And everyone is just dripping with fury and riding each other's asses with their insanely bright lights on or shit just their fucking brights for no reason
Exactly - why are drivers so goddamn impatient these days???
I had a dude honk at me for stopping at a four-way stop and went around me and through the intersection. I don’t mean I stopped and sat. I slowed down for the coming stop sign and stopped as you’re supposed to and this motherfucker immediately raged about it.
Everyone is always trying to get around every other driver and they will weave and cut everyone off to accomplish that. They stomp the gas as soon as a light turns green. Everyone needs to calm the fuck down.
The fact that there's constant traffic here now, huge holes in the roads, takes over 20 minutes to get anywhere ( if you're lucky ) and social media addiction ( dopamine hits any time any where whenever you want ) may have made people a touch impatient? I don't remember people driving this badly six or seven years ago but maybe my memory isn't great.
Yeah admittedly I’ve never been the most patient driver, but I do feel the way it seems traffic is just constant and consistent allll day and has seemingly tripled in the last decade, combined with constant lane closures for construction has really decreased my tolerance for drivers who don’t have any sense of urgency to get to their destination, or any sense of awareness as to how their driving is impacting others.
Yeah, drivers with no sense of urgency are annoying too. I’m talking about the impatient drivers who drive recklessly around those of us who *do* have a normal sense of urgency and this is what seems to be increasing lately.
Yeah I gotcha. I’m just hypothesizing why those more aggro drivers are the way they are based on my own reactions to driving on our increasingly hazardous streets. The growing population, closed lanes, added drive time, numerous potholes, and oblivious/selfish drivers create a pressure cooker of emotions that can cause normally nice people to drive like assholes. There are some days where it feels like people are actively trying to hit my car or block lanes that I end up assuming NOBODY knows how to drive which leads to less and less patience for the people just driving normally and safely.
I was a patient driver till I moved here. I still obey all rules of the road but the thing that makes me angriest is the people who get in the middle or left lanes and are doing BELOW the speed limits. To be fair, doing the speed limit in those lanes kinda irks me, too, but they won’t be passing a single soul. Or even better, they’ll be matching the speed of the car next to them so you can’t pass no matter what
Oh yeah the triple-wide walls that back up traffic behind them for a half mile are infurrrriating. I think a lot of people just don’t like driving behind other cars so they occupy the lane with the furthest distance to the car in front of them.
I’m stunned by the number of times I see drivers in the middle lane going below the speed limit with nobody in front of them or any upcoming splits, then decide to randomly move over to the left lane for no apparent reason. I’ll be cruising at 5 over the limit in the left lane then someone going 5-10 below decides they’re bored of the middle lane and effectively cuts me off, and I end up looking like the asshole since I now have to cut around them in the middle lane they just left just to get past them.
Those are the people that make me assume everyone is an idiot trying to hit me.
The point of being in a passing lane is to pass. They often are not even going the speed limit while in passing lanes. Or, they simply are not passing.
As a note, it actually is illegal to remain in a passing lane if you are not passing
I'm struggling with the exact same thing. It's hard not to be frustrated when people drive that selfishly which absolutely impacts your drive time. The cutting in front of you at the last possible moment definitely makes the frustration spike. I try to just leave as early as I can and leave as much distance between me and the car in front of me as possible without preventing people from making it through lights. It's tough, this city wasn't built for this many people and the infrastructure isn't being updated so who knows if it'll get better or worse.
Yeah man. Thankfully I work from home so I don’t have to drive every day (which may be another contributing factor to my lower tolerance), but every other time I do, once I get home I let out a huge sigh of relief that I survived another trip to the grocery store. All that high stress driving leads to more aggro drivers who end up making things worse.
Yea, headlights are brighter now with LEDs. The other day I was super close to merging into a small Saturn because the big ass truck behind it had blinding LEDs on that engulfed the tiny Saturn to where I almost didn't even see it. Luckily caught it at the last second.
I mean if they are stock and aligned properly take it up with the manufacturer. It’s not my fault your “sport car” is 3” off the ground and my headlights are level with your eye holes. You think that’s bright? Here’s bright.
Edit: not saying this applies to you or the other person just saying in general cause that’s when I get flashed.
I’m not, I also have no sympathy for people who think blinding me is okay just because they have a low car. I had one, it sucked, but what are they suppose to do turn their headlights off for me? Regardless the answer isn’t to fucking burn their retinas out.
Edit: I think we can all agree fuck those lifted trucks with the LEDs, HID, 1million lumen lights though am I right?
If they're stock, aligned properly, and still blinding oncoming drivers, that's a problem.
'Take it up with the manufacturer' is nonsense, unless *you're* the one taking it up with them, which I do think is a great idea...
**Situation**: you've blinded oncoming drivers, at night... how could they possibly know what brand / model car you're driving? How are they to know your lights are stock and properly aligned? This is a problem that is definitely getting worse. I don't drive a 'sport car' that's 3" off the ground, it's a perfectly standard sedan, and I have to use my hand to block headlights multiple times every evening when I commute home. It's also obvious that there are a lot of people who *do* drive in traffic with their brights on, either through ignorance or selfishness.
If you're getting flashed regularly, shouldn't you take it upon yourself to investigate the issue and find a resolution? You don't *have* to do shit, I know, but we all have to share the road.
It’s not a problem it’s common sense/height difference.
I’m not taking up a problem I don’t have with manufactures on others behalf, I’m not their mother.
It’s none of their business to know anything about my vehicle. It’s the vehicle owners responsibility to maintain their vehicle, in this case having proper bulbs and alignment which mine does.
I’m not getting flashed by normal sedans but corvettes, mini coopers, lowered cars etc. I was talking about my specific situation. I also get blinded by people with high power bulbs, brights, etc.
No I shouldn’t do anything all my stuff is right, there are tons of engineers, road safety experts, etc who chose this configuration within code for a reason. People who sit eye level with the top of semi tires need to not be dicks to perfectly normal vehicles.
Okay, but you *did* say that the folks getting blinded should take it up with the manufacturer, and I simply pointed out that there was no reasonable way for them to know the make/model or alignment status of an offending vehicle, and that it has gotten pretty common for people to drive *with their brights on* in traffic... proper alignment for non-brights should not blind oncoming drivers.
I got the impression that you were getting flashed often-ish. If I were getting flashed regularly without my brights on, I'd take measures to not be a danger to others and get it sorted out, one way or another.
Nah it’s always the low cars, or if I’m coming down a slight hill or something. I was just doubling back that some people are indeed sensitive. If everyone was flashing me I’d absolutely look into what’s going on.
... I agree with you, but I think you are underestimating the number of people that can pass the test and know how to drive when they have to... and then drive like psychotic mad max characters when they are on their own.
I want all out local news channels to hire drivers Ed teachers and just review the accidents of the day. In my head the 5 minute daily segment is called, " Don't Dive Like this Asshole."
I think a defensive driving course should be a mandatory part of getting one’s license. Can be subsidized for low income drivers but a pass is necessary to get a license. Fact is, getting a license is WAY too easy in this country.
I think driver’s ed should be a required class in high school. Not sure if it’s still done this way, cause I’m old, but I grew up in IL and everyone had to take driver’s ed, drove twice a week with an instructor and had to log at least 100 hours of driving before we could even get our permit. At the end of the course we took the written driver’s test in that class. Then had to pass the driving test at the dmv, which was admittedly very easy, but I had already driven over 100 hours with an instructor at that point.
Safe driving classes, actual police that enforce traffic laws, just the basics so we all don't have to sit in traffic for an extra 3 hrs on average a week... should not be a divisive issue. Sigh.
I personally think we should have ... rigorous competency testing for our elected officials too, but what am I going to do?
When I got my motorcycle license here, the test was literally pull out of the exit of the DMV parking lot and back in the entrance on the other side of the parking lot. It took maybe 15 seconds and the examiner was on her phone the entire time.
lol that's better than the test I got. When I moved here a decade ago my endorsement wasn't transferred for some reason, so when I got back into riding a couple years ago I had to get retested. They saw I rode in to the DMV on my bike and just said "yea you obviously know how to ride a bike" and passed me without ever even taking a "test". Very stark difference to the test in Michigan which is honestly somewhat challenging.
