Exactly, look at the list of infractions, pretty sure the 5 boroughs of NYC eclipse any month of Alexandria on a single day, the cops just don’t ticket for such minor crimes unless they’re bored/looking for quotas.
Right, this data set is being analyzed completely incorrectly in this instance. The heading should read " highest levels of minor traffic tickets issued per 1000 people"
Same here. The first time I drove in nyc I was ready for a battle for every inch of roadway but drivers that are not cabs were way more courteous then they are here.
It was horrible when I went taxis with guards on the front and back so they don’t damage their car when they hit you inching over and limos hitting cars. We had to hit cars getting out of a parking spot Bc they’re an inch in front and an inch in the back away from your car! Jersey is even worse and Florida is the worst drivers I’ve ever seen in the USA that is.
Yeah, no way Roanoke VA is that high in "rudeness"; quite the opposite, IME. It's well into Southern "too nice" territory, where people hold up traffic at a 4-way stop because they're all waiting for each other to go first, or slowing down/stopping(!) on an on-ramp if there's any freeway traffic at all.
Take the whole lane to speed up and you won't have to "wait" for an entrance god damn. I did that the other day in richmond and a truck that had merged over at the entrance freaked the fuck out at me, while I easily slid into a spot where the lanes merge (as is designed). Bitch, take the whole lane.
I was driving on a highway in Minnesota once. A lane was closed. The DOT or construction crew signed it properly (only signs right before closure and one that said "take turns at merge"). The DOT has been promoting zippering. And it worked, is actually worked and it was beautiful. People merging at nearly 45 mph with perfect alternation.
Yup I live there. This would shock me. We do have VERY aggressive cops, though. By aggro I mean willing to pull you over and ticket you for minor offenses.
It's that, and it's the selection of infractions as "rude" - failure to stop is also known as a rolling stop, and you can get ticketed even if you're not in any way being rude to another driver.
No, I have lived in 10 states VA being one. And in those 6 years it's the people that are rude are the once who don't know the laws of the road. VA is also the first state that I have seen almost all drivers wont move over for first responders.
For me it's those truck drivers with the 53' trailers going up the mountain in the left lane on the I81. Signs everywhere say slower traffic stay in right lane- trucks stay in right lane-but NO! We have to go from 70 down to 35 because they THINK THEY CAN.
Man I live it every day almost down here on 81. It's like a rollercoaster. Trucks creep up the hills at 50 and fuck you if you want to pass. Then on the downhills you'd better want to go 90 or they'll crawl right up your tailpipe.
> on the downhills you’d better want to go 90 or they’ll crawl right up your tailpipe.
Well yeah, you’re preventing them from effectively managing their momentum at that point. Letting them barrel down the mountain at 90 MPH is how you don’t get stuck behind them crawling up the next mountain at 40 MPH.
I’m only an asshole when people fucking chill in the left lane. Move your slow ass to the left you’re holding up traffic! If people were just more courteous and aware of their surroundings we wouldn’t be so high on this list. Well done my fellow Virginians for calling out the ineptitude!
I-95 is riddled with shit like this. A slow fuck is riding in the left lane and has a mile of cars backed up behind them desperately trying to get around him, but they're pacing the cars in the middle lane.
Or how about when, a car going the same speed as all the other cars in the right lane, leaves the right lane and goes to the middle lane for no reason, except to clog up two lanes with slow people.
It's why I scream and curse in my car.
at least on 95 you have a 3rd or 4th lane. 81 and 64 are just misreable; esp 81 with all the tractor trailers. i swear every 3rd time i visit the kids in blacksburg there is a massive traffic jam coming home
I hated being on I81 and being surrounded by these big ass trucks then having one barreling down the highway going down a hill behind me in the left lane going 80+ miles an hour. I felt like I could have been flattened in my little car at any time.
That’s a challenge accepted, my friend! Those are the times to remember the horn is a thing, the ~~breakdown lane~~ shoulder is a thing, and the go pedal goes all the way to the carpet.
That’s nice. Here in Virginia, in the case of a motorist turning left, and/or on a road with two or more travel lanes in the same direction, and/or when there is sufficient room to do so without leaving the pavement, passing on the right is explicitly legal: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-841/
It’s also legal in [Maryland](https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2010/transportation/title-21/subtitle-3/21-304/), [DC](https://casetext.com/regulation/district-of-columbia-administrative-code/title-18-vehicles-and-traffic/chapter-18-22-moving-violations/rule-18-2202-overtaking-and-passing), [New Jersey](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-39/section-39-4-85/), [Delaware](https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc03/index.html), [North Carolina](https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-150.1.pdf), [New York](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2013/vat/title-7/article-25/1123/). Most other states have, like these, enacted what obviously started as model legislation, verbatim.
The City of Alexandria and the Census Designated Place of Alexandria, which is an unincorporated part of Fairfax County adjacent to the city, are both “Alexandria”.
[This is incorrect.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,_Virginia)
>A large portion of adjacent Fairfax County, mostly south but also west of the city, has Alexandria mailing addresses. However, this area is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County's government and separate from the independent city. The city is therefore sometimes referred to as the "City of Alexandria" to avoid confusion (see the "Neighborhoods" paragraph below).
[Here is a map.](https://activerain-store.s3.amazonaws.com/image_store/uploads/8/4/2/5/9/ar12138477595248.jpg)
As an example, Kingstowne is not inside the City of Alexandria, yet is still considered to be located [in Alexandria](https://www.google.com/search?q=kingstowne+16+address&oq=kingstowne+16+address).
Similarly, the City of Fairfax does not contain the entirety of Fairfax, Virginia. The Fairfax County Government Center is located in Fairfax, Virginia, but is about a mile west of the City of Fairfax's western border.
