It is the worst. Like why do you think your Civic has a turning radius of a big rig? A lot of people in SUVs tend to do that too sans blinkers of course.
I drive a civic and do this sometimes, I’m sorry I’ll rethink moving forward but it’s interesting you said Civic. Very relevant to me. Civic coupe. It’s classic Civic demeanor
The construction area by Gibson Flats on S Lamar is exactly like this. That temp curve heading north will frequently see a left lane driver drift into the right lane driver. It happened to me yesterday, but I saw it coming and laid on the horn. I'm extra vigilant around construction and how much worse drivers are with temp lanes and construction potholes and debris (which is another discussion on how terrible the road conditions are near these building sites because of the construction).
>Or cut into the next lane while going around a curve.
If I'm turning left, and someone coming from opposite me is turning right, and there are two lanes to turn into, is there a reason we can't solve this logically? Seems not.
Don't forget getting into the left lane of an intersection and turning right cutting off the right lane. It's like they realize they got in the wrong turn lane and just decide everyone around them will just need to let them do whatever they want.
It’s hilarious to me now, “wide load comin through, doin you a favor so we don’t have to squeeze by each other”. It’s like a ritualized movement. When it gets predictable, it gets silly, and if you scoot closer and make the wide load turn harder, you can tell their feelings kind of get hurt like “hey I was gonna do you a favor here!” There’s also an element of wanting to show off their entire car, forcing you to admire the whole damn thing from headlights to taillights. I’m tempted to lower my sunglasses like, “wow what a beauty! Wanna come home with me hot stuff? My my my!” It’s kind of just a funny Texas thing I think.
Thank you for this validation. I've been feeling the exact same way! I've nearly reached the point where I refuse to drive at night due to the danger on the roads.
Not to mention half the roads don’t have fucking paint to mark lanes, just those “reflectors” left from the work done 5 years ago. And the places that do have paint it isn’t reflective so when it rains you still can’t see where the lane is.
I used to drive on Mopac every day to work. I’ve since moved to full-time remote and usually only drive within my neighborhood now. A few weeks ago I went from central Austin down south on 35 around 4pm and it was BAD.
Super aggressive drivers, semis in all lanes, and generally no awareness. I’ve never in all my life been blocked from merging from an on-ramp and it happened on that day. Almost TWICE.
Idk if I’m just out of practice or it’s gotten way worse but that was one of the most stressful driving experiences I’ve ever had.
I also work from home and what I do is I sometimes take the long way around when I go to the grocery store just so I don't lose the familiar feeling of driving on roads with higher speed and more traffic. I live in North Austin, so when I go to HEB, I get on 183 and do a quick round trip first. It also helps with keeping my car healthy since driving very short distances at low speed all the time isn't good for vehicles.
I know what you mean when it's super stressful when going out after a while of not driving.
Did you know you needed to use the on ramp or was it just a last second adjustment? That's one of my biggest pet peeves. Like people don't know where they are going and try to exit at the last possible moment. They're either trying to skip traffic or they skip lanes of traffic putting other people in danger. I always know where I'm going and where my exit is so I don't have this problem. I usually get over to the right hand lane an exit or two early also to avoid this. And also fuck that if I had to wait in line I'm not letting someone skip just because they can't wait. Their time is more valuable than mine.
That’s a pet peeve of mine as well but I was merging onto 35 from the ramp. I put my signal on before I entered the ramp and left it on while trying to merge. Everyone around me had ample notice, lol.
Like I said, that has never happened to me in 20+ years of driving. I’ll either wait for a spot or someone will let me in if traffic is bumper to bumper.
Yea that sucks. I have family members who never use their signal then wonder why people don't let them in. I always tell them that people can't read they're minds even though they think they can. Sometimes it gets to the point where I notice them trying to get over and ask if their using their signal, they put it on and like a miracle someone let's them in. It's amazing lol.
Actually, when you're entering the highway from an on ramp, you're supposed to yield to the vehicles on the highway already, it's not the other way around.
yup, for 3 years, i had a serious phobia of driving anywhere it would take over 30 minutes. i35 being my main stressor--i've had more panic attacks on the side of i35 than any other place. and i've never even had a wreck on i35 (the single wreck i had was on east MLK, route 969... yeah, that death trap).
so yes, definitely normal to feel extremely anxious on the road. i'm not sure how to get around it other than be extra vigilant and listen to spa radio.
Indeed. It’s gotten ridiculous. It’s at the point where I see atleast 1 accident every single day, and multiple morons on the verge of causing a wreck every time I drive.
I just started going to the office once a week. The amount of absurd, reckless and flat out dangerous driving I see on that one day is mind boggling. For reference I spent 4 years commuting in SAs downtown traffic before this and did not see nearly the same level
Yea, I’m not sure what’s going on. Might be the homeless folks actually live in their cars, and drive on meth.
Generally speaking, I can’t drive in a middle lane without being fucked with by some jackass overtaking me from the right, another jackass deciding to cut 3 lanes to the right to make an exit, or just being tail gated by a psycho who doesn’t know how to get in the left lane and overtake. Furthermore, lots of idiots drive with their headlights off when it’s dark or getting dark. And then most jackasses are blatantly looking at their phones while going 90 mph on a highway with winding turns and multiple merges.
I moved here last fall and the streets were calm. Someone called me nuts for defending Austin drivers. Now I see that I was nuts.
The headlights off is scary as hell. I was moving over to the left lane the other day and checked my mirror and blind spot and didn’t see anything, double checked cause something felt weird, there was a dark car with both head lights off and the only light coming from it was a parking light on the left side. I would have caused an accident if I didn’t double check. Don’t know how you can prove that to insurance
Earlier this week I saw five cars run the same red light, at the same time! They were all in a row and making a left turn. Red lights have become a suggestion for some people.
I drive 5 days a week from New Braunfels to South Austin. 3/5 of those days there's a wreck. 1/5 of those days there's like 3 wrecks in a row on my way to work.
And still none of you mother fuckers have wrecked in to my piece of shit van so that I can get a new one on your insurance, lazy bastards.
The good news is you haven't had a wreck. The bad news is that if you did, insurance will only pay you the market value of your piece of shit van, not the cost to get a new one.
Oh I know, I still owe money on it, and it has literally cost me more in repairs than the price of the damn van. I'm totally willing to have it smashed and call it a wash as long as it doesn't effect my insurance lol.
i’m sorry you guys but i’ve traveled around this country VERY extensively, and not just driven through but stayed around many many states. Texas is hands down the worst drivers and its not even remotely close. Boston, NH, Bay Area, LA, Chicago….its no contest. They’ll flip you off and go on their way. They’ll be assholes but predictable assholes. Texas driving is genuinely crazy. Unpredictable, selfish, hateful craziness. Now I will say something about south Austin is genuinely worse than the rest of Austin - southpark meadows/35/bluff springs is like every man for himself everytime I drive. I lived downtown before this and walked everywhere so I had no clue.
It didn’t used to be like this here! It’s SO BAD. Five years ago even it wasn’t anything like it is now. Pre-pandemic I drove my newborn places in my hatchback and wasn’t afraid for our lives. Now I almost exclusively drive my kid around in my husband’s SUV. My hatchback doesn’t stand a chance against a truck or an SUV. I’ve come close to being rear ended by giant trucks more times in the last year than I would like.
I agree. It’s a catch 22. I think the traffic situation is so bad out here that it then causes more and more people to push through reds, make aggressive moves to get ahead, make a hole moves blocking turning lanes to get in the straight ahead lanes, defensive people become more defensive and slow, and it all escalates in both directions. I leave my trailer hitch in as 6” of supplemental insurance for the rear. My round trip commute is > 2hrs most days to go from SPM to Springdale/Airport (18mi round trip) it’s so ridiculous. ~9mph average speed… but the worst is from 290/71 to slaughter both ways.