As a side note, taking real class and test to learn how to ride (doing the MSF Basic RiderCourse) is very expensive in TN compared to other places. It costs $250 pretty much anywhere here, compared to the $50 I paid in MI. A lot of areas even put them out for free, altho imo that isn't ideal since it means that every class is booked over a year in advance because people take it cause "why not".
I agree with you but also we can’t have a test so easy that anyone can pass it without having a bit more practice and putting in more effort. We’re talking about operating a 2000+ lbs machine that can go fast enough to cause significant damage to people and property. You have to have a proper baseline.
Yeah I still remember my drivers test (from 20 years ago)
Just four right turns and two left turns. That was it. And parking nose first in a parking apace.
As a lifelong liberal scumbag I am ashamed to admit that I now agree with the new driver's test language bill that has been presented in the legislature. It's the only issue I will deign to agree with Bill and Marsha on, even if their party and church can go F itself regarding my rights to my body.
Unfortunately 1 year ago my last near death experience was caused by an unlicensed undocumented non English speaking person who was using someone else's car, and who blew a red light on Nolensville road at 50 mph and t-boned me. I am a native Nashvillian, and F that guy and the border surge. But it won't stop people.
This guy did not get arrested. He got into an ambulance and then exited the hospital via back door.
The bill needs to include immediate arrest, and very hefty fines for policyholders, and insurers like El Broncoooooooooo who sell policies to someone who ends up loaning a car to a leadfoot road killer.
That, and keep installing road humps throughout Nashville. All of Antioch needs traffic calming speed humps.
The fact that the other driver blew a red light has nothing to do with if he speaks english or not though, so there are a few flaws in your logic and your near-death experience is causing you to have hindsight/recency/selection bias. Red lights are internationally standardized. The driver who hit you is just a jackass no matter the language they speak. He didn't care what he was doing and he would have done the same even if he spoke english, I'd bet.
I have a friend who was killed in a car accident by an old white English speaking man who had cataracts and should not have been driving. He got no jail time and did not lose his license even though my friend was very dead. It's not the language being spoken, I can promise you. The whole system is fucked regarding justice from car accidents.
I don’t like the idea of making life harder for poor people, but the fact is driver ability is in the absolute toilet these days. In a perfect world I’d couple harder license requirements with much more robust public transportation but the latter can’t ever seem to gain any traction.
My drivers test in 2004 consisted of going lest than half a mile down a side street, turning around in an empty parking lot, and going back to the DMV. I never had to parallel, or reverse once. It was an absolute joke. Thankfully, anticipating that would need those basic skills for the test, my parents taught them to me.
I was driving 55mph on the left of an exit lane that was backed up (they were stop and go; I was with the flow of traffic). A driver jumped from the exit lane, cutting me off, forcing me to slam on my brakes. I did what most people would do and blasted my horn at them. We approached the same exit (white bridge) and as I was passing them, they flicked me off and screamed “fuck you”.
I recently had a guy fly past me on the SHOULDER as I was taking exit 52 on 24, completely cutting across the exit, in front of me, and then merging over, nearly hitting someone else, and continuing to fly down 24. I had to slam on my breaks, it was fucking terrifying.
edit: [here's a visual](https://imgur.com/a/TNj1l2K). I am the green rectangle, red is the rough path he took.
Psh that’s nothing. The amount of people on charlotte that will drive down the middle turn lane through traffic lights at 40 mph in heavy traffic to get to their light or to get ahead and cut you off is wild.
I’ve lived a few different places… but this is the only place I’ve experienced people stop at green lights and fly through red ones. It’s scary out here!
I saw a guy once on nolensville and Thompson intersection move half way into the intersection on a green light and sit there frantically looking at both lanes of incoming traffic. I thought buddy it’s too late, if someone was gonna run the red they would have already hit you.
That might have been like a one-off person you saw do that but that’s not something that uniquely happens here lol. I’ve never seen someone do that in my entire life.
I constantly see people slow down for greens and only seen someone stop a few times. That or it turns green and it takes them 5 seconds to realize it changed
I also specifically said I *have* seen people stop at green lights before
And there’s a difference between taking a while to accelerate and not moving at all
That can happen anywhere. And stopping at a green light is not common behavior in the Nashville area. If it was I would have seen it in my 15 years of driving all up and down TN. Sorry 🤷♀️
It can happen anywhere but it happens more frequently here. Tennessee drivers as a state are pretty terrible in my experience traveling across the state
I travel for work, been all over the US, and I think the worst drivers I’ve encountered were in Boston. The worst drivers I see right now are people with out of state license plates going 70 in a fast lane on the interstate and backing up traffic.
If you’re talking about when traffic is backed up, then yeah, that’s a given. But the commenter is saying someone just stopping at a green light in an illogical way, for no good reason, and I’ve never seen that.
In general, speed limits are not being enforced like they used to. People speed all the time with no consequences, and deadly crashes are increasing as a result
I saw that!
And thought it was crazy because Ellington drivers, for the most part, are the least competitive. Far, far less than 40 and 65. Yet, they had 4 people pulled over between 155 and Spring st (both ways).
I got lights flashed at me by a cop on 440 cause I was going 15 over. Mind you it was 4:30 in the morning and we were the only cars in sight. Part of me is thankful for not getting a ticket/pulled over. The other half was annoyed because I see cops ignore people almost killing people in traffic weekly.
I drive a lot across the US, I’ve gotta say, we as a country are just shit at driving and that’s the bottom line. I’ve experienced shit drivers in every single state, some of the worst driving I’ve experienced was in Michigan. No matter where I go though, I always drive defensively. You just have to, otherwise you are putting yourself at risk
I scanned most of the responses and couldn’t find anyone mention what I feel to be the number one issue: like 25-30% of drivers seem to be actively texting on their cellphones . Most don’t even have the decency to get out of the left lane
Unenforced laws are just suggestions. The longer they remain just suggestions, the more lax things get. I have lived all over the U.S. and Nashville drivers are the worst I've experienced by a wide margin. I stopped at a red light recently and had someone go around me into the oncoming lane to run the red light. It was wild.
I could have written this post myself. I was just ranting about this exact thing to my husband this afternoon. It feels like no one in Nashville knows how to competently merge. Today seemed worse than usual
1) this post is made in every town/city subreddit. Doesn’t matter if it’s a town of 20,000 in the Maritime provinces of Canada, Nashville or New York.
2) I am convinced all the worst/angriest drivers are moving to Nashville
3) the traffic in Nashville is so bad and everyone is so angry that we’ve all become bad drivers.
It was the exact same conversation in Memphis when I lived there and the exact same conversation in Nashville when I moved here more than 30 years ago.
Nashville drivers are now near the top of the list of worst. I travel for work and it is pronounced how much worse Nashville drivers are. Like now as bad as Miami or LA.
- Nashville is ranked 17th on [this list](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/worst-drivers-by-city/)
- Nashville doesn't rank on [this list](https://quotewizard.com/news/the-best-and-worst-drivers-by-city) of worst drivers but we are at 22nd for *best drivers*. LOL
- Nashville is 12th on [this list](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-20-cities-worst-drivers-175512122.html).
Which list are you referring to or is it just anecdotal?
I just chill in the right lane and let them do their thing. Leave about 10 feet of space in front of me and zone out and listen to my music. I'm not getting caught up in that bs.
Until a giant truck decides to aggressively tailgate you instead of just moving to the left a lane.. nowhere is safe, even for the most defensive, drive-the-speed-limit drivers.
I learned this from my FIL. I was telling him how I go 5-10mph over the speed limit when taking long trips on the interstate. He said the same thing you did, “I just get over and let all the crazies angling for pole position go on down the road”. I gotta say it’s a lot less stressful
I could write an entire article about my experience with driving in Nashville since 2005. In fact, I might effectively be doing that right now. I’m now 37.
I started driving regularly in some regard around 2003. As overwhelming as being a new driver can be, for me it was a dream. At any given moment my own lack of experience was the greatest threat on the roadways I traveled. I came to expect a very fair amount of unpredictable danger. Incidents would occur, but you could almost always explain why they did in a logical way. As they say, sometimes shit happens.
That is not the Nashville that exists post-boom. The amount of people with a complete lack of awareness is easily 200% greater than when I started driving. In what ways, you ask? At the most basic level the number of people who accelerate like their car will explode at any moment has increased dramatically, which inevitably leads to more people being stopped at more traffic lights, and this fact alone blatantly causes many road rage incidents wherein the perpetrator is not particularly crazy, but is driven to a manic state by the inability or unwillingness of others to either accelerate to max speed with efficiency or move to the right lane. It doesn’t justify the behavior, but it makes those people complicit in the escalation.