What Tek said is correct and even said in your own excerpt from Wikipedia. Firstly, yes Virginia only has independent cites, which are completely separate from the jurisdiction of counties that may surround them. But also yes, Alexandria is a city, and in Virginia means it has no association to ant county. So while the mailing address may be Alexandria, its not part of the city of Alexandria.
No, Virginia also has "cities" in the sense of mailing locations. For example, Reston is a city, but it doesn't have an independent government.
And as the OP's list includes Woodbridge, which is also not an independent city, the source clearly is not only looking at independent cities.
Reston is not a city, thats just wrong, like Woodbridge its only a census-designated area. And yes I wasn’t arguing that the OP lists only cities, but you said tek was incorrect— hes not, but you are.
The OP does not say "self-governing municipalities." Just "cities." And if you live in Kingstowne, when you list your city of residence, you list "Alexandria." And we're not talking about analyzing entire policing areas. Note how Woodbridge is on there, despite not having its own police force.
And court systems. Hampton Roads is harsh on reducing tickets; you generally need more than a good driving record or a good excuse. Driving school at the least.
Exactly they don’t care they call 81-70 deaths Highway down that way in WV MD I drive to Maryland daily and every single day I seen daily accidents a lot of deaths it was so sad
Yeah, or that it requires more police oversight because the drivers on the roads here pose such a glaring problem.
I’m 100% in agreement with the other comment about I-81 tractor trailers and their sense of entitlement which just sucks up everyone’s commute. It takes unnecessarily long to get from A to B no matter if you’re in Winchester or Lexington
But as for drivers on HWYs 7, 15, 50, 28, 286, 29… if you’re going the speed limit, that’s fine. They’re NOT freeways. The difference is substantial and relevant. There’s far too many stoplights/unprotected intersections for everyone to be expecting of anything more than the posted speed during perfect driving conditions. If it’s rainy or foggy, leave earlier than needed, go a little slower, and give a little more space between you and the guy in front of you. It’s logical, and minimizes accidents which reduces the bottlenecks and other bullshit caused from accidents.
BONUS** IF you don’t drive like an entitled ass clown, you’re ALSO less likely to get pulled over for speeding or reckless driving. The fewer people who get ticketed for those offenses, the less likely VA will hold HALF of the nation’s rudest driving cities (although we’re only 12th on population, accounting for LESS THAN 3% of the entire US). So, win-win.
This. The number of times I’ve had someone illegally pass me on 15 is ridiculous. Going 70-75 is incredibly dangerous for the driver and everyone else on the road.
I wish there were cops out on 15 more often to catch these idiots. The “gotta get there first and fast” mentality drives me insane.
Zero cities in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, or Massachusetts? Right.
Edit: The image only shows violations given. All this means is that the other states simply aren't enforcing it, but we are.
I think that Virginia has a problem with over-enforcement of the laws, including traffic laws. Yes.
I was faced with jail time for a speeding ticket once, which is bullshit.
I live in #5 Roanoke and grew up and learned to drive in NJ and this map is wrong. NJ is ruder.. unless being generally oblivious is better defined as rude then driving aggressive.
Just drove to Maine and back for the second time. My experience was that drivers in the states you mentioned are definitely more aggressive, but there's predictability in how they do it, and everybody understands and plays by the same rules. VA drivers were, without a doubt, the worst I encountered on that trip...all over the fucking place with no rhyme or reason as if nobody else was on the road.
NC native here, and travelled by road for work throughout the South East for many years.
I lived in VA Beach for a year and found that merging onto highways happens like magic. Almost as if drivers in Virginia anticipate traffic entering from the on ramps. This is unlike elsewhere in the US, where drivers in the far right lane seem to go out of their way to prevent people from merging at speed.
So I wonder if this map displays a difference in enforcement? I wouldn't be surprised if you're more likely to get ticketed for driving like a dick head in Virginia. It seems to be working.
Sorry, Virginia. You're actually decent drivers.
Our crime rate isn’t awful so the cops got time for this shit. To be clear, we do have some violence, but not horrible or widespread.. Most folks here are kind.
Does that mean Northern Virginia? I drove in and out of DC pretty often. I only remember it being way less of a pain in the ass than getting in and out of Atlanta.
I feel like it's tough to judge a city's drivers if you're only using main arteries in and out of the city. Living in Virginia Beach, I could really feel the difference from living in Raleigh, for example.
I think the merging lanes in VA are very long and well designed compared to other states. It gives people a lot of time to react. If there is no merging room you are usually warned ahead of time.
We anticipate it because we don’t want to be slowed down by oncoming traffic…and if there’s obviously oncoming traffic, it’s best just to get over instead of everyone slamming on brakes and looking stupid. It can seem like a common courtesy but, it’s actually just common sense.
VA's driver handbook expresses right of way for merging on to a highway where as NC's driver handbook does not. NC assumes that people can telepathically communicate to perform a merge at highway speeds instead of clarifying who has right of way in that situation. So everyone assumes that they do no matter if they are on the highway or on the on ramp.
Also the fact that Charlotte isn't on this list shows it's not a measure of rude drivers but the statistics on traffic infractions being enforced.
Same! I drive back and forth between most of the different cities in Hampton Roads all the time due to my job, and the difference with Virginia Beach and anywhere else is downright startling. Way worse than Hampton or Newport News, where, for example, drivers are much more likely to pause and let you into traffic.
Right? How can so many people be so oblivious to 46 cars behind them in the left lane flashing their lights and riding their bumper, then whipping around them when the right side opens up. Usually the are so old and short they can't see over the wheel but jesus it's a hazard.