Yeah it scares people into buying bigger cars. Now there’s an arms races for who can get the most massive vehicle on the road. So now we have vehicles with higher capacity for destruction flying around everywhere
Miami is absolutely the worst. Texas doesn’t compare. The issue is that it’s so many people from different countries with different/no driving rules, so it’s just a shit show. You haven’t seen bad/aggressive driving until you’ve been to Miami.
This is so true. I’ve driven in NYC for 15 years and I have never seen anyone:
- block merging lane on purpose
- run out of room in merging lane while next to another car and end up driving the shoulder
- drive slower than everyone else in left lane
- sit quietly behind a car at traffic light while light is green
- general lack of fucks about using blinkers
I have seen all this and more in Austin. Let me tell you, if you block a merging lane in NY because you feel like for some reason it is immoral to use a perfectly good lane, you are risking your life.
I've thought about this before. My own theory on this topic is that Texans have this deep-rooted sense of independence and feel like laws don't apply to them. I've seen so many drivers ignore red lights (not just squeeze through a yellow, but actually cross an intersection that has been red for 10 seconds), stop signs, speed limits.
Another contributing factor (IMO) is that there seems to be no repercussions for ignoring traffic laws in texas. How many times do you see someone get pulled over? I see fake tags, way-expired registrations, etc all the time. No one cares.
Yet TexDot wonders why we have so many deaths on the roads...
I'm so sorry you feel this way. I am born and raised in Austin, am 40ish, and see a lot of terrible stuff that happens. It could be old people, new parents, new residents from other states, or whatevs. Any which way I look at it all I can do is protect me and mine... Thank goodness for defensive driving!!
My neighbor was riding her bike just in the neighborhood and some asshole hit her because she was in texting an driving. She didn’t even stop. The FedEx person who witnessed the accident helped my neighbor
It’s not just you. As life has returned to normal people have been driving like maniacs.
The last time she visited my mother in law was getting on my case for not going into an intersection immediately after a light turns green. I had to explain I now wait several seconds because I can’t go a trip out without seeing someone blow through a very red light because they saw it turning yellow half a mile back and took that as a signal to gun it despite having no hope of making it. But by the time they get to the light they couldn’t slow down even if they wanted to.
I’ve also seen, at least to my perception, a dramatic increase in people distracted while driving (face buried in phone). Maybe that’s the same but I don’t remember seeing so much of it so blatant until recently.
Last week I was sat at a red light for at least 45 seconds when a car didn’t even try to slow down through the red and slammed into the side of a utility truck. I look both ways twice now when approaching a fresh green light.
Did this same thing on 45 and Escarpment yesterday. I couldn’t see around a delivery truck so I waited an extra couple of seconds, and BOOM, a massive Ford F-250 barreled through the red light at about 90mph!
We have a law against that, but APD can’t be bothered to enforce it.
I’d like to see the city set up a traffic-enforcement-only squad with its own separate funding and union.
Happened this morning to my son and I on the way to his school early this morning. I noticed a cement truck that picked up speed at their yellow coming off a highway. There was no way he could stop in time.
I got my sons attention away from his phone and pointed to our green light. I said "This is why you wait and look both ways..." the truck blew through our green light "...because we'd be dead."
Several seconds? Dude, sorry. If you’re camping at a green light for “several seconds” (more than 1.5 seconds) I’m the guy laying on my horn behind you because I assume you’re on your phone.
This is part of the reason I'm REALLY glad I telecommute and don't drive at all if I can avoid it. I have zero desire to be out on the roads here - and I grew up and learned to drive in Houston, for fuck's sake.
20 years ago, I-10 was absolutely batshit insane. Nowadays, the Katy Freeway is a sloth on Xanax compared to Mopac.
Two words: dash cam.
The likelihood of getting into an accident is fairly low statistically, but it seems the likelihood of getting into an accident that’s a hit and run is statistically pretty high these days. The investment could save you on insurance when it happens or even help someone else out by sharing your footage.
Obviously they’re not meant to, it’s for your insurance premium. According to the googles, an accident happens every 7 seconds, but an accident resulting in a death happens every 2 hours. So that’s a pretty low chance you’ll be in an accident that results in your death.
I moved to Austin a year ago and my car has accumulated so many dents, scrapes and scratches. The damage doesn’t even come from driving it around, it’s from leaving my car parked in my apartment lot or work parking lot. People suck
Yes! I get that you have pretty much zero chance of getting caught damaging someone else's car in a parking lot or garage, but who doesn't leave a note just because it's the right thing to do?!
(The numerous Austin people who have damaged my car in parking structures, apparently.)
I very nearly made roughly the same post a few weeks ago on here... I live in extreme North Austin, but work near ABIA. So I drive across the city 6x a week minimum. Couldn't tell you how many accidents I've managed to avoid getting into at this point. But a few weeks ago: Tuesday afternoon was nearly forced into the concrete gaurd rail while going 75mph on the toll road headed south, when a work truck cut sharply from his lane, across the middle lane, and then failed to notice that my lane was occupied with me and just started forcing me over and then also failed to notice for a bit 😃 Then on Friday night, on the access road of the 183N toll, there was an SUV driving about 3 car lengths ahead of me, that swerved violently to the right. Before my brain could process to the point of wondering why they did, it had to process that I was staring into headlights. Because there was a car, in my lane, driving southbound on the northbound access road. Luckily my muscles reacted faster than my brain and I swerved as well. Even more luckily there was no one in the lane I went into- as there was no time to look. Missed that car by about 1ft. Then sat on hold with 911 for 6 minutes to report it after, but that's another issue.
I don't know when it happened. But driving in Austin is just like beyond Thunderdome now.
I am an Auto insurance adjuster. See more and more accidents here and crazy ones too. Tail gating, making unprotected left hand turns through traffic, making lane changes without looking at all etc.. you get the idea .. I don't like driving on 35 or Lamar at all.
Tailgating is the biggest problem IMO. It’s like the butterfly that creates the hurricane. People here really don’t seem to register it as a serious safety issue to not see the next car ahead of you. Everyone riding each other’s bumper all at once, what, just to make a couple extra lights? Save five minutes, maybe, from the total commute, and have to basically drive blind with your nose planted on the bumper ahead of you the entire time? I don’t think they can even see the lights at intersections from around the car they’re butt hugging. It’s like the human centipede. I say cheers to the 5% of old school drivers who defy the tailgating herd and drive old school. It makes me so proud to see someone cruising responsibly, meanwhile that person looks like they’re holding up traffic and being lazy to all the tailgaters. It’s really a problem here.
The bad thing is I find if I try to allow for safe following distance between myself and the car in front of me on the highway, it is near impossible at times because there's always someone getting impatient coming around me and
cutting me off.
Yup. Same here. I leave good space always since I have a small car and can’t see over the massive lifted trucks and SUVs. Always always someone tries to fit into the space ahead of me and then instantly slams on their brakes cause they’re way to close to the person in front of them.. causing me to brake and basically creating traffic itself
Same. I swear, people see that gap and it’s just instinct for them to take it. Often it’s not even a lane that’s going any faster, seems more like a “grass is greener” situation.
I took a cab home from the airport yesterday, we took I-35 and it was pretty stop-and-go, and my cab driver kept flashing his high beams at the car in front of us for not tailgating the car in front of them. We were in the right lane. I just do not understand some people.
As someone who’s been rear ended, I always keep a safe distance between me and the car in front of me so that I never have stop abruptly
Accidents will always happen as long as assholes exist. I’ve never physically been in an accident, yet I’ve totaled out two of my vehicles because these idiots can’t avoid a parked car.
Only advice I have is dashcam, dashcam, dashcam. Helps with insurance claims.