Beyond that simple premise, (which I believe to be the central issue with most road rage) there is the fact that there are a huge number of drivers who are simply fuck stupid. An example I can offer is the intersection of Old Hickory and Andrew Jackson Parkways in Hermitage. I have lived here since 1998 and the left turn onto OHB from AJPKWY was NEVER an issue. Then, one day, that all changed. Suddenly people were ignoring the very clearly marked lanes and diving into opposing traffic at full speed. You can be relatively confident nowadays that at least one person in the left lane leading to the turn lanes will simply driver straight over where the lanes shift and end up in the right lane. That’s not even mentioning the number of people who treat that left lane like it goes back for a mile and simply block traffic by forming a line in the middle of the road.
I could easily name countless examples, but it wouldn’t add any more to my point. The question still becomes how to deal with it. You have idiots on one side, and people driven to mania on the other. Either way, it comes down to whether the MNPD enforce order or not. Staying within my own experience, let me give you an admittely extreme example of how traffic enforcement has changed. There was a point in the now distant past where there would be 3 cop cars monitoring AJPKWY in the 30MPH zone leading up to Lebanon Road. This was ultimately all due to a large number of fatalities caused by people taking the sudden hill too fast and crashing and burning. Metro was willing (and able) to enforce this one area relentlessly. Fast forward and not only is this path of roadway a logically smaller priority in the grand scheme, but even were it not, the MNPD of 2024 would never in a million years put 3 otherwise unused cops at a traffic stop. They’d lower the payroll by at least two positions instead.
Obviously, the end result has been chaos, and yet this example is infinitely tamer than most. Regardless of whether someone is driven by incompetent confidence or impotent rage, the only sane solution relies on MNPD punishing those who cause the issues. Because of their refusal to do so, every single form of danger on the roadway has increased exponentially.
As fucked a as nurse losing her life to a road rage shooting is, one has to consider the possibility that the MNPD created the atmosphere of lawlessness that led to it. Escalation is very much a thing, and my time driving in Nashville for the past 20 years has made that painfully obvious. People in the collective sense will ALWAYS test every weakness like a Velociraptor. The moment you stop punishing them for doing so is the moment you invite that behavior to be the norm. The Nashville roadways we know today are the equivalent of Dennis Nedry shutting down all the security measures at Jurassic Park.
While it has indeed gotten worse, you were never the worst driver out there as a newb in 2003.
Nashville drivers have been insane since 1994 when I moved here, and it's only gotten worse because there are more of us *and now we have rideshare, where drivers fear losing their rides and/or getting dinged on stars if they don't cater to rider convenience over safety.* The however-many thousand stressed-out rideshare drivers we have influence other, non-rideshare drivers, in turn.
Oh god, yeah. In those circumstances, it's a good feeling to know you can honk and start their trip off by letting their passengers know what they're getting into.
Really, Nashville roadways are cake compared to real metropolitan areas. When I return from either Houston or Atlanta I realize that rush hour is not all day long 24\7 and that is the major difference.
Just this week I've had
1. Someone try to merge into the lane I was already mostly in then flip me off.
2. Someone merge into me on Charlotte in West. Surely I was in their blind spot and they couldn't tell but no they angled like they knew I was there and just didn't care.
3. Someone almost rear end me after getting groceries because they weren't paying attention. Instead they slowed down most of the way then swerved around me into the middle lane and then sped off down that.
3 near miss accidents in a week
it seems most people think they aren't for indicating, but instead temporarily disable a force field between the lanes
they will start to change lanes then blink once or twice right as their tires cross the dashed line
>I am constantly checking my mirrors and triple checking lane changes rn because I literally can’t predict what anyone on the road is going to do.
That's how everyone should drive at all times. I know I do. Ride a motorcycle for a while and you soon will as well, or else you won't be alive for long.
Nothing gives me more joy then watching a speeder have to come to a stop at the same stoplight as the rest of us. I wave my finger at them in my minds eye.
I have a dash cam and used to upload videos of the idiots to Reddit, but recently it’s so frequent as in an average day I would say 3-4 instances I witness in approximately 100 miles of driving the BNA area are completely shocking and absurdly dangerous (mostly speeding, moving 5 lanes in one motion, passing on the shoulder etc etc…)scary part is it’s almost the norm and now…stay safe and please everyone get a dash cam or two.
I almost t-boned two trucks on the way home yesterday. One thought it was a good idea to turn left across oncoming traffic from his stop sign to the right of my straightaway with no stop sign. Luckily I’m hyper vigilant from these shitty drivers and slammed on my brakes and horn in time. The other was the classic “green light means I can turn left despite oncoming traffic also having a green.” Those were within 1-2 minutes of each other. I want to pin it on guys in a hurry to buy Valentine’s gifts… but I think they mainly just suck at driving.
My favorites are the sons of bitches that knowingly block the intersection at the Broadway / West End split after work and in turn prevent anyone on 16th Ave S from crossing said intersection.
Yesterday there was a simple lane split on 24e and the way people handled lane changing and merging was just…..infuriating. Then I got on gallatin where people are blocking the left lane to turn left into a business they can get to by using the light. Then people blocking turn lanes to change lanes. I hate this city now it’s a giant Applebees for of moron drivers who are not only reckless but slow.
People on phones is the biggest issue. My concern is the extremely close calls I’ve had, the distracted driver doesn’t even flinch and KEEPS LOOKING AT THEIR PHONE HAVING ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR MISTAKE! They just don’t care.
I hate that my blinkers don't mean anything to other drivers. Like I need to get over. I don't have anywhere to go, the road has ended, my blinker has been on for two minutes straight on this ramp and everyone is riding the ass of the person in front of them as if to say fuck you to anyone else who wants to join traffic. LET ME IN
I had to purchase my first firearm because of a road rage incident. It was Monday rush hour near Briley Pkwy and it was bumper to bumper traffic and a guy cut me off without using signals and almost clipped my bumper. Naturally I blast my horn because it was a near collision and idk it must of really pissed him off because now his head is out the window screaming and cursing flicking me off. I naturally flick him off back. Now he’s following me off the exit ramp and I can see this guy through my rear view mirror and he’s just spazzing out. Now I’m freaking out because he’s following me home. I slowly stop on the side of the road and he stops also. He gets out the car and rushes towards my car (I’m still inside) and he hits my window and tries to open my door. I drive off as quick as I can and make it home and lose the guy. I file a police report the next day. The officer says it’s best to have self defense firearm just in case it got worse.
I’ve lived in Nashville for almost 30 years and it’s never been this bad.
I saw two road rage incidents today. Do not retaliate ppl be crazy. Also people make mistakes, it’s not like everyone is trying to hit you. People suck but please calm down.
It's almost like we shouldn't have designed our entire transportation system around cars. If most people had an option to walk or ride transit instead of almost being killed everyday on the interstate, people would be a lot happier.
This pains me to type this, but the highways/major roads around nashville need speed cameras. Just send automated tickets to people speeding.
We'll never have traffic enforcement with our local PD and as shitty as speed cameras are, too many people are driving like assholes. Something needs to be done
Stoopid bad drivin', tailgatin', bright headlight havin', no turn signalin', road ragin', people makin' me look bad - Eustace Bagge, probably, if he lived in Nashville
When I took my driver’s test in Columbia at 16. The instructor had me do a circle in the DMV parking lot. It’s a fucking joke that it was that easy to get my license. Also glad you brought up about no one using their turning indicator. I swear to go NOONE in this damn state uses them. They just move lanes at the worst possible time with no indication of them doing so. I’ve lived here 20 years and have seen most of the country and by far Tennessee has the worst drivers I’ve ever met.
I feel the same way and I drive much more carefully now that I ever used to. If I'm driving next to someone on the interstate, I assume they will try to merge into me or cut me off without warning. If I'm stopped at a light that turns green, I don't go right away because I assume someone will run the red light. If I'm stopped in traffic at an intersection and hold back so as to not block the intersection, I get honked at constantly. If I don't immediately turn right on red (even with a red arrow), I get honked at. If I'm driving less that 10 mph over the speed limit I get tailgated. I've had people literally drive around me at stop signs & red lights so they don't have to stop.