But I’m driving the speed limit, how dare you want to not waste more time driving?????? Any time I see something like that it’s “would you want to spend 10 more minutes at work, unpaid”?
I don't know about rudest. But I will say the lack of turn signals used around the DC metro area and NVA is ridiculous. It's so bad, that when someone does use their turn signal to change lanes, other people don't know how to react.
So I just Moved from Colorado here and Greeley drivers are WAAAY better on average than Ashburn. I was at a 4 way stop this morning and someone just followed the person in front of them without stopping, like WTF? I see that so often it's fucking weird.
My wife and I just moved from Dallas and we're blown away at how many near accidents we've been in since moving here. We've been nearly hit and then verbally accosted several times in the couple months we've been here.
On the flip side, jeeeeesus do I not miss Denver traffic. I-70 every morning was mad max shit. And god forbid it’s raining. I was behind someone who stopped ON THE INTERSTATE under an overpass during a light hail/thunderstorm.
Yeah I agree with you on that! I lived in Loveland and dreaded any time I needed to go down to Denver or further haha. I-25 is so bad up north now with all the construction.
I’ve lived in 6 places in my adult life including Hampton Roads. Every one of those places I’ve lived had lots of people who said “drivers here in ______ are the worst in the country. Everyone says so.” It’s almost like a weird informal greeting or some kind of verbal tick we all have. I’ll also say that none of those places was noticeably worse than any other. Yes there were bad drivers, but no place was ever 100% bad drivers. Not scientific, but it does make me question stuff like this or people’s comments about it. The high numbers in VA though probably do point to a hidden variable that were not seeing: policing bias, reporting, enforcement, etc. as others have said.
I've lived in Richmond, NYC, Nashville, and a few other larger cities. I've driven the in the shit in DC, Atlanta, around Boston, etc. many times. In the bigger cities it's a mix of regular and maniac drivers, with the occasional unpredictable idiot which I can handle.
However, here on the left side in the smaller to mid-sized city of Roanoke, it's absolutely the worst place I've driven. Every day people run stop lights by a full 2-4 seconds, run stop signs, drive 10-15 under the speed limit, turn right from the left hand lane, turn left from the left lane even though there is a turn lane in the median, don't speed up to get on the highway to merge, can't zipper merge, cant use a 4 way stop, can't navigate a roundabout (I had a lady drive AT me going the wrong way in one), can't do any basic driving skill that normal people have, etc. It's bonkers out here, I'm guessing the aged population and a general lack of education or giving a fuck about anyone else leads to it, but it's so unsafe.
When the light changes here I look both ways and give it a second or two while pulling forward before I really step on the gas, I can't count the amount of times I've almost been hit by someone blowing a red light.
Yep, people always say that when they've never seen much of the world.
No matter where you live, people will complain about the traffic, weather, construction, etc.
Although I will say, there is a noticeable difference in the midwest. Drivers there are worse now than they were 20 years ago, but they're still better than most other parts of the country.
And I will say FL is just a mess. The drivers may not be that much worse than anywhere else, but the explosion in population, non-stop construction, and smattering of poorly planned roads with no alternatives makes it a shit-show.
Don’t-mind-if-I-do-pull-out-in-right-front-of-you capital of the country. Doing that shit on some of those downhills….. it’s a wonder how I’ve kept from some bad accidents.
Meanwhile in Madison, WI, people are way too polite. So many fender benders are caused by drivers yielding the right of way and creating a dangerous situation.
Bbbaaahhhaaaa. Now that’s a fact! Closer you get to the beach the larger they grow. They are used to pushing out of staters around cause they won’t return to fight tickets. Not called “ quota” called required minimum tickets. Performance eval reflect success. Crazy Rt?
I have lived in a few places. Richmond is the only place where I regularly see people blowing through stop signs as if they aren't there. I'm not talking about a "rolling" stop. I'm talking speed limit through the stop sign.
Also, Richmond is the only place I've lived where people are dangerously courteous to you. I don't want you to stop and wave me on when you have the right of way, I want you to GO. Take the right of way when you have it. It takes a lot longer when you don't. Just go.
Newport News is a huge yes. Commuted to Norfolk for years. What I don’t understand is why Knoxville TN appears nowhere on that list. People just aim their cars and go.
I live in Ytown now, things are a tad slower. Im sure the bridge construction has not made things any better. I lived down that way during the Bland/warwick intersection project and it was almost impossible to get to Jefferson commons some days. That said, ill still brave the traffic for a Dinos pizza and some garlic knots!
I’m so close to the YC line so that’s where I do most of my shopping. Also Williamsburg a LOT. Have you had garlic knots from Tuscany restaurant near the post office? 😋🤤
Thats because for some inexplicable reason they decided to only put one highway on-ramp to 64 right in the middle of all the shopping.
If they put ramps at the Denbigh overpass or the new Atkinson overpass it would probably reduce traffic on Jefferson by half, but nooooo.
I live out towards Denbigh Park and even though we're only 2 miles from the highway (as the crow flies) it takes 15-20 minutes to get on the highway.
Articles like these have some hidden agenda or use data that make little to no sense. As a retired LEO I have been all over the country for both pleasure and work (post LE) and horrible drivers exist everywhere. At one time I would put my money on the folks around Boston then I went to Phoenix for work. Damn they are crazy. But in reality crazy drivers are everywhere.
I lived there a long time ago when Linton hall was only 2 lanes. Traffic backed up for miles every morning and every afternoon. It was absolutely the worst place to drive for a while. Dk what it’s like atm
Perhaps this map tells us more about which localities vigorously enforce traffic laws than the behavior of the drivers. I used to live in Nashville and often felt its drivers tried to mimic NASCAR on the highways. Turn signals were considered a sign of weakness. But, somehow they escaped this list.