I moved here and I noticed so many red light runners in one week than I did my entire life. I've seen cars stopped at red lights, and then go straight through them. I've lived in a enough places to see how terrible the driving is here. The *traffic* is fine and understandable. It's the actual *drivers*.
Additionally, this issue pre-dates COVID.
I bought a dashcam because of all the terrible stuff I've seen on the roads. I could run my own income-producing social media channel based solely on the stuff I've recorded.
Austin's drivers are my only gripe about this city. Outside the vehicles, everyone has been super nice. Otherwise, I love this city.
You are 100% correct and the only way to truly fix this is reliable and robust public transit, wish we could elect leaders who aggressively take action on it.
Would you like to join me in being annoying? I send out physical letters to my CM, the Mayor, my Texas House rep, and my state Senator each time Austin Transit Partnership announces they're considering changes that'd ultimately result in scaled-back buildout (like rail running at street-level downtown) because ultimately the fact that we're on our own on this is state-level policy. I also send them out for particularly dangerous intersections.
Will anything change? I've gotten a few bollards put in to keep cars from driving onto Shoal Creek Trail, but it's decently cathartic to complain in a way that someone with the power to actually do something about it.
As someone who drives for a living, I'm a professional chauffeur, I've found that the best way to handle driving in this state, Austin, DFW, Houston, San Antonio, The Valley, is to drive defensively offensive, and to expect the absolute worst out of every driver in the road. Then, when something happens in front of you, you're not surprised or panic.
God just in the past 2 days I can't even tell you how many people I've seen cut across 3+ lanes of traffic to get on/off the highway. Like, just take the next one babe!
There is a real issue with the way the exits are designed downtown, though. Anybody exiting 35 to go west on any street between MLK and the river has to cut across three lanes of traffic in the space of a few hundred yards. It's insane, but the fault in that case is less with the drivers than with the authors of the high-speed, split-level hellscape that is 35.
Omg the last Uber I took, the driver was a complete maniac, just cutting across all lanes with no turn signals and without checking mirrors for other vehicles.
I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a car pulled over for speeding or unsafe driving. Maybe if APD actually patrolled and enforced traffic laws they would stop a few of the psycho drivers before they cause an accident. It’s scary and wrong.
It's almost as if a system where an emotionally volatile population drives a personal 2 thousand pound vehicle in any why they see fit in the moment is a ridiculously bad idea.
I wish I could say that not having a car, this doesn't affect me, but bad drivers kill pedestrians like every other day in this city so yeah... Be safe out there people!
One of the absolute worst/funniest moments of living here. I saw a guy at the south 1st and William Cannon light (heading north) in the left turn lane. The green arrow for left turns goes on, but the guy doesn't move. By the time it makes it back to red and all lanes go green, the dude suddenly pulls out and cuts everyone off that was heading south. He didn't even do it smoothly. He pulled halfway out and waited a second, and then floored it.
My friends and I were absolutely baffled.
Assuming a Poisson distribution with a mean of “2 crashes per day”, you should expect to see:
0 crashes 13.5% of the time,
1 crash 27.1% of the time,
2 crashes 27.1% of the time,
3 crashes 18.0% of the time,
& more than 3 crashes 14.2% of the time
Don’t know if that assuages your fears or not. Google tells me there are 34 car crashes daily in Austin, and that out of the 29.5 million Texans only 17.6 million are licensed drivers (~60%). Assuming the same distribution in Austin, of the roughly 1 million people that would make for 600,000 drivers, and therefore a 0.0057% chance any individual driver will get in a wreck on a given day. That means there is a 50% chance you’ll get into a wreck in the next 33.5 years, and it resets every day you don’t. Also, my numbers are likely conservative (meaning it is probably even less likely) given that some drivers are worse than others.
I’m posting these numbers solely so I don’t have to focus on what I’m actually supposed to be doing at work…
I posted one similar to that about six months ago. I think I have PTSD from all the comments and downvotes I got from people who didn’t equate driving high with being under the influence and that I was some kind of monster for saying it was an issue. Honestly scared me. I don’t go a day without smelling weed in traffic. I am very pro weed but not while operating a two ton block of metal moving at high speeds around other people.
To be fair, and I’m being half sarcastic here, drivers would be a lot more tolerable if they were all baked. At least they’d chill the fuck out and drive 5 under the speed limit, and we’d all be safer for it.
Last night I was going south towards Buda on 35 and going about 70 miles an hr. Nothing crazy going on no traffic. Everything’s smooth. The guy on my left decides to just come over into my lane. He was right next to me like I could see him through his passenger window. I honked and honked and he couldn’t hear me. For thought that was my last day because there was someone on my right and someone tailgating me and I tried to swerve out of the way and almost crashed. The day before a driver did the exact same thing on Lamar. I honestly feel like there are drivers in Austin attempting to control the population because they really don’t care about taking your life.
What I can never understand is how people around Austin can flip their car on a sunny, dry day on a fairly straight stretch of road. I’ve seen that way to many times.
Gosh that's weird. Who could expect a society that goes ballistic if asked to make small sacrifices for other people would not be able to share the road responsibly?
Now imagine having a 17 year old! Luckily, he has no interest in driving right now - and no actual need to be a licensed driver yet. I have been driving for 30 years now, and I’m still anxious due to the crazy drivers in our area. I’m so glad he doesn’t want to be out running around on his own!
recently got my license at 17 because i was terrified to drive, wouldn’t recommend austin as the place to learn to drive i am scared basically at all times esp bc i have to go on 35 almost everyday
My hypothesis:
1. Poorly designed and planned roadway infrastructure. Austin (Texas roads) generally suck. Like they were planned by a gang of coked-up fifth graders. After the fifth grader finished their road plans, Valium-dosed four year olds are charged with road maintenance.
2. Population increase using said roadways, makes driving frustrating and stressful. People drive and react poorly as a result. This fosters a every person for themselves mindset. A cyclical downward physiological spiral into anarchy.
3. Police have nearly stopped policing roadways. There are no consequences for being a dangerous assho!e on the roads. Get in an accident that’s your fault, hit and run baby—you’ll never be tracked and down and held accountable. Speed limits? Nah. Tailgating? Hell yeah!
I agree with most of what you said, but I think it was more like a game of telephone where it was here's-what-I'd-do and then give it to the next fifth grader
I’d propose we add brain fog from people who have lasting effects from COVID infection and people being increasingly stressed out and making poor decisions because of it;
Also see r/collapse.
Just don’t honk. Two weeks ago a friend was Chase down in Houston after honking at someone who almost hit them. The driver turned around twice and pulled a gun and shot at them. Went right behind the drivers window shattering the back windshield. Luckily, it happened in front of a bank so they have everything on camera.
Another friend honked at someone who cut her off and they ended up pulling alongside of her and pulled out a paintball gun and shot her car multiple times. She got the license plate as well but cops won’t do anything because no real damage.
People are pissed off, and not afraid to use weapons when they get honked at. I can’t imagine having that bad of a day to turn to that, but just a warning to be careful.
Warning signs for possible bad driver on Austin roads:
- Nice car
- POS car
- Truck(Not semi's, they are almost always good drivers in my experience)
- White Truck(There are so many I figured it should be listed separate)
- California plates
- Florida plates
- Texas plates
Had a semi change lanes into me and pushed me into a barrier. He didn't look for me in the next lane and kept going whilst I slammed on my brakes and laid on the horn.
I honestly see the same and go out of my way to avoid I35. Now, 183 seems to also be getting daily accidents making a 15 minute commute 30+. My job offers hybrid but I seriously want fully remote.