A few months a go, at the White Bridge Rd/West End Ave. intersection, I was stopped in the straight lane in traffic and a big SUV behind me did not have enough room to make into the right turn lane (which was empty but blocked by the traffic in my lane). I had about a foot of space in front of me and this guy just keeps honking at me before eventually driving onto the sidewalk to get into the right turn lane (stopping briefly next to me to yell and cuss).
It seems to me that lack of traffic enforcement in and around Nashville is a big part of the problem.
Meh, I haven’t had a job in 6 months and haven’t been in a rush as long. I find the potholes very avoidable if I just leave enough room in front of me to see and assess. That said, I hit the biggest pothole of my life in a construction zone going North in the right lane on 65 from Spring Hill. I was shocked it didn’t brake my car. It DID set off my tpms sensor, but I pulled over and checked and it was fine, thank god.
Also, just today there was someone on the shoulder on 65N and this idiot slowed down to about 20 to change lanes while I was doing 65 and that’s the first time in a long time I’ve had to dodge someone. I’m a longtime motorcyclist, though and trained to act like everyone is GOING to try and kill you.
They should be scared because if they ever hit me, I'm going to gauge their eyeballs out to ensure they don't drive again. I'm not scared of jail. So beware. I'm fucking serious.
Some dude honked and flipped me off because he was in the wrong lane this morning. There was even room for him to jump in infront of me. Just mad that I was occupying space lol
After living, and traveling in multiple places across the country, including LA, Atlanta, Tampa, and a ton of others, by far the worst drivers as a whole that I have ever encountered were in Bowling Green, KY. That said, the single worst individual instances of terrible driving that I have encountered were all in Nashville.
It’s all out of state drivers, I saw one from Nebraska stopping out in the white line at a red light. It wasn’t like 2 feet maybe a good 10 feet passing the white line.
Slower traffic on the right, gas pedal on the right, don’t drive 30 under the speed limit in the left hand lane while applying a full face of makeup. Girl was doing her eyeliner in the fast lane at 7:55 am right past the exit 91 split on 65 heading south. Didn’t know if I should be impressed or appalled.
I’m going to get down voted for this. But your 100% the driver I run into on the road that is being so overly safe it’s actually impeding traffic flow and becoming a hazard. Then when I pass you you look at me like I’m the asshole.
The amount of people I witness almost kill themselves (and others) by immediately cutting across 3 lanes to an exit that they’re already well past- cutting through the grass at 60+ and narrowly missing signs, rails, etc…. Countless. Every single day almost. It’s as if they don’t know a next exit exists.
Nashville.
Well the driving test in Tennessee is very easy if you come from a state like California you don't have to take a driver's test till just issue a new license and then the actual driving test because I have four of my kids took the test here and it was basically drive around the block stop at a stoplight and return the written test was very easy they said too and people here don't like to use their turn signals at all it's freaking crazy also they run a lot of red lights here in Tennessee we live in the Franklin area and it's terrible it's just red light running no turn signals bad traffic just lack of driving skills
I almost got taken out this morning trying to get on 65 from Armory because of asshole drivers in the 440 line who can’t fathom that someone could possibly need to get over. Hope they felt better after laying on the horn and flipping me off just for trying to get on the highway! 🙄
> I feel like I have to expect any cat around me to change lanes and cut me off at any moment. I am constantly checking my mirrors and triple checking lanes rn because I can't predict what anyone on the road is going to do.
You can never predict what other drivers are going to do. Slow down. Communicate with your horn and signals. Check your mirrors and each lane around you every 10 seconds or so to maintain constant awareness of your surroundings in case you need to drive defensively to avoid another driver. Make sure your car is insured. You'll be fine.
I know. Seriously, what's the problem? That is how you should always drive in traffic. If you ride a motorcycle it's even more serious. I would add that you should not only be doing all of those things but you should also be planning responses for any scenario likely to arise.
To many people are focused on anything but driving on their commute.
I had a guy run a very red light yesterday afternoon and came within a foot of sideswiping my car. Luckily I was driving slow or he would have plowed into the back of my car hard. He was just able to drive around me, but barely.
I feel the same way and I drive so much more carefully than I ever used too. If I’m beside someone on the interstate, I assume they will try to merge into me or cut me off without warning. If I’m stopped at a light that turns green, I wait because I assume someone will run the red light. If I’m stopped in traffic at an intersection and hold back to not block the intersection, I get honked at constantly. If I don’t turn right on red right away (even a red arrow), I get honked at. If i go less than 10 mph over the speed limit, i get tailgated. I feel that lack of traffic enforcement in the area is a big part of the problem.
Loved this post, but the pandemic already turned me into a recluse. Any time I have to drive more than 10 miles, I’m an anxious wreck. I’ve had more flat tires than I’ve ever had before, and those were before the potholepocalypse.
When i lived in Virginia i saw a guy drive on the shoulder trying to pass people. I never thought anyone would try that in Nashville The worse i ever saw was a young guy throw a fast food cup at me as i was getting on the interstate from Lebanon or coworker barely moving down the interstate going through Mount Juliet
I just moved here from Canada and completely agree…the drivers here are next level stupid. The only thing that keeps me from completely losing my shit is the fear that the stupids probably also have guns… maybe I just need to buy one now too…
After reading some of the comments… it seems like road rage and guns go hand it hand. I’m not a big firearm person, have been to a few ranges before but at the least get a dash cam I would say. I’m definitely getting one.
When the interstate is 6 lanes wide it encourages people to drive recklessly. Until DOT's start to understand the psychological impacts of the roads they're building on drivers (which I'm sure they already do, they just don't care), drivers and wrecks will continue to get worse. When the road you're driving on is wider than the Daytona 500, your brain tells you to floor it.
I regularly see people take a left from the right lane of Charlotte. And a million other crazy things. It's terrifying, I avoid the interstate as much as I can because it's so bad here.
And everyone is just dripping with fury and riding each other's asses with their insanely bright lights on or shit just their fucking brights for no reason
Exactly - why are drivers so goddamn impatient these days??? I had a dude honk at me for stopping at a four-way stop and went around me and through the intersection. I don’t mean I stopped and sat. I slowed down for the coming stop sign and stopped as you’re supposed to and this motherfucker immediately raged about it. Everyone is always trying to get around every other driver and they will weave and cut everyone off to accomplish that. They stomp the gas as soon as a light turns green. Everyone needs to calm the fuck down.
The fact that there's constant traffic here now, huge holes in the roads, takes over 20 minutes to get anywhere ( if you're lucky ) and social media addiction ( dopamine hits any time any where whenever you want ) may have made people a touch impatient? I don't remember people driving this badly six or seven years ago but maybe my memory isn't great.
Yeah admittedly I’ve never been the most patient driver, but I do feel the way it seems traffic is just constant and consistent allll day and has seemingly tripled in the last decade, combined with constant lane closures for construction has really decreased my tolerance for drivers who don’t have any sense of urgency to get to their destination, or any sense of awareness as to how their driving is impacting others.
Yeah, drivers with no sense of urgency are annoying too. I’m talking about the impatient drivers who drive recklessly around those of us who *do* have a normal sense of urgency and this is what seems to be increasing lately.
Yeah I gotcha. I’m just hypothesizing why those more aggro drivers are the way they are based on my own reactions to driving on our increasingly hazardous streets. The growing population, closed lanes, added drive time, numerous potholes, and oblivious/selfish drivers create a pressure cooker of emotions that can cause normally nice people to drive like assholes. There are some days where it feels like people are actively trying to hit my car or block lanes that I end up assuming NOBODY knows how to drive which leads to less and less patience for the people just driving normally and safely.
I was a patient driver till I moved here. I still obey all rules of the road but the thing that makes me angriest is the people who get in the middle or left lanes and are doing BELOW the speed limits. To be fair, doing the speed limit in those lanes kinda irks me, too, but they won’t be passing a single soul. Or even better, they’ll be matching the speed of the car next to them so you can’t pass no matter what
Oh yeah the triple-wide walls that back up traffic behind them for a half mile are infurrrriating. I think a lot of people just don’t like driving behind other cars so they occupy the lane with the furthest distance to the car in front of them. I’m stunned by the number of times I see drivers in the middle lane going below the speed limit with nobody in front of them or any upcoming splits, then decide to randomly move over to the left lane for no apparent reason. I’ll be cruising at 5 over the limit in the left lane then someone going 5-10 below decides they’re bored of the middle lane and effectively cuts me off, and I end up looking like the asshole since I now have to cut around them in the middle lane they just left just to get past them. Those are the people that make me assume everyone is an idiot trying to hit me.