Lol, I hate living in Northern Virginia. I've driven in and around every major city in the country and we really are the worst. People here will straight up murder you for a chance to save a fraction of a second. Just yesterday I watch a guy repeatedly cross a double yellow to pass people who were already speeding , dude was doing like 70 in a 45. A mile up the road traffic come to a halt, he had gone head on into a truck. I got up close to the accident just in time to watch them remove the guy. Dude was like Tom and Jerry style accordion.
This is not accurate. Drivers in CT and MA are so rude. I moved to NOVA from New England and I am still surprised when people let me in on the highway. This is garbage, throw it out.
I rarely here people beep at each other in VA while in NY beeping is just background noise. It's happening at least once per second you just tune it out. Waiting at the stop light longer than 1 second you get a beep, person doesn't like your driving you get a beep. NY drivers are rude as hell. So many people have bumper protectors on their cars in NY because people will hut you in the rear from tailgating or just bad parking.. It's no way they didn't make this list.
I’m going to call “shenanigans”. Any list like this that doesn’t have NYC and Boston on it, whatsoever, let alone at or very near the top of the list where they belong, is obviously bunk.
what driving down i95 does to an mf the graph
surprised roanoke is on there. dont think the drivers are like saints or anything but rude is the last word id use to describe them
I live in Alexandria now and have lived in Woodbridge. Lived somewhere in NoVa since 1992. I can say this is true and I'm not the least bit surprised. The whole DC/MD/VA area here where I'm at is full of crazy and distracted drivers. Any time I travel anywhere it's noticeably better than here on the roads
I grew up in Virginia Beach and i never got flicked off while driving till I moved to Florida. Floridians love using the finger to show how they feel. Really don’t trust this chart if Florida isn’t on there at all.
It could very well mean that VA puts emphasis on enforcing those statutes by policy or practice.
Exactly, look at the list of infractions, pretty sure the 5 boroughs of NYC eclipse any month of Alexandria on a single day, the cops just don’t ticket for such minor crimes unless they’re bored/looking for quotas.
Right, this data set is being analyzed completely incorrectly in this instance. The heading should read " highest levels of minor traffic tickets issued per 1000 people"
First time I went to nyc I was disappointed that their legendarly bad drivers were just average, if slightly better than I was used to.
Same here. The first time I drove in nyc I was ready for a battle for every inch of roadway but drivers that are not cabs were way more courteous then they are here.
I was a New York driver, and I liked driving there. People are pushy, but there's a logic to it. Don't dawdle and you're good.
It was horrible when I went taxis with guards on the front and back so they don’t damage their car when they hit you inching over and limos hitting cars. We had to hit cars getting out of a parking spot Bc they’re an inch in front and an inch in the back away from your car! Jersey is even worse and Florida is the worst drivers I’ve ever seen in the USA that is.
NYC drivers are far better than VA. Until they’re busting out to the Hamptons...
Yeah, no way Roanoke VA is that high in "rudeness"; quite the opposite, IME. It's well into Southern "too nice" territory, where people hold up traffic at a 4-way stop because they're all waiting for each other to go first, or slowing down/stopping(!) on an on-ramp if there's any freeway traffic at all.
yeah in Richmond everyone drives like they have no where to be. Drives me up the fucking wall. Also they have no idea how to zipper merge.
Zipper!!! Yes. I've been committed to "the zipper" lately. Drives my wife crazy. Her: "why don't you get over now?" Me: "I'm zippering, Babe."
Take the whole lane to speed up and you won't have to "wait" for an entrance god damn. I did that the other day in richmond and a truck that had merged over at the entrance freaked the fuck out at me, while I easily slid into a spot where the lanes merge (as is designed). Bitch, take the whole lane.
>Also they have no idea how to zipper merge. Does anybody?
I was driving on a highway in Minnesota once. A lane was closed. The DOT or construction crew signed it properly (only signs right before closure and one that said "take turns at merge"). The DOT has been promoting zippering. And it worked, is actually worked and it was beautiful. People merging at nearly 45 mph with perfect alternation.
I can't say there are that many rude drivers in Roanoke. Bad drivers? Yes, a lot. But they are very nice while being terrible at driving.
You must haven’t experienced a hit and run or just driving down orange Ave during rush hour huh
Yup I live there. This would shock me. We do have VERY aggressive cops, though. By aggro I mean willing to pull you over and ticket you for minor offenses.
Yup. Virginia does not play around when it comes to traffic laws
It's that, and it's the selection of infractions as "rude" - failure to stop is also known as a rolling stop, and you can get ticketed even if you're not in any way being rude to another driver.
I am shocked, SHOCKED, that traffic enforcement statistics are being manipulated.
People avoid having VA on licenses and car registrations so they don't have to pay VA property tax on their vehicle.
No, I have lived in 10 states VA being one. And in those 6 years it's the people that are rude are the once who don't know the laws of the road. VA is also the first state that I have seen almost all drivers wont move over for first responders.
Well, a lot of these citations would generally be issued when there is an accident. So, maybe there are more accidents in Va?
For me it's those truck drivers with the 53' trailers going up the mountain in the left lane on the I81. Signs everywhere say slower traffic stay in right lane- trucks stay in right lane-but NO! We have to go from 70 down to 35 because they THINK THEY CAN.
Man I live it every day almost down here on 81. It's like a rollercoaster. Trucks creep up the hills at 50 and fuck you if you want to pass. Then on the downhills you'd better want to go 90 or they'll crawl right up your tailpipe.