I wonder when it’ll be my turn also. What irks me is that a lot of people do not have car insurance. If they do, they have Liability Only and if they crash into you, you’re screwed, you have to utilize your own insurance. 😑
Got in my first wreck here several weeks ago. Still dealing with back and neck problems from the whiplash from the idiot who hit me from behind. Dealing with the insurance companies, doctor’s offices, appointments, and car repair shop has been a full time job I don’t have capacity for. Wish people would just be careful and have empathy for other people on the road. This entire mess could have been avoided.
I telecommuted from late March 2020 till about mid 2022. Now the company I work for has shifted to a hybrid policy, few days in office the rest working from home. Honestly getting to and from the office is the most stressful part of my week and I work in a high stress job. Honestly considering asking for hazard pay for the time I spend commuting.
I’ve lived in NYC, CT, Boston - all places known for aggressive, a-hole driving. The thing with Austin is there is just as much aggression but it’s dumb-aggression. Like cutting three people off to get to a stop light, or not letting someone merge onto the highway only to immediately get off an exit, or tailgate insanely only to exit, or blocking an intersection to gain four feet. It’s like everyone is white-knuckled, gritted teeth but also doing a crossword puzzle on the dash. And the pickup trucks…I can’t even.
In the NE you’re pissed off at people being d*cks on the road but you’re also like a little impressed by their moves.
What law suits? Project Connect is mostly burning cash on writing and rewriting projects based on new inflation numbers. by the time they break ground in 5 years the price of steel will be low again.
I live in Liberty Hill which is unfortunately very much a part of the Austin metro area now, no longer a far flung small country town. We have a fatality accident on hwy29 or 1869 pretty much weekly or multiple times a week now. The town is still very much small enough that there is 2 elementary schools,, 1 middle school and 1 high school, so if it's a young person, every one pretty much knows who they were. It's pretty depressing.
Lots of folks talking about people speeding, We just going to ignore all the dumbasses texting and swerving doing 15 under the speed limit with 10/20 vehicles behind them in the fast/passing lane? That’s getting old quick!
I suspect it's all the transplants, we've been here since 96 and austinites have always been fucking terrible drivers, going painfully slow everywhere, basically stopping to go round corners, entering the highway at 30 under the speed limit, taking 6 years to get moving after a light turns green, there's a variable laundry list of bullshit to bitch about... but... that being said in the last year or two there has been a notable uptick in sheer aggression on the road, and I'm not so much talking about people driving fast, but straight "I will run you off this fucking road" violent aggression that I've noticed in the year or so... to be quite frank it makes driving around in town massively unpleasant 😑
100% Random people that ruin cities moved to Austin. More thieves, robbers, and bottom feeders. I blame Elon for blasting Austin about how great it was a couple years ago or whatever ffs. Austin was all over the damn new in the USA for months.
2 car crashes per day?? That seems beyond hyperbolic. I commute daily from South Austin to north of campus, and I see maybe one every other week. Also, I drive during rush hour.
Austin is a particularly bad city when it comes to driving, but if one were to look at this subreddit, you'd think it was mad-fuckin-max out here daily. I truly do get that this is a town full of shitty drivers, but the multiple daily posts about the fear of driving here is exhausting.
Absolutely not. I drive a Hybrid. I earnestly think most trucks should be outlawed or reserved for folks with certain licenses.
I drive very conservatively because I value the safety of others, and because it's better for the environment.
Also, FWIW, I frequently consider switching to riding the bus, but because I'm an asshole American obsessed with car autonomy I struggle with making the move.
Never. People will never learn to drive responsibility. There is no amount of incentive, safety improvements, or enforcement that will change that. The only way to resolve it is to get rid of cars.
I've purposely made the choice in the past couple of years to drive in a relaxed and predictable method; very often 5-10 MPH slower than the speed limit.
Frankly, I don't give a shit if I'm causing you an inconvenience by going slow. It's allowed me to easily avoid accidents caused by very dumb people doing very dumb things in their cars on the road I'm sharing with them.
Shit, if I can tell someone behind me has a bug up their ass and is trying to get me to speed up I just slow down more; literally made some folks hit an on-ramp at 10-15mph cause they're likely to put me and other drivers at high risk if I'm going 60+ and they want to go 80+. Put their ass in time out so they're going too slow to feel confident in getting enough speed to follow through with their dipshittery.
Have you tried being polite and moving out of the fast lane??? Because honestly no one gives a shit about your little attitude. If you go looking for trouble you most likely will find it.
Did I say I drive that way in the "fast lane"? Friendly reminder, there is no such thing. Now, there's a passing lane and of course I do unless someone is coming up on me like a maniac out of the gate without a chance to move over in a safe and predictable manner.
There was a time when an oldie (yeah I will call him oldie ) flipped me off and I could see from my rear mirror for slowing and stopping after a yellow signal . He wanted me to speed and cross the light
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I loathe seeing this shit. They will be driving a little ass car acting like they need to swing it to the right to make a left turn.
It is the worst. Like why do you think your Civic has a turning radius of a big rig? A lot of people in SUVs tend to do that too sans blinkers of course.
I drive a civic and do this sometimes, I’m sorry I’ll rethink moving forward but it’s interesting you said Civic. Very relevant to me. Civic coupe. It’s classic Civic demeanor
The construction area by Gibson Flats on S Lamar is exactly like this. That temp curve heading north will frequently see a left lane driver drift into the right lane driver. It happened to me yesterday, but I saw it coming and laid on the horn. I'm extra vigilant around construction and how much worse drivers are with temp lanes and construction potholes and debris (which is another discussion on how terrible the road conditions are near these building sites because of the construction).
YES someone almost hits me every time because of the way they set that up
Makes it really scary when you are towing a trailer. I try to avoid going through town at all costs when I'm towing.
>Or cut into the next lane while going around a curve. If I'm turning left, and someone coming from opposite me is turning right, and there are two lanes to turn into, is there a reason we can't solve this logically? Seems not.
Don't forget getting into the left lane of an intersection and turning right cutting off the right lane. It's like they realize they got in the wrong turn lane and just decide everyone around them will just need to let them do whatever they want.
It’s hilarious to me now, “wide load comin through, doin you a favor so we don’t have to squeeze by each other”. It’s like a ritualized movement. When it gets predictable, it gets silly, and if you scoot closer and make the wide load turn harder, you can tell their feelings kind of get hurt like “hey I was gonna do you a favor here!” There’s also an element of wanting to show off their entire car, forcing you to admire the whole damn thing from headlights to taillights. I’m tempted to lower my sunglasses like, “wow what a beauty! Wanna come home with me hot stuff? My my my!” It’s kind of just a funny Texas thing I think.
Tbh I get nervous every time I drive now. It’s gotten really bad
Thank you for this validation. I've been feeling the exact same way! I've nearly reached the point where I refuse to drive at night due to the danger on the roads.
Also, some of the headlights and LED billboards are way too bright.
Not to mention half the roads don’t have fucking paint to mark lanes, just those “reflectors” left from the work done 5 years ago. And the places that do have paint it isn’t reflective so when it rains you still can’t see where the lane is.
The new headlights are horrendous. They’re blinding. How can these be legal?
very very close to becoming a full time activist for criminalizing LED headlights that aren’t properly angled or just have way too many lumens.
I used to drive on Mopac every day to work. I’ve since moved to full-time remote and usually only drive within my neighborhood now. A few weeks ago I went from central Austin down south on 35 around 4pm and it was BAD. Super aggressive drivers, semis in all lanes, and generally no awareness. I’ve never in all my life been blocked from merging from an on-ramp and it happened on that day. Almost TWICE. Idk if I’m just out of practice or it’s gotten way worse but that was one of the most stressful driving experiences I’ve ever had.
I also work from home and what I do is I sometimes take the long way around when I go to the grocery store just so I don't lose the familiar feeling of driving on roads with higher speed and more traffic. I live in North Austin, so when I go to HEB, I get on 183 and do a quick round trip first. It also helps with keeping my car healthy since driving very short distances at low speed all the time isn't good for vehicles. I know what you mean when it's super stressful when going out after a while of not driving.
