Baltimore - The Worst Drivers in the Nation?

Ironically, as Baltimore hosts it's first Grand Prix race this Labor Day weekend, a report was released that ranked Baltimore drivers as the second worst in the nation (the top honor went to nearby Washington DC).

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/09/01/report-baltimore-d-c-drivers-worst-in-the-u-s/

According to the recent Allstate report, Ft. Collins, Colorado has the best drivers in the country. Having been to Ft. Collins, I can see why they claimed the top prize. The roads are spacious and people just seem to be a lot more courteous. And although Colorado gets it's share of snow, the drivers there don't panic at the sight of the first snowflake. In the Baltimore area, the mere mention of a snowfall creates pandemonium as people risk life and limb to score bread, milk and toilet paper at the local grocery stores.

But is Baltimore really deserving of having the worst driver label? Although you could possibly interchange various East Coast cities, I would say that Baltimore does indeed have it's share of brain-dead motorists. In my opinion, there are are several reasons for this. Let's look at a few......

First off, even though it is against the law to talk on a cell phone while driving (without a hands-free device), most Baltimore drivers still do it. Take a look around the next time you're driving around the city. It's not uncommon to see a woman yapping on a cell phone while she argues with her kids in the back of the minivan. I see this scenario all the time. Texting while driving is also illegal, but it doesn't stop people from doing that either.

I have also seen Baltimore drivers:

• Eating their lunch while steering with their elbows
• Shaving
• Putting on make-up
• Having an intimate afternoon delight at 50 mph
• Watching a movie

And Baltimore drivers have absolutley no patience. Any traffic back-up has the potential to send Baltimore drivers over the edge. This sometimes spills over into an all-out episode of road rage.

And drivers in this area love to lay on the horn. I've seen drivers lose it in the McDonald's drive-thru because they didn't think the line was moving fast enough. As if sounding the horn is going to make their Quarter Pounder with Cheese cook a little faster. Sometimes, it turns into a chain reaction and you'll have a whole sympathy of car horns. And if you happen to be sitting at a red light and don't step on the gas the instant the light turns green, expect to get blasted by the driver's horn directly behind you.

With all of this being said, I believe there are some obstacles that Baltimore drivers do have to contend with....

For instance, all of the red light and speed cameras around Baltimore certainly have to have some impact on driving statistics. Obviously, the number of traffic citations goes up. Of course, government officials claim that these cameras are "for our safety". Personally, I think the officials are full of bullshit. People will slam their brakes in order to avoid receiving a phantom ticket. And this always creates the potential for a rear end collision. But, it's all for safety, they tell us. Yeah, right!

The countless potholes around the city is another source of driving contention. After all, it's kind of tough to steer you vehicle when a pothole just swallowed one of your front tires!

You'll often see panhandlers walking through busy city streets. If you're distracted, by texting for example, you could easily mow one of these familiar Baltimore landmarks over. Along these same lines, there's been a recent rash of hit and run accidents where in at least two cases, people have died.

The only good thing about being worst is that there's always room for improvement. If you find yourself driving around Baltimore, beware and be careful.....

kw