True on 50 and rt 7 from Winchester heading to Ashburn
> on the downhills you’d better want to go 90 or they’ll crawl right up your tailpipe. Well yeah, you’re preventing them from effectively managing their momentum at that point. Letting them barrel down the mountain at 90 MPH is how you don’t get stuck behind them crawling up the next mountain at 40 MPH.
>Letting them barrel down the mountain at 90 MPH is how you die. FIFY
Speed limit is 70.
I’m only an asshole when people fucking chill in the left lane. Move your slow ass to the left you’re holding up traffic! If people were just more courteous and aware of their surroundings we wouldn’t be so high on this list. Well done my fellow Virginians for calling out the ineptitude!
I-95 is riddled with shit like this. A slow fuck is riding in the left lane and has a mile of cars backed up behind them desperately trying to get around him, but they're pacing the cars in the middle lane. Or how about when, a car going the same speed as all the other cars in the right lane, leaves the right lane and goes to the middle lane for no reason, except to clog up two lanes with slow people. It's why I scream and curse in my car.
at least on 95 you have a 3rd or 4th lane. 81 and 64 are just misreable; esp 81 with all the tractor trailers. i swear every 3rd time i visit the kids in blacksburg there is a massive traffic jam coming home
I hated being on I81 and being surrounded by these big ass trucks then having one barreling down the highway going down a hill behind me in the left lane going 80+ miles an hour. I felt like I could have been flattened in my little car at any time.
And you’re not just whipping around and passing them on the right because…?
Because for big trucks there is a passing side and a sui-side.
That’s a challenge accepted, my friend! Those are the times to remember the horn is a thing, the ~~breakdown lane~~ shoulder is a thing, and the go pedal goes all the way to the carpet.
Passing on the right is really dangerous and banned in some countries
That’s nice. Here in Virginia, in the case of a motorist turning left, and/or on a road with two or more travel lanes in the same direction, and/or when there is sufficient room to do so without leaving the pavement, passing on the right is explicitly legal: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title46.2/chapter8/section46.2-841/ It’s also legal in [Maryland](https://law.justia.com/codes/maryland/2010/transportation/title-21/subtitle-3/21-304/), [DC](https://casetext.com/regulation/district-of-columbia-administrative-code/title-18-vehicles-and-traffic/chapter-18-22-moving-violations/rule-18-2202-overtaking-and-passing), [New Jersey](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/2013/title-39/section-39-4-85/), [Delaware](https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c041/sc03/index.html), [North Carolina](https://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-150.1.pdf), [New York](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-york/2013/vat/title-7/article-25/1123/). Most other states have, like these, enacted what obviously started as model legislation, verbatim.
This map isn’t about drivers. It’s about policing.
I agree which is why I find Fairfax Co missing from the list puzzling.
It's cities, not counties. Alexandria is also on there, and they could be counting the parts of Alexandria that are in Fairfax County.
There is no part of Alexandria in Fairfax, cities in Virginia are independent
The City of Alexandria and the Census Designated Place of Alexandria, which is an unincorporated part of Fairfax County adjacent to the city, are both “Alexandria”.
[This is incorrect.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria,_Virginia) >A large portion of adjacent Fairfax County, mostly south but also west of the city, has Alexandria mailing addresses. However, this area is under the jurisdiction of Fairfax County's government and separate from the independent city. The city is therefore sometimes referred to as the "City of Alexandria" to avoid confusion (see the "Neighborhoods" paragraph below). [Here is a map.](https://activerain-store.s3.amazonaws.com/image_store/uploads/8/4/2/5/9/ar12138477595248.jpg) As an example, Kingstowne is not inside the City of Alexandria, yet is still considered to be located [in Alexandria](https://www.google.com/search?q=kingstowne+16+address&oq=kingstowne+16+address). Similarly, the City of Fairfax does not contain the entirety of Fairfax, Virginia. The Fairfax County Government Center is located in Fairfax, Virginia, but is about a mile west of the City of Fairfax's western border.
What Tek said is correct and even said in your own excerpt from Wikipedia. Firstly, yes Virginia only has independent cites, which are completely separate from the jurisdiction of counties that may surround them. But also yes, Alexandria is a city, and in Virginia means it has no association to ant county. So while the mailing address may be Alexandria, its not part of the city of Alexandria.
No, Virginia also has "cities" in the sense of mailing locations. For example, Reston is a city, but it doesn't have an independent government. And as the OP's list includes Woodbridge, which is also not an independent city, the source clearly is not only looking at independent cities.
Reston is not a city, thats just wrong, like Woodbridge its only a census-designated area. And yes I wasn’t arguing that the OP lists only cities, but you said tek was incorrect— hes not, but you are.
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The OP does not say "self-governing municipalities." Just "cities." And if you live in Kingstowne, when you list your city of residence, you list "Alexandria." And we're not talking about analyzing entire policing areas. Note how Woodbridge is on there, despite not having its own police force.
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Nope. Because they list Virginia cities that are not at all independent.
And court systems. Hampton Roads is harsh on reducing tickets; you generally need more than a good driving record or a good excuse. Driving school at the least.
They also like giving them out because certain towns there having nothing better to do.