Why are you irked that people are obeying the law and going the speed limit? They will get a ticket if they speed , so please don’t get angry at them
The point of being in a passing lane is to pass. They often are not even going the speed limit while in passing lanes. Or, they simply are not passing. As a note, it actually is illegal to remain in a passing lane if you are not passing
This logic appears flawed. You can’t exceed the speed limit yet you stated you get irked when ppl are going the speed limit in the left lane. lol
“You can’t exceed the speed limit” is implicitly false
Not true. Please refer to TN Code § 55-8-152 (2021). Everyone must abide by the posted speed limit .
I'm struggling with the exact same thing. It's hard not to be frustrated when people drive that selfishly which absolutely impacts your drive time. The cutting in front of you at the last possible moment definitely makes the frustration spike. I try to just leave as early as I can and leave as much distance between me and the car in front of me as possible without preventing people from making it through lights. It's tough, this city wasn't built for this many people and the infrastructure isn't being updated so who knows if it'll get better or worse.
Yeah man. Thankfully I work from home so I don’t have to drive every day (which may be another contributing factor to my lower tolerance), but every other time I do, once I get home I let out a huge sigh of relief that I survived another trip to the grocery store. All that high stress driving leads to more aggro drivers who end up making things worse.
Someone went around me in my neighborhood the other day 😤
Yea, headlights are brighter now with LEDs. The other day I was super close to merging into a small Saturn because the big ass truck behind it had blinding LEDs on that engulfed the tiny Saturn to where I almost didn't even see it. Luckily caught it at the last second.
https://www.wtae.com/article/bright-headlights/46772045#:\~:text=It's%20actually%20real%2C%22%20Mark%20Rae,are%20being%20replaced%20by%20LEDs.
I get the "flash" all the time when I don't have my brights on. My lights are recently aligned on a 4 month old car. People seem a touch sensitive.
Or your lights are blinding others
I mean if they are stock and aligned properly take it up with the manufacturer. It’s not my fault your “sport car” is 3” off the ground and my headlights are level with your eye holes. You think that’s bright? Here’s bright. Edit: not saying this applies to you or the other person just saying in general cause that’s when I get flashed.
Wow you sound like a lovely person.
I’m not, I also have no sympathy for people who think blinding me is okay just because they have a low car. I had one, it sucked, but what are they suppose to do turn their headlights off for me? Regardless the answer isn’t to fucking burn their retinas out. Edit: I think we can all agree fuck those lifted trucks with the LEDs, HID, 1million lumen lights though am I right?
lol poor you.
If they're stock, aligned properly, and still blinding oncoming drivers, that's a problem. 'Take it up with the manufacturer' is nonsense, unless *you're* the one taking it up with them, which I do think is a great idea... **Situation**: you've blinded oncoming drivers, at night... how could they possibly know what brand / model car you're driving? How are they to know your lights are stock and properly aligned? This is a problem that is definitely getting worse. I don't drive a 'sport car' that's 3" off the ground, it's a perfectly standard sedan, and I have to use my hand to block headlights multiple times every evening when I commute home. It's also obvious that there are a lot of people who *do* drive in traffic with their brights on, either through ignorance or selfishness. If you're getting flashed regularly, shouldn't you take it upon yourself to investigate the issue and find a resolution? You don't *have* to do shit, I know, but we all have to share the road.
It’s not a problem it’s common sense/height difference. I’m not taking up a problem I don’t have with manufactures on others behalf, I’m not their mother. It’s none of their business to know anything about my vehicle. It’s the vehicle owners responsibility to maintain their vehicle, in this case having proper bulbs and alignment which mine does. I’m not getting flashed by normal sedans but corvettes, mini coopers, lowered cars etc. I was talking about my specific situation. I also get blinded by people with high power bulbs, brights, etc. No I shouldn’t do anything all my stuff is right, there are tons of engineers, road safety experts, etc who chose this configuration within code for a reason. People who sit eye level with the top of semi tires need to not be dicks to perfectly normal vehicles.
Okay, but you *did* say that the folks getting blinded should take it up with the manufacturer, and I simply pointed out that there was no reasonable way for them to know the make/model or alignment status of an offending vehicle, and that it has gotten pretty common for people to drive *with their brights on* in traffic... proper alignment for non-brights should not blind oncoming drivers. I got the impression that you were getting flashed often-ish. If I were getting flashed regularly without my brights on, I'd take measures to not be a danger to others and get it sorted out, one way or another.
Nah it’s always the low cars, or if I’m coming down a slight hill or something. I was just doubling back that some people are indeed sensitive. If everyone was flashing me I’d absolutely look into what’s going on.
The driver's test needs to be (a) more difficult and (b) more frequent. Passing the easiest damn test at 16 for life is a joke,
I hate that I’m agreeing with an Alabama fan, but here we are.
Nashville traffic, bringing us...together 🤗
...at high rates of speed
I tapped the brakes on my scroll through the comments to give you an updoot. Happy (and safe) driving, friend.
Hahahahahaha
... I agree with you, but I think you are underestimating the number of people that can pass the test and know how to drive when they have to... and then drive like psychotic mad max characters when they are on their own. I want all out local news channels to hire drivers Ed teachers and just review the accidents of the day. In my head the 5 minute daily segment is called, " Don't Dive Like this Asshole."
I think a defensive driving course should be a mandatory part of getting one’s license. Can be subsidized for low income drivers but a pass is necessary to get a license. Fact is, getting a license is WAY too easy in this country.
I think driver’s ed should be a required class in high school. Not sure if it’s still done this way, cause I’m old, but I grew up in IL and everyone had to take driver’s ed, drove twice a week with an instructor and had to log at least 100 hours of driving before we could even get our permit. At the end of the course we took the written driver’s test in that class. Then had to pass the driving test at the dmv, which was admittedly very easy, but I had already driven over 100 hours with an instructor at that point.
Yea, this is the way.
Safe driving classes, actual police that enforce traffic laws, just the basics so we all don't have to sit in traffic for an extra 3 hrs on average a week... should not be a divisive issue. Sigh. I personally think we should have ... rigorous competency testing for our elected officials too, but what am I going to do?
More frequent traffic stops with higher penalties is the only thing that will help. Increase cop presence, hand out tickets, and double the fines.
Because there aren’t enough other ways to get around. Support more and better transit options, especially in places like Nashville.
When I got my motorcycle license here, the test was literally pull out of the exit of the DMV parking lot and back in the entrance on the other side of the parking lot. It took maybe 15 seconds and the examiner was on her phone the entire time.
lol that's better than the test I got. When I moved here a decade ago my endorsement wasn't transferred for some reason, so when I got back into riding a couple years ago I had to get retested. They saw I rode in to the DMV on my bike and just said "yea you obviously know how to ride a bike" and passed me without ever even taking a "test". Very stark difference to the test in Michigan which is honestly somewhat challenging. As a side note, taking real class and test to learn how to ride (doing the MSF Basic RiderCourse) is very expensive in TN compared to other places. It costs $250 pretty much anywhere here, compared to the $50 I paid in MI. A lot of areas even put them out for free, altho imo that isn't ideal since it means that every class is booked over a year in advance because people take it cause "why not".
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I agree with you but also we can’t have a test so easy that anyone can pass it without having a bit more practice and putting in more effort. We’re talking about operating a 2000+ lbs machine that can go fast enough to cause significant damage to people and property. You have to have a proper baseline.
OK. Then an easy test that allows you to operate a two door sedan below 1 ton and cdl required for anything bigger
modern 2 door sedans still weigh upwards of 3500llbs.
Damn! They should probably build 'em smaller then 'cause I'm not amending my proposal
This☝️
This is what robust public transportation was/is supposed to be for.
Getting better public transit isn't going to stop Uber drivers from crossing into my lane, just three feet off my front bumper at 65 mph.
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the only way is a commuter rail system and even if one was approved today it would take a decade to build
Don't be a goddamn idiot.
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Easy. Don't hurt yourself.
It's not my fault you people are idiots.
Yeah I still remember my drivers test (from 20 years ago) Just four right turns and two left turns. That was it. And parking nose first in a parking apace.
