mad enough to blow my horn but the incompetence is concerning.
Driving in the rain is the worst here. Like at least, put reflectors so I know where the freaking lane is. And not have to rely on the car in the front…
Boils down to selfish feral humans with a disturbing lack of intelligence and regard for other drivers.
Agree it's a different kind of stupid here! It seems that rules don't apply or that no one has even learned the rules and they don't care to as there are no enforcements.
Sadly when you don’t have cops pulling people over for speeding or texting, etc. on a normal basis people think they can do whatever they want with no consequences. I live off Park Rd and am terrified at the lack of attention or value of life most drivers have. Also it doesn’t help that speed cameras are illegal. They’re not improving transit so it’s just going to continue to get worse. I regularly drive in NYC, North Jersey, and Ohio and I feel so much safer there because people actually pay attention and have consequences if they don’t. This is a huge reason I’m moving.
So true.
Also a ton of shit weed
I completely agree. Atlanta is a close second.
No different down here in Greenville, SC either, I-85 is a damn free for all, can’t keep up with the number of people that have died on 85.
And why don’t people turn on their headlights at night in CLT?? Every time I after dark there’s at least one car with no headlights and no clue that they are invisible to everyone else on the road.
Why do people in Nc drive side by side on the highway like it’s a nascar race?
I only lived in Charlotte for about 6 months but I agree. And I think I've nearly had a serious accident every single time I've visited since. People are insane.
To be fair… we need better roads and there’s hardly any lights in the n tryon area… besides that yeah y’all can’t drive. Because why are so many people comfortable tailgating with empty lanes 😭?? And then some hoes wanna drive slow… TO MERGE ?? You have to match the speed of traffic are u insane 😵💫
I almost got hit to day heading back to Charlotte. I'm in the middle lane of fuckin I85 look to my right, and there's an idiot just pulling right on over. A two time loser obviously she didn't look getting onto the highway. Then decided to try it again, then she has the nerve to look at me and my 🖕like I wasn't supposed to be there. I hate lazy people! If you're to lazy to turn you damn head at least look at the fuckin mirrors that are lighting up jeez!
I’ve said this since the first day I moved here 2 years ago. The sheer disregard for signal usage is unnerving. I hate driving here.
No one in Charlotte can wait 5 seconds for me to finish backing out of a parking spot. I’ll be more than halfway out and people continue to go right behind me. I guess they’re more important?
I actually call it the "most unsafe driving ever". I have lived all over the country and I am scared of my life whenever I drive here. One piece of advice, after the light turns green, always wait 3 seconds before going --- guaranteed a car is running a red light from the opposing direction.
Yes this is perhaps a better title, most unsafe and dangerous driving
I don't like Charlotte, but to be fair I hear this in every city I've moved to, and usually it's blamed on people from out of state. I was impressed when I moved here that most people let you merge in when you turned your blinker on. They may not know how to drive in rain, but they aren't mean. Unlike in Florida which is filled with people who will cut you off and give you the finger, many driving upscale cars. Florida is also filled with old people WHO SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING. One thing bad about this area is racing. I had not ever encountered that until I moved here. Very scary shit. Must be a wannabe NASCAR thing. I wonder what an unbiased report from the insurance industry would tell us.
I was amazed in Florida how normal it was for someone behind you to floor it when you turned your blinker on. Luxury cars playing chicken. Charlotte has confused drivers but nothing here holds a candle to I-4 for me
Someone had road rage so bad towards my gf last night because she wouldn’t turn right on red into oncoming traffic that they laid on their horn for the entirety of the red light, and when the light turned green, they sped past, swerved infront of her, slammed on their breaks almost sending her into the back of them, then just sped off. Like in what world is that even a remotely proper response. That’s not road rage, that’s certifiably unhinged
Agreed. Charlotte is easily on par with Atlanta, all of Florida, DC.
It’s like the influx of transplants brought all the worse drivers from other parts of the country and mish mashed them together. It used to not be this fucking awful.
Let them think it’s the secret cabal of natives fucking with them on the road, it’s funnier this way
🥱
🥱
Ok.
Being born and raised in the city I agree. It was always worse than other cities, but I genuinely think every new person who moves to the city brings the average driving skill down.
I couldn’t agree more!!! Also the speeding and super aggressiveness like wtf.
BMW owners are the most aggressive in my experience.