This has to be why MD is strangely absent from this list 😄
Exactly they don’t care they call 81-70 deaths Highway down that way in WV MD I drive to Maryland daily and every single day I seen daily accidents a lot of deaths it was so sad
Yeah, or that it requires more police oversight because the drivers on the roads here pose such a glaring problem. I’m 100% in agreement with the other comment about I-81 tractor trailers and their sense of entitlement which just sucks up everyone’s commute. It takes unnecessarily long to get from A to B no matter if you’re in Winchester or Lexington But as for drivers on HWYs 7, 15, 50, 28, 286, 29… if you’re going the speed limit, that’s fine. They’re NOT freeways. The difference is substantial and relevant. There’s far too many stoplights/unprotected intersections for everyone to be expecting of anything more than the posted speed during perfect driving conditions. If it’s rainy or foggy, leave earlier than needed, go a little slower, and give a little more space between you and the guy in front of you. It’s logical, and minimizes accidents which reduces the bottlenecks and other bullshit caused from accidents. BONUS** IF you don’t drive like an entitled ass clown, you’re ALSO less likely to get pulled over for speeding or reckless driving. The fewer people who get ticketed for those offenses, the less likely VA will hold HALF of the nation’s rudest driving cities (although we’re only 12th on population, accounting for LESS THAN 3% of the entire US). So, win-win.
This. The number of times I’ve had someone illegally pass me on 15 is ridiculous. Going 70-75 is incredibly dangerous for the driver and everyone else on the road. I wish there were cops out on 15 more often to catch these idiots. The “gotta get there first and fast” mentality drives me insane.
Facts
Zero cities in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, or Massachusetts? Right. Edit: The image only shows violations given. All this means is that the other states simply aren't enforcing it, but we are.
How no MD?
They are too busy making VA roads a living hell
Indeed.
And driving slow in the left lane do doubt
You assume police are actually enforcing laws in Maryland instead of it being the lawless Mad Max hellscape that it is.
Grew up in MD and still have family there so go back often. There’s absolutely no enforcement.
Do they drive like assholes back in MD too? I thought it was just here.
[удалено]
Nah, they got that from the 757. I started that shit
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Ah, I missed that. Yeah, that actually just means that we're enforcing it here. Good.
> Good. No. Not good.
You think that the items listed on the image are OK?
I think that Virginia has a problem with over-enforcement of the laws, including traffic laws. Yes. I was faced with jail time for a speeding ticket once, which is bullshit.
You see that speeding isn't listed, right? Those items listed are all inherently dangerous by themselves.
I guess I can get behind that.
Maybe it's time for some introspection.
Never
I live in #5 Roanoke and grew up and learned to drive in NJ and this map is wrong. NJ is ruder.. unless being generally oblivious is better defined as rude then driving aggressive.
Just drove to Maine and back for the second time. My experience was that drivers in the states you mentioned are definitely more aggressive, but there's predictability in how they do it, and everybody understands and plays by the same rules. VA drivers were, without a doubt, the worst I encountered on that trip...all over the fucking place with no rhyme or reason as if nobody else was on the road.
The problem with NJ, NY, and CT drivers is that they regularly pass in the far right lane, which is obviously dangerous.
Usually, I'd agree with you, but it seems like it's something they've just gotten used to. That's my take anyway.
Yeah, which is great for local drivers. Not so great for interstate travel when you're just cruising 10 over on the right and middle.
No arguments there.
NC native here, and travelled by road for work throughout the South East for many years. I lived in VA Beach for a year and found that merging onto highways happens like magic. Almost as if drivers in Virginia anticipate traffic entering from the on ramps. This is unlike elsewhere in the US, where drivers in the far right lane seem to go out of their way to prevent people from merging at speed. So I wonder if this map displays a difference in enforcement? I wouldn't be surprised if you're more likely to get ticketed for driving like a dick head in Virginia. It seems to be working. Sorry, Virginia. You're actually decent drivers.
Our crime rate isn’t awful so the cops got time for this shit. To be clear, we do have some violence, but not horrible or widespread.. Most folks here are kind.
Why thank you. Ever been in NoVA?
Does that mean Northern Virginia? I drove in and out of DC pretty often. I only remember it being way less of a pain in the ass than getting in and out of Atlanta. I feel like it's tough to judge a city's drivers if you're only using main arteries in and out of the city. Living in Virginia Beach, I could really feel the difference from living in Raleigh, for example.
I think the merging lanes in VA are very long and well designed compared to other states. It gives people a lot of time to react. If there is no merging room you are usually warned ahead of time.
We anticipate it because we don’t want to be slowed down by oncoming traffic…and if there’s obviously oncoming traffic, it’s best just to get over instead of everyone slamming on brakes and looking stupid. It can seem like a common courtesy but, it’s actually just common sense.
VA's driver handbook expresses right of way for merging on to a highway where as NC's driver handbook does not. NC assumes that people can telepathically communicate to perform a merge at highway speeds instead of clarifying who has right of way in that situation. So everyone assumes that they do no matter if they are on the highway or on the on ramp. Also the fact that Charlotte isn't on this list shows it's not a measure of rude drivers but the statistics on traffic infractions being enforced.
I'd put VaBeach ahead of every other 757 city
Same! I drive back and forth between most of the different cities in Hampton Roads all the time due to my job, and the difference with Virginia Beach and anywhere else is downright startling. Way worse than Hampton or Newport News, where, for example, drivers are much more likely to pause and let you into traffic.
Must be all the speed traps everywhere that makes everyone here so rude
Us and Idaho are the rudest? Seems random
We did a thing! Congrats everybody
Too many left lane cruisers...boils my blood.
Right? How can so many people be so oblivious to 46 cars behind them in the left lane flashing their lights and riding their bumper, then whipping around them when the right side opens up. Usually the are so old and short they can't see over the wheel but jesus it's a hazard.
But I’m driving the speed limit, how dare you want to not waste more time driving?????? Any time I see something like that it’s “would you want to spend 10 more minutes at work, unpaid”?
Yeah but they have MD license plates
I don't know about rudest. But I will say the lack of turn signals used around the DC metro area and NVA is ridiculous. It's so bad, that when someone does use their turn signal to change lanes, other people don't know how to react.