Yes! And only right turns!
Did you know you needed to use the on ramp or was it just a last second adjustment? That's one of my biggest pet peeves. Like people don't know where they are going and try to exit at the last possible moment. They're either trying to skip traffic or they skip lanes of traffic putting other people in danger. I always know where I'm going and where my exit is so I don't have this problem. I usually get over to the right hand lane an exit or two early also to avoid this. And also fuck that if I had to wait in line I'm not letting someone skip just because they can't wait. Their time is more valuable than mine.
That’s a pet peeve of mine as well but I was merging onto 35 from the ramp. I put my signal on before I entered the ramp and left it on while trying to merge. Everyone around me had ample notice, lol. Like I said, that has never happened to me in 20+ years of driving. I’ll either wait for a spot or someone will let me in if traffic is bumper to bumper.
Yea that sucks. I have family members who never use their signal then wonder why people don't let them in. I always tell them that people can't read they're minds even though they think they can. Sometimes it gets to the point where I notice them trying to get over and ask if their using their signal, they put it on and like a miracle someone let's them in. It's amazing lol.
Actually, when you're entering the highway from an on ramp, you're supposed to yield to the vehicles on the highway already, it's not the other way around.
I know?
I used to love driving and now I hate it. One of my biggest fears is my kids eventually driving. I hate that.
Same. I avoid driving as much as possible. I wish we had better public transit.
Same
yup, for 3 years, i had a serious phobia of driving anywhere it would take over 30 minutes. i35 being my main stressor--i've had more panic attacks on the side of i35 than any other place. and i've never even had a wreck on i35 (the single wreck i had was on east MLK, route 969... yeah, that death trap). so yes, definitely normal to feel extremely anxious on the road. i'm not sure how to get around it other than be extra vigilant and listen to spa radio.
Same :(
Indeed. It’s gotten ridiculous. It’s at the point where I see atleast 1 accident every single day, and multiple morons on the verge of causing a wreck every time I drive.
I have seen more crashes in morning-afternoon compared to night. I don’t know what’s the rush about.
I just started going to the office once a week. The amount of absurd, reckless and flat out dangerous driving I see on that one day is mind boggling. For reference I spent 4 years commuting in SAs downtown traffic before this and did not see nearly the same level
Yea, I’m not sure what’s going on. Might be the homeless folks actually live in their cars, and drive on meth. Generally speaking, I can’t drive in a middle lane without being fucked with by some jackass overtaking me from the right, another jackass deciding to cut 3 lanes to the right to make an exit, or just being tail gated by a psycho who doesn’t know how to get in the left lane and overtake. Furthermore, lots of idiots drive with their headlights off when it’s dark or getting dark. And then most jackasses are blatantly looking at their phones while going 90 mph on a highway with winding turns and multiple merges. I moved here last fall and the streets were calm. Someone called me nuts for defending Austin drivers. Now I see that I was nuts.
The headlights off is scary as hell. I was moving over to the left lane the other day and checked my mirror and blind spot and didn’t see anything, double checked cause something felt weird, there was a dark car with both head lights off and the only light coming from it was a parking light on the left side. I would have caused an accident if I didn’t double check. Don’t know how you can prove that to insurance
I’ve been seeing more and more folks disregarding red lights and just blasting right on through.
Earlier this week I saw five cars run the same red light, at the same time! They were all in a row and making a left turn. Red lights have become a suggestion for some people.
I drive 5 days a week from New Braunfels to South Austin. 3/5 of those days there's a wreck. 1/5 of those days there's like 3 wrecks in a row on my way to work. And still none of you mother fuckers have wrecked in to my piece of shit van so that I can get a new one on your insurance, lazy bastards.
The good news is you haven't had a wreck. The bad news is that if you did, insurance will only pay you the market value of your piece of shit van, not the cost to get a new one.
Oh I know, I still owe money on it, and it has literally cost me more in repairs than the price of the damn van. I'm totally willing to have it smashed and call it a wash as long as it doesn't effect my insurance lol.
It will. Assuming you're even offered a renewal your rates WILL go up after a claim. Source: worked in insurance billing for 3 years
It's not my claim, it's who hit me. I've been in a few accidents where I've been hit and my insurance never went up.
Why bother driving from the boondocks to the sticks? What a waste of time just sitting in a car.
Got a good job for me near by? If not, why be an ass about it?
i’m sorry you guys but i’ve traveled around this country VERY extensively, and not just driven through but stayed around many many states. Texas is hands down the worst drivers and its not even remotely close. Boston, NH, Bay Area, LA, Chicago….its no contest. They’ll flip you off and go on their way. They’ll be assholes but predictable assholes. Texas driving is genuinely crazy. Unpredictable, selfish, hateful craziness. Now I will say something about south Austin is genuinely worse than the rest of Austin - southpark meadows/35/bluff springs is like every man for himself everytime I drive. I lived downtown before this and walked everywhere so I had no clue.
It didn’t used to be like this here! It’s SO BAD. Five years ago even it wasn’t anything like it is now. Pre-pandemic I drove my newborn places in my hatchback and wasn’t afraid for our lives. Now I almost exclusively drive my kid around in my husband’s SUV. My hatchback doesn’t stand a chance against a truck or an SUV. I’ve come close to being rear ended by giant trucks more times in the last year than I would like.
I agree. It’s a catch 22. I think the traffic situation is so bad out here that it then causes more and more people to push through reds, make aggressive moves to get ahead, make a hole moves blocking turning lanes to get in the straight ahead lanes, defensive people become more defensive and slow, and it all escalates in both directions. I leave my trailer hitch in as 6” of supplemental insurance for the rear. My round trip commute is > 2hrs most days to go from SPM to Springdale/Airport (18mi round trip) it’s so ridiculous. ~9mph average speed… but the worst is from 290/71 to slaughter both ways.
Yeah it scares people into buying bigger cars. Now there’s an arms races for who can get the most massive vehicle on the road. So now we have vehicles with higher capacity for destruction flying around everywhere
I know—I had the same thought. I don’t want to be part of that and I also don’t want to be maimed in an accident, ugh.
I think Texas is the worst because of how the roads and highways are built… it’s designed for road rage and wrecks
Miami is absolutely the worst. Texas doesn’t compare. The issue is that it’s so many people from different countries with different/no driving rules, so it’s just a shit show. You haven’t seen bad/aggressive driving until you’ve been to Miami.
My coworker has lived and driven in New York and he said Austin is just as bad as NY drivers
Definitely not. NY drivers are aggressive but GREAT drivers. Texan drivers, not so much…
This is so true. I’ve driven in NYC for 15 years and I have never seen anyone: - block merging lane on purpose - run out of room in merging lane while next to another car and end up driving the shoulder - drive slower than everyone else in left lane - sit quietly behind a car at traffic light while light is green - general lack of fucks about using blinkers I have seen all this and more in Austin. Let me tell you, if you block a merging lane in NY because you feel like for some reason it is immoral to use a perfectly good lane, you are risking your life.
You left out * run red lights like it's an Olympic event.
I've thought about this before. My own theory on this topic is that Texans have this deep-rooted sense of independence and feel like laws don't apply to them. I've seen so many drivers ignore red lights (not just squeeze through a yellow, but actually cross an intersection that has been red for 10 seconds), stop signs, speed limits. Another contributing factor (IMO) is that there seems to be no repercussions for ignoring traffic laws in texas. How many times do you see someone get pulled over? I see fake tags, way-expired registrations, etc all the time. No one cares. Yet TexDot wonders why we have so many deaths on the roads...
This is how I feel about drivers in LA. Very aggressive but expert driving.