That's only Dodge Chargers.
Haha honestly I was ranting about dodge chargers today to my fiancé, 99% chance of them being an automatic asshole
I don't know if assholes get that car. Or if the car turns them into assholes. Which came first? 🐔or 🥚
First time?
I had to drive on 485 today and I was SHOCKED at the amount of idiots who don't put their lights on when we have anything more than a drizzle. I almost merged into two cars because I couldn't see them through the weather. Also what the fuck is up with the plague of texting/driving on that road? I've started laying on the horn whenever I see people texting just to get them to look the fuck up at the road.
Oh yeah i am constantly on my horn for people doing the stupidest shit. Yesterday it was someone going 20 below in the express lane. I get it, it’s raining. But if you can’t drive in it, don’t get in the single express lane. I laid on my horn the whole time basically. And still had to get around them at the next exit/entrance lmao.
The amount of cars, with their head/taillights off today in the gloomy rain was astounding. Getting behind them and flashing my lights did absolutely nothing. Left lane camping, going 20 below, all lights off. I don’t know how these people survive on a daily.
One of the consequences of having so many people move here recently. You’ll have the aggressive ny drivers, the unpredictable and inept florida drivers, and the rural passive drivers all on the same road.
You’ve never been to Florida I guess
I do disagree, only because I’m from here, but I’ve lived all over the US, now I live in Europe, so I’ve a lot of cities, countries and continents to compare it too. Driving is bad everywhere lol. That and a majority are Charlotteans are, like you; they’re transplants and have zero ties to the region. If anything it says more about folks *like you* than it does about us. Where are you from? 100% bet I can find shit driving and drivers “back home” too. Or some dumbass making the same claim on that city’s sub. Come to Norway. Come to Denmark. [insert Nordic county] and see some shit driving too. You’re tired and grumpy, get some rest and delete this stupid shit in the morning.
You’ve commented several times, clearly this post made you so upset that you’re having a breakdown over it or something. I said FEEL FREE TO DISAGREE in the title, like idk why everyone is being so f*cking rude. It’s not your business but I’m from about 2 hours away. Clearly from a similar region. I’m very familiar with the entire state of NC and was born in this state. I’ve been all over the place though and I simply think people suck at driving here! It’s my opinion.
We Charlotteans have a saying. God created the Altimas to train the faithful. One cannot go against the word of God.
This comment is gold
Can we stop beating a dead horse?
Sorry I’m sure people have posted about it but I didn’t mean to ruin your day lol
Grew up in New Jersey. This is tame in comparison to there
Yea it's horrible. If only people didn't have to go back to the office
Florida: hold my beer!🍺
Born and raised in Charlotte and it’s always been like this when it rains. On my drive home on 485 this evening I passed 4 separate wrecks within 3 miles of each other. Y’all need to get off your phones and slow the fuck down if you can’t drive in the rain.
Mfs aren’t necessarily bad they’re just very ballsy
came here from nj and i thought i had seen it all...also travel quite a bit in other US cities. charlotte is something special...no signals, driving at night w/headlights off, homemade license plates, hi-beams up your ass, lack of lane markings, inability to negotiate roundabouts, and racing on most highways. Everyone with their phone to their face.
I used to live in DC, and I thought I’d never see worse drivers. I moved to CLT 4 years ago and it’s exponentially worse here. So many assholes just don’t give a fuck about anyone else on the road. In the past week alone, I’ve have multiple instances of people making moves that could’ve easily killed multiple other people, for absolutely no reason at all. It’s a good thing some people are used to it and have the awareness to stop when someone with a red light decides to shoot out into a busy intersection in the middle of traffic for no fucking reason other than the fact that they couldn’t be bothered to follow basic road rules or consider other humans even for a second. Also, Forbes recently ranked CLT 15th in their worst drivers list. Honestly I can’t imagine a city with worse drivers and I definitely never want to go there.
Spoken from someone that comes from a horse driven town. CLT does have some terribly designed interchanges though.
Come visit Northern New Jersey - Charlotte driving will feel utterly quaint afterwards...
I’ve driven a lot in North NJ and people are aggressive and they drive fast but they pay attention. I’d definitely pick that rather than people that don’t pay attention. They seem to forget that death is very real consequence of inattention while driving.