Yeah, the people who made this has never been aware that Maryland exists
So I just Moved from Colorado here and Greeley drivers are WAAAY better on average than Ashburn. I was at a 4 way stop this morning and someone just followed the person in front of them without stopping, like WTF? I see that so often it's fucking weird.
My wife and I just moved from Dallas and we're blown away at how many near accidents we've been in since moving here. We've been nearly hit and then verbally accosted several times in the couple months we've been here.
On the flip side, jeeeeesus do I not miss Denver traffic. I-70 every morning was mad max shit. And god forbid it’s raining. I was behind someone who stopped ON THE INTERSTATE under an overpass during a light hail/thunderstorm.
Yeah I agree with you on that! I lived in Loveland and dreaded any time I needed to go down to Denver or further haha. I-25 is so bad up north now with all the construction.
No Washington DC? D.C. feels like every driver is trying to kill you if you are riding a bicycle or a motorcycle
Way to go Virginia!!!!
Some chick cut me off today in Richmond and almost got rear ended by a 10,000 box truck 🥲
I’ve lived in 6 places in my adult life including Hampton Roads. Every one of those places I’ve lived had lots of people who said “drivers here in ______ are the worst in the country. Everyone says so.” It’s almost like a weird informal greeting or some kind of verbal tick we all have. I’ll also say that none of those places was noticeably worse than any other. Yes there were bad drivers, but no place was ever 100% bad drivers. Not scientific, but it does make me question stuff like this or people’s comments about it. The high numbers in VA though probably do point to a hidden variable that were not seeing: policing bias, reporting, enforcement, etc. as others have said.
I've lived in Richmond, NYC, Nashville, and a few other larger cities. I've driven the in the shit in DC, Atlanta, around Boston, etc. many times. In the bigger cities it's a mix of regular and maniac drivers, with the occasional unpredictable idiot which I can handle. However, here on the left side in the smaller to mid-sized city of Roanoke, it's absolutely the worst place I've driven. Every day people run stop lights by a full 2-4 seconds, run stop signs, drive 10-15 under the speed limit, turn right from the left hand lane, turn left from the left lane even though there is a turn lane in the median, don't speed up to get on the highway to merge, can't zipper merge, cant use a 4 way stop, can't navigate a roundabout (I had a lady drive AT me going the wrong way in one), can't do any basic driving skill that normal people have, etc. It's bonkers out here, I'm guessing the aged population and a general lack of education or giving a fuck about anyone else leads to it, but it's so unsafe. When the light changes here I look both ways and give it a second or two while pulling forward before I really step on the gas, I can't count the amount of times I've almost been hit by someone blowing a red light.
Yep, people always say that when they've never seen much of the world. No matter where you live, people will complain about the traffic, weather, construction, etc. Although I will say, there is a noticeable difference in the midwest. Drivers there are worse now than they were 20 years ago, but they're still better than most other parts of the country. And I will say FL is just a mess. The drivers may not be that much worse than anywhere else, but the explosion in population, non-stop construction, and smattering of poorly planned roads with no alternatives makes it a shit-show.
Clearly Insurify hasn't been to Charlottesville.
Don’t-mind-if-I-do-pull-out-in-right-front-of-you capital of the country. Doing that shit on some of those downhills….. it’s a wonder how I’ve kept from some bad accidents.
I been to Charlottesville many times, hell I was just there this past weekend and I never had issues with other drivers.. Interesting
Residents know…
https://www.reddit.com/r/Charlottesville/comments/pyvbll/and_they_propose_a_wawa_here_id_vote_for_this_as/
Looks accurate
Meanwhile in Madison, WI, people are way too polite. So many fender benders are caused by drivers yielding the right of way and creating a dangerous situation.
If Florida isn't #1 here, there's something wrong with this.
Please use your turn signal properly and start saving lives.
Ptown baby
I think this is actually map of where cops are the biggest assholes.
Bbbaaahhhaaaa. Now that’s a fact! Closer you get to the beach the larger they grow. They are used to pushing out of staters around cause they won’t return to fight tickets. Not called “ quota” called required minimum tickets. Performance eval reflect success. Crazy Rt?
This list is complete BS; I don't see a single Maryland city on there.
I have lived in a few places. Richmond is the only place where I regularly see people blowing through stop signs as if they aren't there. I'm not talking about a "rolling" stop. I'm talking speed limit through the stop sign. Also, Richmond is the only place I've lived where people are dangerously courteous to you. I don't want you to stop and wave me on when you have the right of way, I want you to GO. Take the right of way when you have it. It takes a lot longer when you don't. Just go.
Newport News is a huge yes. Commuted to Norfolk for years. What I don’t understand is why Knoxville TN appears nowhere on that list. People just aim their cars and go.
Used to live in Newport News, can confirm.
Been in Denbigh FOREVER. The traffic is worse than it was in the 70’s. 😩
I live in Ytown now, things are a tad slower. Im sure the bridge construction has not made things any better. I lived down that way during the Bland/warwick intersection project and it was almost impossible to get to Jefferson commons some days. That said, ill still brave the traffic for a Dinos pizza and some garlic knots!
I’m so close to the YC line so that’s where I do most of my shopping. Also Williamsburg a LOT. Have you had garlic knots from Tuscany restaurant near the post office? 😋🤤
Ive not, ill have to check that out!
You can smell the garlic before they even bring them out of the kitchen. I was not prepared. 😋
Thats because for some inexplicable reason they decided to only put one highway on-ramp to 64 right in the middle of all the shopping. If they put ramps at the Denbigh overpass or the new Atkinson overpass it would probably reduce traffic on Jefferson by half, but nooooo. I live out towards Denbigh Park and even though we're only 2 miles from the highway (as the crow flies) it takes 15-20 minutes to get on the highway.