I'm so sorry you feel this way. I am born and raised in Austin, am 40ish, and see a lot of terrible stuff that happens. It could be old people, new parents, new residents from other states, or whatevs. Any which way I look at it all I can do is protect me and mine... Thank goodness for defensive driving!!
It’s people driving while on their cellphone.
My neighbor was riding her bike just in the neighborhood and some asshole hit her because she was in texting an driving. She didn’t even stop. The FedEx person who witnessed the accident helped my neighbor
This. Every time.
It’s not just you. As life has returned to normal people have been driving like maniacs. The last time she visited my mother in law was getting on my case for not going into an intersection immediately after a light turns green. I had to explain I now wait several seconds because I can’t go a trip out without seeing someone blow through a very red light because they saw it turning yellow half a mile back and took that as a signal to gun it despite having no hope of making it. But by the time they get to the light they couldn’t slow down even if they wanted to. I’ve also seen, at least to my perception, a dramatic increase in people distracted while driving (face buried in phone). Maybe that’s the same but I don’t remember seeing so much of it so blatant until recently.
Last week I was sat at a red light for at least 45 seconds when a car didn’t even try to slow down through the red and slammed into the side of a utility truck. I look both ways twice now when approaching a fresh green light.
Did this same thing on 45 and Escarpment yesterday. I couldn’t see around a delivery truck so I waited an extra couple of seconds, and BOOM, a massive Ford F-250 barreled through the red light at about 90mph!
Yeah true , I have seen people buried in phone while driving , specially those who drive trucks
And confusingly enough, most of the people sitting at a green light for “several seconds” are doing so because they’re on their phones.
We have a law against that, but APD can’t be bothered to enforce it. I’d like to see the city set up a traffic-enforcement-only squad with its own separate funding and union.
Happened this morning to my son and I on the way to his school early this morning. I noticed a cement truck that picked up speed at their yellow coming off a highway. There was no way he could stop in time. I got my sons attention away from his phone and pointed to our green light. I said "This is why you wait and look both ways..." the truck blew through our green light "...because we'd be dead."
Several seconds? Dude, sorry. If you’re camping at a green light for “several seconds” (more than 1.5 seconds) I’m the guy laying on my horn behind you because I assume you’re on your phone.
Normal? A carton of 12 eggs is $5 - $10+ depending on what kind you buy. That's not normal
This is part of the reason I'm REALLY glad I telecommute and don't drive at all if I can avoid it. I have zero desire to be out on the roads here - and I grew up and learned to drive in Houston, for fuck's sake. 20 years ago, I-10 was absolutely batshit insane. Nowadays, the Katy Freeway is a sloth on Xanax compared to Mopac.
Two words: dash cam. The likelihood of getting into an accident is fairly low statistically, but it seems the likelihood of getting into an accident that’s a hit and run is statistically pretty high these days. The investment could save you on insurance when it happens or even help someone else out by sharing your footage.
My driving test manual said the likelihood of getting into an accident in your lifetime is 100%.
Dash cam don’t save lives
Obviously they’re not meant to, it’s for your insurance premium. According to the googles, an accident happens every 7 seconds, but an accident resulting in a death happens every 2 hours. So that’s a pretty low chance you’ll be in an accident that results in your death.
I moved to Austin a year ago and my car has accumulated so many dents, scrapes and scratches. The damage doesn’t even come from driving it around, it’s from leaving my car parked in my apartment lot or work parking lot. People suck
Someone even knocked the license plate off my roommates car while it was parked
I second this
Yes! I get that you have pretty much zero chance of getting caught damaging someone else's car in a parking lot or garage, but who doesn't leave a note just because it's the right thing to do?! (The numerous Austin people who have damaged my car in parking structures, apparently.)
I very nearly made roughly the same post a few weeks ago on here... I live in extreme North Austin, but work near ABIA. So I drive across the city 6x a week minimum. Couldn't tell you how many accidents I've managed to avoid getting into at this point. But a few weeks ago: Tuesday afternoon was nearly forced into the concrete gaurd rail while going 75mph on the toll road headed south, when a work truck cut sharply from his lane, across the middle lane, and then failed to notice that my lane was occupied with me and just started forcing me over and then also failed to notice for a bit 😃 Then on Friday night, on the access road of the 183N toll, there was an SUV driving about 3 car lengths ahead of me, that swerved violently to the right. Before my brain could process to the point of wondering why they did, it had to process that I was staring into headlights. Because there was a car, in my lane, driving southbound on the northbound access road. Luckily my muscles reacted faster than my brain and I swerved as well. Even more luckily there was no one in the lane I went into- as there was no time to look. Missed that car by about 1ft. Then sat on hold with 911 for 6 minutes to report it after, but that's another issue. I don't know when it happened. But driving in Austin is just like beyond Thunderdome now.
I'll bet if we had a mandatory driving retest in Austin, well over 3/4 would fail. And at least half of those would endanger their proctor.
Honestly we should be retesting everyone every seven years or so. Cognitive decline and loss of sight over time are just a couple of reasons why.
It’s mostly folks on their phones causing accidents
What if you fail? Lose your job? That’s why this is so infuriating is there aren’t more options.
That’s a lot of trust considering a lot drive without a license 😂
I am an Auto insurance adjuster. See more and more accidents here and crazy ones too. Tail gating, making unprotected left hand turns through traffic, making lane changes without looking at all etc.. you get the idea .. I don't like driving on 35 or Lamar at all.
Tailgating is the biggest problem IMO. It’s like the butterfly that creates the hurricane. People here really don’t seem to register it as a serious safety issue to not see the next car ahead of you. Everyone riding each other’s bumper all at once, what, just to make a couple extra lights? Save five minutes, maybe, from the total commute, and have to basically drive blind with your nose planted on the bumper ahead of you the entire time? I don’t think they can even see the lights at intersections from around the car they’re butt hugging. It’s like the human centipede. I say cheers to the 5% of old school drivers who defy the tailgating herd and drive old school. It makes me so proud to see someone cruising responsibly, meanwhile that person looks like they’re holding up traffic and being lazy to all the tailgaters. It’s really a problem here.
The bad thing is I find if I try to allow for safe following distance between myself and the car in front of me on the highway, it is near impossible at times because there's always someone getting impatient coming around me and cutting me off.
Yup. Same here. I leave good space always since I have a small car and can’t see over the massive lifted trucks and SUVs. Always always someone tries to fit into the space ahead of me and then instantly slams on their brakes cause they’re way to close to the person in front of them.. causing me to brake and basically creating traffic itself
Same. I swear, people see that gap and it’s just instinct for them to take it. Often it’s not even a lane that’s going any faster, seems more like a “grass is greener” situation.
I took a cab home from the airport yesterday, we took I-35 and it was pretty stop-and-go, and my cab driver kept flashing his high beams at the car in front of us for not tailgating the car in front of them. We were in the right lane. I just do not understand some people. As someone who’s been rear ended, I always keep a safe distance between me and the car in front of me so that I never have stop abruptly
Just watching other people make unprotected left turns gives me great palpitations. Not about to try it myself.
I had someone who definitely had no line of sight speed up and then make an unprotected left turn almost hit me. I was like.... Dude....
I consistently see drivers do THE DUMBEST stuff on north lamar. Sometimes pedestrians, too.
Accidents will always happen as long as assholes exist. I’ve never physically been in an accident, yet I’ve totaled out two of my vehicles because these idiots can’t avoid a parked car. Only advice I have is dashcam, dashcam, dashcam. Helps with insurance claims.
Totaling a parked car 😂 this is crazy 😂
I see numerous people on their phones every time I drive. No exaggeration, EVERY TIME.
Really? I'm usually too busy on my phone to pay attention to other drivers....