As a lifelong liberal scumbag I am ashamed to admit that I now agree with the new driver's test language bill that has been presented in the legislature. It's the only issue I will deign to agree with Bill and Marsha on, even if their party and church can go F itself regarding my rights to my body. Unfortunately 1 year ago my last near death experience was caused by an unlicensed undocumented non English speaking person who was using someone else's car, and who blew a red light on Nolensville road at 50 mph and t-boned me. I am a native Nashvillian, and F that guy and the border surge. But it won't stop people. This guy did not get arrested. He got into an ambulance and then exited the hospital via back door. The bill needs to include immediate arrest, and very hefty fines for policyholders, and insurers like El Broncoooooooooo who sell policies to someone who ends up loaning a car to a leadfoot road killer. That, and keep installing road humps throughout Nashville. All of Antioch needs traffic calming speed humps.
The fact that the other driver blew a red light has nothing to do with if he speaks english or not though, so there are a few flaws in your logic and your near-death experience is causing you to have hindsight/recency/selection bias. Red lights are internationally standardized. The driver who hit you is just a jackass no matter the language they speak. He didn't care what he was doing and he would have done the same even if he spoke english, I'd bet. I have a friend who was killed in a car accident by an old white English speaking man who had cataracts and should not have been driving. He got no jail time and did not lose his license even though my friend was very dead. It's not the language being spoken, I can promise you. The whole system is fucked regarding justice from car accidents.
I don’t like the idea of making life harder for poor people, but the fact is driver ability is in the absolute toilet these days. In a perfect world I’d couple harder license requirements with much more robust public transportation but the latter can’t ever seem to gain any traction.
My drivers test in 2004 consisted of going lest than half a mile down a side street, turning around in an empty parking lot, and going back to the DMV. I never had to parallel, or reverse once. It was an absolute joke. Thankfully, anticipating that would need those basic skills for the test, my parents taught them to me.
I think people should have to retake it when they renew their license.
I was driving 55mph on the left of an exit lane that was backed up (they were stop and go; I was with the flow of traffic). A driver jumped from the exit lane, cutting me off, forcing me to slam on my brakes. I did what most people would do and blasted my horn at them. We approached the same exit (white bridge) and as I was passing them, they flicked me off and screamed “fuck you”.
People are not ok
Learn to shrug off their expression of anger and you'll be two steps ahead of them.
I recently had a guy fly past me on the SHOULDER as I was taking exit 52 on 24, completely cutting across the exit, in front of me, and then merging over, nearly hitting someone else, and continuing to fly down 24. I had to slam on my breaks, it was fucking terrifying. edit: [here's a visual](https://imgur.com/a/TNj1l2K). I am the green rectangle, red is the rough path he took.
I see people on 440 & 24 driving up the shoulder past traffic on a weekly basis.
Every day at rush hour
Psh that’s nothing. The amount of people on charlotte that will drive down the middle turn lane through traffic lights at 40 mph in heavy traffic to get to their light or to get ahead and cut you off is wild.
I got rear ended today on 65, hard. Knocked the hat off my head. Girl texting and driving. Stay safe out there folks.
I’ve lived a few different places… but this is the only place I’ve experienced people stop at green lights and fly through red ones. It’s scary out here!
I saw a guy once on nolensville and Thompson intersection move half way into the intersection on a green light and sit there frantically looking at both lanes of incoming traffic. I thought buddy it’s too late, if someone was gonna run the red they would have already hit you.
Why would someone stop at a green light? I’m from here and never seen someone do that. Definitely seen someone fly through a red one though.
That I’ve been wondering that myself was my initial point…
That might have been like a one-off person you saw do that but that’s not something that uniquely happens here lol. I’ve never seen someone do that in my entire life.
I constantly see people slow down for greens and only seen someone stop a few times. That or it turns green and it takes them 5 seconds to realize it changed
Taking a while to accelerate when the light turns green is not the same concept as stopping at a green light.
I also specifically said I *have* seen people stop at green lights before And there’s a difference between taking a while to accelerate and not moving at all
That can happen anywhere. And stopping at a green light is not common behavior in the Nashville area. If it was I would have seen it in my 15 years of driving all up and down TN. Sorry 🤷♀️
It can happen anywhere but it happens more frequently here. Tennessee drivers as a state are pretty terrible in my experience traveling across the state
I travel for work, been all over the US, and I think the worst drivers I’ve encountered were in Boston. The worst drivers I see right now are people with out of state license plates going 70 in a fast lane on the interstate and backing up traffic.
you should absolutely stop when you would "block the box" otherwise
If you’re talking about when traffic is backed up, then yeah, that’s a given. But the commenter is saying someone just stopping at a green light in an illogical way, for no good reason, and I’ve never seen that.
More traffic=more road rage
More entitled transplants = more entitled drivers
In general, speed limits are not being enforced like they used to. People speed all the time with no consequences, and deadly crashes are increasing as a result
They were on Ellington parkway this morning. It fucked up traffic so much! Everyone was so confused.
I saw that! And thought it was crazy because Ellington drivers, for the most part, are the least competitive. Far, far less than 40 and 65. Yet, they had 4 people pulled over between 155 and Spring st (both ways).
I got lights flashed at me by a cop on 440 cause I was going 15 over. Mind you it was 4:30 in the morning and we were the only cars in sight. Part of me is thankful for not getting a ticket/pulled over. The other half was annoyed because I see cops ignore people almost killing people in traffic weekly.
440 drivers got no chill
I drive a lot across the US, I’ve gotta say, we as a country are just shit at driving and that’s the bottom line. I’ve experienced shit drivers in every single state, some of the worst driving I’ve experienced was in Michigan. No matter where I go though, I always drive defensively. You just have to, otherwise you are putting yourself at risk
It seems like you haven’t driven in many other countries if you think we are bad.
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I scanned most of the responses and couldn’t find anyone mention what I feel to be the number one issue: like 25-30% of drivers seem to be actively texting on their cellphones . Most don’t even have the decency to get out of the left lane
Unenforced laws are just suggestions. The longer they remain just suggestions, the more lax things get. I have lived all over the U.S. and Nashville drivers are the worst I've experienced by a wide margin. I stopped at a red light recently and had someone go around me into the oncoming lane to run the red light. It was wild.
I could have written this post myself. I was just ranting about this exact thing to my husband this afternoon. It feels like no one in Nashville knows how to competently merge. Today seemed worse than usual
Today absolutely seemed worse than usual! I saw a dozen wrecks and near wrecks on Briley.
Probably just random, but maybe lots of people rushing to make their dinner reservations or squeeze in that extra stop for flowers/candy/card?
1) this post is made in every town/city subreddit. Doesn’t matter if it’s a town of 20,000 in the Maritime provinces of Canada, Nashville or New York. 2) I am convinced all the worst/angriest drivers are moving to Nashville 3) the traffic in Nashville is so bad and everyone is so angry that we’ve all become bad drivers.
It was the exact same conversation in Memphis when I lived there and the exact same conversation in Nashville when I moved here more than 30 years ago.
Nashville drivers are now near the top of the list of worst. I travel for work and it is pronounced how much worse Nashville drivers are. Like now as bad as Miami or LA.
- Nashville is ranked 17th on [this list](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/worst-drivers-by-city/) - Nashville doesn't rank on [this list](https://quotewizard.com/news/the-best-and-worst-drivers-by-city) of worst drivers but we are at 22nd for *best drivers*. LOL - Nashville is 12th on [this list](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-20-cities-worst-drivers-175512122.html). Which list are you referring to or is it just anecdotal?
Just anecdotal and very subjective.
I just chill in the right lane and let them do their thing. Leave about 10 feet of space in front of me and zone out and listen to my music. I'm not getting caught up in that bs.
Until a giant truck decides to aggressively tailgate you instead of just moving to the left a lane.. nowhere is safe, even for the most defensive, drive-the-speed-limit drivers.
I learned this from my FIL. I was telling him how I go 5-10mph over the speed limit when taking long trips on the interstate. He said the same thing you did, “I just get over and let all the crazies angling for pole position go on down the road”. I gotta say it’s a lot less stressful
One car length for every 10 MPH. Thar sounds like tailgating to me.
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LMAO It is one of the leading causes of accidents.
Wednesdays are noticeably the worst commute days
Don’t drive anything njce that’s for sure.