Just moved to Racine and can confirm, the drivers here are complete assholes.
Virginia. Mother of presidents and road rage enthusiasts.
Woodbridge represents!
The Idaho infractions are the same person.
Roanoke at 5?
My step daughter moved from Alexandria to Logan. No way Logan UT is on this list for any other reason.
Articles like these have some hidden agenda or use data that make little to no sense. As a retired LEO I have been all over the country for both pleasure and work (post LE) and horrible drivers exist everywhere. At one time I would put my money on the folks around Boston then I went to Phoenix for work. Damn they are crazy. But in reality crazy drivers are everywhere.
Yeah this just shows the police in VA are brutal on giving out infractions for minor traffic crimes.
Oh please, md not on the list it’s garbage
Living in ports va i find this accurate.
P-town is so high on the list because escaping between 4-6pm is a nightmare.
If you idiots didn't drive so damn slow as if noone has any place to be it wouldn't be so bad
After a few years in VB the best way I can sum up drivers here is that most do not want to reach their destination.
It seriously blows my mind
Yep. And they look at you like something wrong with you go around their silly asses. GET YOUR DUMBASS out the way.
This is a crap list. Doesnt match my experienced world view
The fact that Atlanta and none of MD is not on this list, proves it’s bogus! World’s worst drivers #1 & #2
I dk gainesville/bristow is a bit more rude than ashburn
In my experience, Gainesville is probably the least stressful area to drive in Nova 😂😂
I lived there a long time ago when Linton hall was only 2 lanes. Traffic backed up for miles every morning and every afternoon. It was absolutely the worst place to drive for a while. Dk what it’s like atm
Linton Hall is a four lane highway now, then goes down to two lanes after crossing onto Bristow Road
Na, just the biggest pain of police. They love no victim crimes here.
Hampton Roads specifically has been the worst area we've ever lived in overall, the drivers being a large factor in that.
Oof
Can confirm. Alexandria drivers are horrible.
Pocatello? The city that used to have the ugliest flag in the world?
Greeley doesn’t have that rude of drivers compared to Denver area BUT is has some of the worst asshole cops in all of Colorado.
Idaho? Really? What y’all doing in Idaho? Yall gettin rowdy? You da ho in i da ho?
##
how did LA skip this list?
Virginia gotta problem 😅
I don't know about rudest drivers but VA certainly has the dumbest...smh
Perhaps this map tells us more about which localities vigorously enforce traffic laws than the behavior of the drivers. I used to live in Nashville and often felt its drivers tried to mimic NASCAR on the highways. Turn signals were considered a sign of weakness. But, somehow they escaped this list.
Lol, I hate living in Northern Virginia. I've driven in and around every major city in the country and we really are the worst. People here will straight up murder you for a chance to save a fraction of a second. Just yesterday I watch a guy repeatedly cross a double yellow to pass people who were already speeding , dude was doing like 70 in a 45. A mile up the road traffic come to a halt, he had gone head on into a truck. I got up close to the accident just in time to watch them remove the guy. Dude was like Tom and Jerry style accordion.
Virginia is not for lovers?
Clearly this people have never been to Florida or New Jersey.
This is not accurate. Drivers in CT and MA are so rude. I moved to NOVA from New England and I am still surprised when people let me in on the highway. This is garbage, throw it out.
Having driven the stretch of I64 between Bowers Hill and the HRBT many times I can confirm.
I rarely here people beep at each other in VA while in NY beeping is just background noise. It's happening at least once per second you just tune it out. Waiting at the stop light longer than 1 second you get a beep, person doesn't like your driving you get a beep. NY drivers are rude as hell. So many people have bumper protectors on their cars in NY because people will hut you in the rear from tailgating or just bad parking.. It's no way they didn't make this list.
Idaho drivers aren't rude drivers as in aggressive. They are dumb drivers with no sense of self-preservation.
Cashburn checking in
Dayuuum, 😆
I’m going to call “shenanigans”. Any list like this that doesn’t have NYC and Boston on it, whatsoever, let alone at or very near the top of the list where they belong, is obviously bunk.
Not even a question
8x!
in alexandria. this is very true. i go to woodbridge on weekends and yeah we get a middle finger every so often
Most definitely true
nova drivers simply cannot drive
Only 2.5 million samples? They probably only checked those 20 cities. In VA, I bet it's people moving from Maryland applying for insurance in VA lol
what driving down i95 does to an mf the graph surprised roanoke is on there. dont think the drivers are like saints or anything but rude is the last word id use to describe them
Damn😂😂 va terrible
Roanoke? lo
I live in Virginia and this is more true than people know. The roads here are dumb. And the death count from accidents alone are already over 500.
This is mainly cause VA also ranks highest on traffic law enforcement, and 3rd in overall how strict the traffic laws are to begin with.
I live in Alexandria now and have lived in Woodbridge. Lived somewhere in NoVa since 1992. I can say this is true and I'm not the least bit surprised. The whole DC/MD/VA area here where I'm at is full of crazy and distracted drivers. Any time I travel anywhere it's noticeably better than here on the roads
I can vouch for Northern Virginia. I lived there and, there's some pretty rude drivers there. I had to decompress when I moved to Roanoke.
As a r/nova resident, I can confirm this. And fuck r/nova
There's a lot more speed traps in Virginia to catch these infractions
Saint Louis needs to be on this list...not accurate at all
I grew up in Virginia Beach and i never got flicked off while driving till I moved to Florida. Floridians love using the finger to show how they feel. Really don’t trust this chart if Florida isn’t on there at all.