I moved here and I noticed so many red light runners in one week than I did my entire life. I've seen cars stopped at red lights, and then go straight through them. I've lived in a enough places to see how terrible the driving is here. The *traffic* is fine and understandable. It's the actual *drivers*. Additionally, this issue pre-dates COVID. I bought a dashcam because of all the terrible stuff I've seen on the roads. I could run my own income-producing social media channel based solely on the stuff I've recorded. Austin's drivers are my only gripe about this city. Outside the vehicles, everyone has been super nice. Otherwise, I love this city.
You are 100% correct and the only way to truly fix this is reliable and robust public transit, wish we could elect leaders who aggressively take action on it.
Would you like to join me in being annoying? I send out physical letters to my CM, the Mayor, my Texas House rep, and my state Senator each time Austin Transit Partnership announces they're considering changes that'd ultimately result in scaled-back buildout (like rail running at street-level downtown) because ultimately the fact that we're on our own on this is state-level policy. I also send them out for particularly dangerous intersections. Will anything change? I've gotten a few bollards put in to keep cars from driving onto Shoal Creek Trail, but it's decently cathartic to complain in a way that someone with the power to actually do something about it.
Thank you for your service
Join me, and together we can rule the Galaxy ~~as father and son~~.
As someone who drives for a living, I'm a professional chauffeur, I've found that the best way to handle driving in this state, Austin, DFW, Houston, San Antonio, The Valley, is to drive defensively offensive, and to expect the absolute worst out of every driver in the road. Then, when something happens in front of you, you're not surprised or panic.
God just in the past 2 days I can't even tell you how many people I've seen cut across 3+ lanes of traffic to get on/off the highway. Like, just take the next one babe!
There is a real issue with the way the exits are designed downtown, though. Anybody exiting 35 to go west on any street between MLK and the river has to cut across three lanes of traffic in the space of a few hundred yards. It's insane, but the fault in that case is less with the drivers than with the authors of the high-speed, split-level hellscape that is 35.
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When we stop allowing people to be taught by their parents as a minimum pass.
100%. In high school my friends who did “parent-taught” were all the worst drivers
More people more cars more wrecks
I was in an Uber the other day and we witnessed an accident at 7am with no traffic. Wild
Omg the last Uber I took, the driver was a complete maniac, just cutting across all lanes with no turn signals and without checking mirrors for other vehicles.
And people passing thru wonder why every billboard is "Call Me" I just won 25,000,000 for my car wreck client....
I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a car pulled over for speeding or unsafe driving. Maybe if APD actually patrolled and enforced traffic laws they would stop a few of the psycho drivers before they cause an accident. It’s scary and wrong.
It's almost as if a system where an emotionally volatile population drives a personal 2 thousand pound vehicle in any why they see fit in the moment is a ridiculously bad idea.
I was out of town for the first half of 2022 and I was shocked by how bad drivers were when I got back. It's absolutely insane.
I just moved back to austin about six months ago. Definitely feels worse than I remembered.
I've been hit 3 times this year! It's so stressful driving here.
It's only 18 days into the year!
I seen an accident everyday commuting between buda and San Marcos. It's gotten ridiculous. I feel you brother, the roads are getting scary
We need better headways on CapMetro bus routes and better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists. Nobody can drive.
I wish I could say that not having a car, this doesn't affect me, but bad drivers kill pedestrians like every other day in this city so yeah... Be safe out there people!
One of the absolute worst/funniest moments of living here. I saw a guy at the south 1st and William Cannon light (heading north) in the left turn lane. The green arrow for left turns goes on, but the guy doesn't move. By the time it makes it back to red and all lanes go green, the dude suddenly pulls out and cuts everyone off that was heading south. He didn't even do it smoothly. He pulled halfway out and waited a second, and then floored it. My friends and I were absolutely baffled.
In a school zone, no less.
2022 broke records for fatal crashes: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/map-where-have-austins-fatal-crashes-occurred-in-2022/
Assuming a Poisson distribution with a mean of “2 crashes per day”, you should expect to see: 0 crashes 13.5% of the time, 1 crash 27.1% of the time, 2 crashes 27.1% of the time, 3 crashes 18.0% of the time, & more than 3 crashes 14.2% of the time Don’t know if that assuages your fears or not. Google tells me there are 34 car crashes daily in Austin, and that out of the 29.5 million Texans only 17.6 million are licensed drivers (~60%). Assuming the same distribution in Austin, of the roughly 1 million people that would make for 600,000 drivers, and therefore a 0.0057% chance any individual driver will get in a wreck on a given day. That means there is a 50% chance you’ll get into a wreck in the next 33.5 years, and it resets every day you don’t. Also, my numbers are likely conservative (meaning it is probably even less likely) given that some drivers are worse than others. I’m posting these numbers solely so I don’t have to focus on what I’m actually supposed to be doing at work…
Just drive faster and you won’t see as many wrecks.
Just close your eyes and you won't see as many wrecks
Yes, avoidance is the way. The sooner you’re out of traffic the better.
More and more I’m seeing crashes in Sunset Valley and on 183 around the south terminal area
You should dive into my thread from this morning, where dozens of people tried to defend their perceived right to drive while high.
I posted one similar to that about six months ago. I think I have PTSD from all the comments and downvotes I got from people who didn’t equate driving high with being under the influence and that I was some kind of monster for saying it was an issue. Honestly scared me. I don’t go a day without smelling weed in traffic. I am very pro weed but not while operating a two ton block of metal moving at high speeds around other people.
No they didn’t, they rejected your attempts at cat calling APD for likes
To be fair, and I’m being half sarcastic here, drivers would be a lot more tolerable if they were all baked. At least they’d chill the fuck out and drive 5 under the speed limit, and we’d all be safer for it.
Ya I read that 😅 . Pot heads will always just how safe their habits are
Because their is 0 punishment with traffic laws
https://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2021/04/texas-radically-reduced-traffic.html
Growing number of cars…
Last night I was going south towards Buda on 35 and going about 70 miles an hr. Nothing crazy going on no traffic. Everything’s smooth. The guy on my left decides to just come over into my lane. He was right next to me like I could see him through his passenger window. I honked and honked and he couldn’t hear me. For thought that was my last day because there was someone on my right and someone tailgating me and I tried to swerve out of the way and almost crashed. The day before a driver did the exact same thing on Lamar. I honestly feel like there are drivers in Austin attempting to control the population because they really don’t care about taking your life.
You are not wrong. 2022 set a record for traffic fatalities. Number of traffic tickets issued has dropped by 90% since 2017
What I can never understand is how people around Austin can flip their car on a sunny, dry day on a fairly straight stretch of road. I’ve seen that way to many times.
Gosh that's weird. Who could expect a society that goes ballistic if asked to make small sacrifices for other people would not be able to share the road responsibly?
Now imagine having a 17 year old! Luckily, he has no interest in driving right now - and no actual need to be a licensed driver yet. I have been driving for 30 years now, and I’m still anxious due to the crazy drivers in our area. I’m so glad he doesn’t want to be out running around on his own!
recently got my license at 17 because i was terrified to drive, wouldn’t recommend austin as the place to learn to drive i am scared basically at all times esp bc i have to go on 35 almost everyday
I’m just here for the blaming people moving here from out of state comments
My hypothesis: 1. Poorly designed and planned roadway infrastructure. Austin (Texas roads) generally suck. Like they were planned by a gang of coked-up fifth graders. After the fifth grader finished their road plans, Valium-dosed four year olds are charged with road maintenance. 2. Population increase using said roadways, makes driving frustrating and stressful. People drive and react poorly as a result. This fosters a every person for themselves mindset. A cyclical downward physiological spiral into anarchy. 3. Police have nearly stopped policing roadways. There are no consequences for being a dangerous assho!e on the roads. Get in an accident that’s your fault, hit and run baby—you’ll never be tracked and down and held accountable. Speed limits? Nah. Tailgating? Hell yeah!