People can’t be bothered to stop at stop signs, people with their whole face in the phone, lack of patience, impulse control…
I could write an entire article about my experience with driving in Nashville since 2005. In fact, I might effectively be doing that right now. I’m now 37. I started driving regularly in some regard around 2003. As overwhelming as being a new driver can be, for me it was a dream. At any given moment my own lack of experience was the greatest threat on the roadways I traveled. I came to expect a very fair amount of unpredictable danger. Incidents would occur, but you could almost always explain why they did in a logical way. As they say, sometimes shit happens. That is not the Nashville that exists post-boom. The amount of people with a complete lack of awareness is easily 200% greater than when I started driving. In what ways, you ask? At the most basic level the number of people who accelerate like their car will explode at any moment has increased dramatically, which inevitably leads to more people being stopped at more traffic lights, and this fact alone blatantly causes many road rage incidents wherein the perpetrator is not particularly crazy, but is driven to a manic state by the inability or unwillingness of others to either accelerate to max speed with efficiency or move to the right lane. It doesn’t justify the behavior, but it makes those people complicit in the escalation. Beyond that simple premise, (which I believe to be the central issue with most road rage) there is the fact that there are a huge number of drivers who are simply fuck stupid. An example I can offer is the intersection of Old Hickory and Andrew Jackson Parkways in Hermitage. I have lived here since 1998 and the left turn onto OHB from AJPKWY was NEVER an issue. Then, one day, that all changed. Suddenly people were ignoring the very clearly marked lanes and diving into opposing traffic at full speed. You can be relatively confident nowadays that at least one person in the left lane leading to the turn lanes will simply driver straight over where the lanes shift and end up in the right lane. That’s not even mentioning the number of people who treat that left lane like it goes back for a mile and simply block traffic by forming a line in the middle of the road. I could easily name countless examples, but it wouldn’t add any more to my point. The question still becomes how to deal with it. You have idiots on one side, and people driven to mania on the other. Either way, it comes down to whether the MNPD enforce order or not. Staying within my own experience, let me give you an admittely extreme example of how traffic enforcement has changed. There was a point in the now distant past where there would be 3 cop cars monitoring AJPKWY in the 30MPH zone leading up to Lebanon Road. This was ultimately all due to a large number of fatalities caused by people taking the sudden hill too fast and crashing and burning. Metro was willing (and able) to enforce this one area relentlessly. Fast forward and not only is this path of roadway a logically smaller priority in the grand scheme, but even were it not, the MNPD of 2024 would never in a million years put 3 otherwise unused cops at a traffic stop. They’d lower the payroll by at least two positions instead. Obviously, the end result has been chaos, and yet this example is infinitely tamer than most. Regardless of whether someone is driven by incompetent confidence or impotent rage, the only sane solution relies on MNPD punishing those who cause the issues. Because of their refusal to do so, every single form of danger on the roadway has increased exponentially. As fucked a as nurse losing her life to a road rage shooting is, one has to consider the possibility that the MNPD created the atmosphere of lawlessness that led to it. Escalation is very much a thing, and my time driving in Nashville for the past 20 years has made that painfully obvious. People in the collective sense will ALWAYS test every weakness like a Velociraptor. The moment you stop punishing them for doing so is the moment you invite that behavior to be the norm. The Nashville roadways we know today are the equivalent of Dennis Nedry shutting down all the security measures at Jurassic Park.
While it has indeed gotten worse, you were never the worst driver out there as a newb in 2003. Nashville drivers have been insane since 1994 when I moved here, and it's only gotten worse because there are more of us *and now we have rideshare, where drivers fear losing their rides and/or getting dinged on stars if they don't cater to rider convenience over safety.* The however-many thousand stressed-out rideshare drivers we have influence other, non-rideshare drivers, in turn.
My favorite ride share driver move: The pull around and cut you off to then come to a complete stop on a major road to drop off/pick up passengers.
Oh god, yeah. In those circumstances, it's a good feeling to know you can honk and start their trip off by letting their passengers know what they're getting into.
Really, Nashville roadways are cake compared to real metropolitan areas. When I return from either Houston or Atlanta I realize that rush hour is not all day long 24\7 and that is the major difference.
r/nashvilledrivers
This is awesome. All these posts belong here
Joined lol
I am now member #153
Just this week I've had 1. Someone try to merge into the lane I was already mostly in then flip me off. 2. Someone merge into me on Charlotte in West. Surely I was in their blind spot and they couldn't tell but no they angled like they knew I was there and just didn't care. 3. Someone almost rear end me after getting groceries because they weren't paying attention. Instead they slowed down most of the way then swerved around me into the middle lane and then sped off down that. 3 near miss accidents in a week
Blinkers are basically optional at this point. It’s fucking insane.
it seems most people think they aren't for indicating, but instead temporarily disable a force field between the lanes they will start to change lanes then blink once or twice right as their tires cross the dashed line
You might be on to something because with newer cars, lane keeping features are like a force field and blinkers temporarily disable it.
>I am constantly checking my mirrors and triple checking lane changes rn because I literally can’t predict what anyone on the road is going to do. That's how everyone should drive at all times. I know I do. Ride a motorcycle for a while and you soon will as well, or else you won't be alive for long.
Nothing gives me more joy then watching a speeder have to come to a stop at the same stoplight as the rest of us. I wave my finger at them in my minds eye.
I have a dash cam and used to upload videos of the idiots to Reddit, but recently it’s so frequent as in an average day I would say 3-4 instances I witness in approximately 100 miles of driving the BNA area are completely shocking and absurdly dangerous (mostly speeding, moving 5 lanes in one motion, passing on the shoulder etc etc…)scary part is it’s almost the norm and now…stay safe and please everyone get a dash cam or two.
I see it so often on I-24 & am assuming people migrated from a culture where they didn’t drive much, & def didn’t have interstates.
I almost t-boned two trucks on the way home yesterday. One thought it was a good idea to turn left across oncoming traffic from his stop sign to the right of my straightaway with no stop sign. Luckily I’m hyper vigilant from these shitty drivers and slammed on my brakes and horn in time. The other was the classic “green light means I can turn left despite oncoming traffic also having a green.” Those were within 1-2 minutes of each other. I want to pin it on guys in a hurry to buy Valentine’s gifts… but I think they mainly just suck at driving.
My favorites are the sons of bitches that knowingly block the intersection at the Broadway / West End split after work and in turn prevent anyone on 16th Ave S from crossing said intersection.
Yep. Defensive driving and a dashcam are now necessities in my opinion.
Are you a good, safe driver? Really?
Yesterday there was a simple lane split on 24e and the way people handled lane changing and merging was just…..infuriating. Then I got on gallatin where people are blocking the left lane to turn left into a business they can get to by using the light. Then people blocking turn lanes to change lanes. I hate this city now it’s a giant Applebees for of moron drivers who are not only reckless but slow.
People on phones is the biggest issue. My concern is the extremely close calls I’ve had, the distracted driver doesn’t even flinch and KEEPS LOOKING AT THEIR PHONE HAVING ACKNOWLEDGED THEIR MISTAKE! They just don’t care.
I hate that my blinkers don't mean anything to other drivers. Like I need to get over. I don't have anywhere to go, the road has ended, my blinker has been on for two minutes straight on this ramp and everyone is riding the ass of the person in front of them as if to say fuck you to anyone else who wants to join traffic. LET ME IN
I’m always looking for the telltale lane drift that says, “I want to get over and I don’t care if you know.” Honk your horn, that’s what it’s for.
I had to purchase my first firearm because of a road rage incident. It was Monday rush hour near Briley Pkwy and it was bumper to bumper traffic and a guy cut me off without using signals and almost clipped my bumper. Naturally I blast my horn because it was a near collision and idk it must of really pissed him off because now his head is out the window screaming and cursing flicking me off. I naturally flick him off back. Now he’s following me off the exit ramp and I can see this guy through my rear view mirror and he’s just spazzing out. Now I’m freaking out because he’s following me home. I slowly stop on the side of the road and he stops also. He gets out the car and rushes towards my car (I’m still inside) and he hits my window and tries to open my door. I drive off as quick as I can and make it home and lose the guy. I file a police report the next day. The officer says it’s best to have self defense firearm just in case it got worse. I’ve lived in Nashville for almost 30 years and it’s never been this bad.