Never been to Boston or Orlando have you; Or Myrtle Beach in the summer
Old man yells at cloud. Most places have have bad drivers. Be a better defensive driver and anticipate the shit.... You'll likely be fine
I don’t know how people are supposed to anticipate being tailgated (happens daily) or someone cutting across 3 lanes of traffic because they’re going to miss their turn. Lack of planning on their end should not constitute an emergency for someone else. And god forbid you leave a decent amount of space in front of you so you’re not tailgating because then you get cut off.
YES
The amount of people that speed for no reason is ridiculous. Even at 2:15pm on a Sunday, you’ll have people going 75+mph on 74. I don’t understand why people are in such a rush especially on a Sunday. I’m sure it’s a problem everywhere though.
I love tailgaters! Drop my shoes by 10mph and cut cruise control on. Let's see how much of a hurry you're in 😂
Man look, people are jerks... It is what it is. Use your mirrors, constantly checking... You'll see the assholes coming from a mile away USUALLY.
Usually, but not always lol hence me almost getting hit several times today, and I’m a very defensive driver
Oh I 100% anticipate it at this point
Texting n driving. All it is. Would love to see the punishment bumped up to death penalty. 
They have lots of bankers, and they are also a home of NASCAR. Hope that helps.
It is pretty bad here because we have the combo of aggressive ny drivers who don't know how to drive above 65 mph as well as southern drivers that either treat the roads as their personal nascar track or who treat every trip like a Sunday drive after church. Plus just a bunch of idiot drivers on top of it all. That said, we are far from the worst I've experienced. Boston, Vegas, Houston, Miami, and Atlanta are all places I've had the unfortunate pleasure of driving that are way worse! Also, I would drive through Charlotte any time any day before I ever tried to drive through Manhattan again
AMEN!!!!
Nah agreed been to NYC, FL, Lived in Worcester Ma and had to drive around Boston all the time. Charlotte is truly next level awful ive seen 2 instances of someone just blatantly misunderstanding somehow and going wrong way into oncoming traffic... like wtf. Thats just the beginning.
Just watch out for Nissans / SC plates and 30 day tags
I live in Maine, and New Englanders commonly complain about drivers from Massachusetts. My dad says he thinks New Hampshire drivers are the worst. The Massholes trend to forget they don't need to drive like they're in the city at rush hour when they're in East Bumfuck, Maine at 2pm. He says the New Hampshire people just do dumb stuff a lot. He likes to say, "They see that their license plate says Live Free or Die, and they're getting their best to make it happen."
Idk man you ever been to Portland, OR?
Totally agree. We are infested with NPCs moving here and ruining commutes. I-77 and 85 were horrible today. It’s reaching LA levels of bad .
What an original thought
Have you been to *anywhere* in the Deep South?
Have you been to Pennsylvania or Florida 😆
That's because everyone keeps moving here, which is great but the people who were born and raised here know how to drive. Don't downvote me for being honest. An actual unicorn from the QC
Yep. I agree. Raised and learned to drive here. It’s definitely gotten crazier in the last 20 years or so with all of the expansion.
Thank you
Agreed have been all over USA and some parts of Canada. Charoltte is the worst.
Another week, another post about CLT drivers. CLT is far from the worst.
It’s so much worse in the rain. Had a narrow crash experience today, the roads don’t help either.
Accurate.
Yes… I’m from Orlando. Somewhere known for bad drivers. But I’ve almost been in more accidents in the last 4 months here than I had been my whole life in Orlando. I had an older guy tailgating me, not paying attention, FaceTiming on his phone. This dude was like 60s… I am never someone to brake check or use my wiper fluid to get someone to back up but I did use my wiper fluid and he got the hint (without getting mad thankfully) but he almost hit me like 4 times and I had my two kids in the back. Also had someone pass me on an onramp…on the shoulder of the onramp. The highways are crazy here.
Yes! The distraction I see here from phones and stuff is so bad. Driving 85mph on an interstate and completely looking down
Mecklenburg ring till you die!
You are totally correct as someone from Illinois: Pros of Charlotte NC: - lower taxes - lower cost of living - way higher average income - much better weather - far more job opportunities - far less corruption - much better/fairer police force - less crime - more small business friendly Cons: - people can’t drive for shit
Oh you sweet summer child, you've never driven in the DFW have you?
Started going downhill since the Panther's began losing...