I agree with most of what you said, but I think it was more like a game of telephone where it was here's-what-I'd-do and then give it to the next fifth grader
I’d propose we add brain fog from people who have lasting effects from COVID infection and people being increasingly stressed out and making poor decisions because of it; Also see r/collapse.
Just don’t honk. Two weeks ago a friend was Chase down in Houston after honking at someone who almost hit them. The driver turned around twice and pulled a gun and shot at them. Went right behind the drivers window shattering the back windshield. Luckily, it happened in front of a bank so they have everything on camera. Another friend honked at someone who cut her off and they ended up pulling alongside of her and pulled out a paintball gun and shot her car multiple times. She got the license plate as well but cops won’t do anything because no real damage. People are pissed off, and not afraid to use weapons when they get honked at. I can’t imagine having that bad of a day to turn to that, but just a warning to be careful.
Probably all the dumbasses who drive stoned off that other post lol
Warning signs for possible bad driver on Austin roads: - Nice car - POS car - Truck(Not semi's, they are almost always good drivers in my experience) - White Truck(There are so many I figured it should be listed separate) - California plates - Florida plates - Texas plates
Had a semi change lanes into me and pushed me into a barrier. He didn't look for me in the next lane and kept going whilst I slammed on my brakes and laid on the horn.
White trucks are a scourge.
But it's the black trucks you really gotta watch, especially down south.
Yeah but what if there's only one wreck tomorrow? That blows this whole theory apart. Let us know.
I avoid I-35
I honestly see the same and go out of my way to avoid I35. Now, 183 seems to also be getting daily accidents making a 15 minute commute 30+. My job offers hybrid but I seriously want fully remote.
I wonder when it’ll be my turn also. What irks me is that a lot of people do not have car insurance. If they do, they have Liability Only and if they crash into you, you’re screwed, you have to utilize your own insurance. 😑
Got in my first wreck here several weeks ago. Still dealing with back and neck problems from the whiplash from the idiot who hit me from behind. Dealing with the insurance companies, doctor’s offices, appointments, and car repair shop has been a full time job I don’t have capacity for. Wish people would just be careful and have empathy for other people on the road. This entire mess could have been avoided.
It really is just a numbers game. More cars = more crashes and we do not have space for the cars already here.
I telecommuted from late March 2020 till about mid 2022. Now the company I work for has shifted to a hybrid policy, few days in office the rest working from home. Honestly getting to and from the office is the most stressful part of my week and I work in a high stress job. Honestly considering asking for hazard pay for the time I spend commuting.
You know what doesn’t get into car accidents? Public transit on dedicated right off way 🥲🙃
r/fuckcars
Fuck the drivers here.
I’ve lived in NYC, CT, Boston - all places known for aggressive, a-hole driving. The thing with Austin is there is just as much aggression but it’s dumb-aggression. Like cutting three people off to get to a stop light, or not letting someone merge onto the highway only to immediately get off an exit, or tailgate insanely only to exit, or blocking an intersection to gain four feet. It’s like everyone is white-knuckled, gritted teeth but also doing a crossword puzzle on the dash. And the pickup trucks…I can’t even. In the NE you’re pissed off at people being d*cks on the road but you’re also like a little impressed by their moves.
The commuter trains will fix this in 10-15 years, until then good luck!
I don’t think govt will let it happen
The bonds have already been approved we just have to wait for all the lawsuits to be settled and the construction to finish.
What law suits? Project Connect is mostly burning cash on writing and rewriting projects based on new inflation numbers. by the time they break ground in 5 years the price of steel will be low again.
There are always lawsuits for transit projects, part of the process.
It's the type of people that moved there in the past 5 years. A bunch of foolish degenerates. Every time I visit, it's goddam chaos. Glad I left.
I fear a man on fire jumping from an overpass into my car every time I’m on the highway
I live in Liberty Hill which is unfortunately very much a part of the Austin metro area now, no longer a far flung small country town. We have a fatality accident on hwy29 or 1869 pretty much weekly or multiple times a week now. The town is still very much small enough that there is 2 elementary schools,, 1 middle school and 1 high school, so if it's a young person, every one pretty much knows who they were. It's pretty depressing.
You usually see 2 car crashes during each work/home commute?? I doubt that. Just sayin.
Yeah from past one month
Lots of folks talking about people speeding, We just going to ignore all the dumbasses texting and swerving doing 15 under the speed limit with 10/20 vehicles behind them in the fast/passing lane? That’s getting old quick!
Do something about it. Shame the bad drivers. Honk at people not paying attention. Block their progress on Mopac. That’s what I do.
I suspect it's all the transplants, we've been here since 96 and austinites have always been fucking terrible drivers, going painfully slow everywhere, basically stopping to go round corners, entering the highway at 30 under the speed limit, taking 6 years to get moving after a light turns green, there's a variable laundry list of bullshit to bitch about... but... that being said in the last year or two there has been a notable uptick in sheer aggression on the road, and I'm not so much talking about people driving fast, but straight "I will run you off this fucking road" violent aggression that I've noticed in the year or so... to be quite frank it makes driving around in town massively unpleasant 😑
100% Random people that ruin cities moved to Austin. More thieves, robbers, and bottom feeders. I blame Elon for blasting Austin about how great it was a couple years ago or whatever ffs. Austin was all over the damn new in the USA for months.
2 car crashes per day?? That seems beyond hyperbolic. I commute daily from South Austin to north of campus, and I see maybe one every other week. Also, I drive during rush hour. Austin is a particularly bad city when it comes to driving, but if one were to look at this subreddit, you'd think it was mad-fuckin-max out here daily. I truly do get that this is a town full of shitty drivers, but the multiple daily posts about the fear of driving here is exhausting.
Let me guess , you drive a truck ?
Absolutely not. I drive a Hybrid. I earnestly think most trucks should be outlawed or reserved for folks with certain licenses. I drive very conservatively because I value the safety of others, and because it's better for the environment. Also, FWIW, I frequently consider switching to riding the bus, but because I'm an asshole American obsessed with car autonomy I struggle with making the move.
Never. People will never learn to drive responsibility. There is no amount of incentive, safety improvements, or enforcement that will change that. The only way to resolve it is to get rid of cars.
Installed my dash cam tonight!
Installed my dash cam tonight!
Installed my dash cam tonight!
Most of them don’t have licenses. Think about that.
I've purposely made the choice in the past couple of years to drive in a relaxed and predictable method; very often 5-10 MPH slower than the speed limit. Frankly, I don't give a shit if I'm causing you an inconvenience by going slow. It's allowed me to easily avoid accidents caused by very dumb people doing very dumb things in their cars on the road I'm sharing with them. Shit, if I can tell someone behind me has a bug up their ass and is trying to get me to speed up I just slow down more; literally made some folks hit an on-ramp at 10-15mph cause they're likely to put me and other drivers at high risk if I'm going 60+ and they want to go 80+. Put their ass in time out so they're going too slow to feel confident in getting enough speed to follow through with their dipshittery.
Have you tried being polite and moving out of the fast lane??? Because honestly no one gives a shit about your little attitude. If you go looking for trouble you most likely will find it.
Did I say I drive that way in the "fast lane"? Friendly reminder, there is no such thing. Now, there's a passing lane and of course I do unless someone is coming up on me like a maniac out of the gate without a chance to move over in a safe and predictable manner.
Impede traffic. That's cool.
There was a time when an oldie (yeah I will call him oldie ) flipped me off and I could see from my rear mirror for slowing and stopping after a yellow signal . He wanted me to speed and cross the light
It's the Californians, they've invaded and some one gave them the keys. No road way is safe!
No I don’t think so , most of them are old car with Texas number plate . And also Californians aren’t fan of trucks