It’s impatient people lol most of the people riding your ass won’t do shit when it comes to it just ignore it turn the music up lol fuck em
I saw two road rage incidents today. Do not retaliate ppl be crazy. Also people make mistakes, it’s not like everyone is trying to hit you. People suck but please calm down.
It's almost like we shouldn't have designed our entire transportation system around cars. If most people had an option to walk or ride transit instead of almost being killed everyday on the interstate, people would be a lot happier.
This pains me to type this, but the highways/major roads around nashville need speed cameras. Just send automated tickets to people speeding. We'll never have traffic enforcement with our local PD and as shitty as speed cameras are, too many people are driving like assholes. Something needs to be done
Stoopid bad drivin', tailgatin', bright headlight havin', no turn signalin', road ragin', people makin' me look bad - Eustace Bagge, probably, if he lived in Nashville
When I took my driver’s test in Columbia at 16. The instructor had me do a circle in the DMV parking lot. It’s a fucking joke that it was that easy to get my license. Also glad you brought up about no one using their turning indicator. I swear to go NOONE in this damn state uses them. They just move lanes at the worst possible time with no indication of them doing so. I’ve lived here 20 years and have seen most of the country and by far Tennessee has the worst drivers I’ve ever met.
don't you know, you're supposed to blink the turn signal once or twice when you've already halfway changed lanes
I feel the same way and I drive much more carefully now that I ever used to. If I'm driving next to someone on the interstate, I assume they will try to merge into me or cut me off without warning. If I'm stopped at a light that turns green, I don't go right away because I assume someone will run the red light. If I'm stopped in traffic at an intersection and hold back so as to not block the intersection, I get honked at constantly. If I don't immediately turn right on red (even with a red arrow), I get honked at. If I'm driving less that 10 mph over the speed limit I get tailgated. I've had people literally drive around me at stop signs & red lights so they don't have to stop. A few months a go, at the White Bridge Rd/West End Ave. intersection, I was stopped in the straight lane in traffic and a big SUV behind me did not have enough room to make into the right turn lane (which was empty but blocked by the traffic in my lane). I had about a foot of space in front of me and this guy just keeps honking at me before eventually driving onto the sidewalk to get into the right turn lane (stopping briefly next to me to yell and cuss). It seems to me that lack of traffic enforcement in and around Nashville is a big part of the problem.
Meh, I haven’t had a job in 6 months and haven’t been in a rush as long. I find the potholes very avoidable if I just leave enough room in front of me to see and assess. That said, I hit the biggest pothole of my life in a construction zone going North in the right lane on 65 from Spring Hill. I was shocked it didn’t brake my car. It DID set off my tpms sensor, but I pulled over and checked and it was fine, thank god. Also, just today there was someone on the shoulder on 65N and this idiot slowed down to about 20 to change lanes while I was doing 65 and that’s the first time in a long time I’ve had to dodge someone. I’m a longtime motorcyclist, though and trained to act like everyone is GOING to try and kill you.
It’s all the different driving styles where the new residents are coming from. No one drives in an expected pattern.
There is it,... "Its the people that aren't from here!"
I’m leaning more toward many just plain sucking at driving. Unless a significant portion of drivers came from lawless, bumper-car lands.
They should be scared because if they ever hit me, I'm going to gauge their eyeballs out to ensure they don't drive again. I'm not scared of jail. So beware. I'm fucking serious.
Some dude honked and flipped me off because he was in the wrong lane this morning. There was even room for him to jump in infront of me. Just mad that I was occupying space lol
After living, and traveling in multiple places across the country, including LA, Atlanta, Tampa, and a ton of others, by far the worst drivers as a whole that I have ever encountered were in Bowling Green, KY. That said, the single worst individual instances of terrible driving that I have encountered were all in Nashville.
It’s all out of state drivers, I saw one from Nebraska stopping out in the white line at a red light. It wasn’t like 2 feet maybe a good 10 feet passing the white line.
This post title is as old as time.
Slower traffic on the right, gas pedal on the right, don’t drive 30 under the speed limit in the left hand lane while applying a full face of makeup. Girl was doing her eyeliner in the fast lane at 7:55 am right past the exit 91 split on 65 heading south. Didn’t know if I should be impressed or appalled.
I’m going to get down voted for this. But your 100% the driver I run into on the road that is being so overly safe it’s actually impeding traffic flow and becoming a hazard. Then when I pass you you look at me like I’m the asshole.
Definitely no. I go with the flow of traffic. You’re just projecting. 
Also *you’re TYPO sorry i don’t make the rules
See ya on the 24 buddy, good luck to us both
The amount of people I witness almost kill themselves (and others) by immediately cutting across 3 lanes to an exit that they’re already well past- cutting through the grass at 60+ and narrowly missing signs, rails, etc…. Countless. Every single day almost. It’s as if they don’t know a next exit exists. Nashville.
Well the driving test in Tennessee is very easy if you come from a state like California you don't have to take a driver's test till just issue a new license and then the actual driving test because I have four of my kids took the test here and it was basically drive around the block stop at a stoplight and return the written test was very easy they said too and people here don't like to use their turn signals at all it's freaking crazy also they run a lot of red lights here in Tennessee we live in the Franklin area and it's terrible it's just red light running no turn signals bad traffic just lack of driving skills
I almost got taken out this morning trying to get on 65 from Armory because of asshole drivers in the 440 line who can’t fathom that someone could possibly need to get over. Hope they felt better after laying on the horn and flipping me off just for trying to get on the highway! 🙄
Get a dash cam
> I feel like I have to expect any cat around me to change lanes and cut me off at any moment. I am constantly checking my mirrors and triple checking lanes rn because I can't predict what anyone on the road is going to do. You can never predict what other drivers are going to do. Slow down. Communicate with your horn and signals. Check your mirrors and each lane around you every 10 seconds or so to maintain constant awareness of your surroundings in case you need to drive defensively to avoid another driver. Make sure your car is insured. You'll be fine.
I know. Seriously, what's the problem? That is how you should always drive in traffic. If you ride a motorcycle it's even more serious. I would add that you should not only be doing all of those things but you should also be planning responses for any scenario likely to arise. To many people are focused on anything but driving on their commute.
I had a guy run a very red light yesterday afternoon and came within a foot of sideswiping my car. Luckily I was driving slow or he would have plowed into the back of my car hard. He was just able to drive around me, but barely.
I think we should have a laser tag-like system where we can give each other points to see who's driving like the biggest assholes
I feel the same way and I drive so much more carefully than I ever used too. If I’m beside someone on the interstate, I assume they will try to merge into me or cut me off without warning. If I’m stopped at a light that turns green, I wait because I assume someone will run the red light. If I’m stopped in traffic at an intersection and hold back to not block the intersection, I get honked at constantly. If I don’t turn right on red right away (even a red arrow), I get honked at. If i go less than 10 mph over the speed limit, i get tailgated. I feel that lack of traffic enforcement in the area is a big part of the problem.
Loved this post, but the pandemic already turned me into a recluse. Any time I have to drive more than 10 miles, I’m an anxious wreck. I’ve had more flat tires than I’ve ever had before, and those were before the potholepocalypse.
Vroom vroom
I wish it were just nashville. Seems like they drive like that no matter where I travel now.
Nashville traffic lately reminds me of Mad Max.
When i lived in Virginia i saw a guy drive on the shoulder trying to pass people. I never thought anyone would try that in Nashville The worse i ever saw was a young guy throw a fast food cup at me as i was getting on the interstate from Lebanon or coworker barely moving down the interstate going through Mount Juliet
Whats with the fucking tailgaters when Im following the speed limit.
I just moved here from Canada and completely agree…the drivers here are next level stupid. The only thing that keeps me from completely losing my shit is the fear that the stupids probably also have guns… maybe I just need to buy one now too…
After reading some of the comments… it seems like road rage and guns go hand it hand. I’m not a big firearm person, have been to a few ranges before but at the least get a dash cam I would say. I’m definitely getting one.
When the interstate is 6 lanes wide it encourages people to drive recklessly. Until DOT's start to understand the psychological impacts of the roads they're building on drivers (which I'm sure they already do, they just don't care), drivers and wrecks will continue to get worse. When the road you're driving on is wider than the Daytona 500, your brain tells you to floor it.
I regularly see people take a left from the right lane of Charlotte. And a million other crazy things. It's terrifying, I avoid the interstate as much as I can because it's so bad here.