Accidents, Accidents and more Accidents (Charleston, Ravenel: rental, living, safe)
Charleston areaCharleston - North Charleston - Mt. Pleasant - Summerville - Goose Creek
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People just dont pay attention. To some people there is no such thing as defensive driver. Others doing random things like the female that hit one of my coworkers in the back at a stop light because she drop her makeup bag and was trying to find it not looking that there was stop cars in front of her ��
Yeah, around here accidents are many & seem personal -- I mean, in NYC, we heard of them on the radio & drove by. But here, I feel so connected to the overall "community," that I hurt for each one.
First week permanently living here/relocated (without my husband here yet), I got slammed on Mathis Ferry Road. It was a Saturday morning, I was going 30 mph, & the guy just came out from Green Hill Community. He said he'd been sitting there waiting ... and a car on Mathis Ferry waved him on ... huh?
Just so random.
That was 8 years ago. Traffic has increased 5x ...8x ... pick it.
We joke that if the sun comes out tomorrow, we'll hear of an accident on 26 @ Ashley-Phosphate. Just like the movie Groundhogs' Day.
There was a really bad one on the Ravenel bridge today around noon coming towards MP with a vehicle being sandwiched between a semi and the center wall. I was going in the other direction and it didn't look good for the occupants ... I pray that it looked worse than it was and that they're okay, but if the number of ambulances are anything to go by it wasn't ok.
Our town is growing so fast and the roads are getting more stressed as are the drivers ... it's not going to get better.
There was a really bad one on the Ravenel bridge today around noon coming towards MP with a vehicle being sandwiched between a semi and the center wall. I was going in the other direction and it didn't look good for the occupants ... I pray that it looked worse than it was and that they're okay, but if the number of ambulances are anything to go by it wasn't ok.
Our town is growing so fast and the roads are getting more stressed as are the drivers ... it's not going to get better.
I don't think it is just a local thing and just growth based...it's an overall selfish attitude people have. Today I was at Bowman and Chuck Dawley-- my light turned green and i went through the intersection -- half way a pick up truck is all of a sudden about to smash into me -- he was making a left from the other side of the intersection. -- HE HAD A RED LIGHT and hit his horn at me. He rushed the red light -- wasn't counting on me going on a green -- go figure....and was mad because he almost got in an accident. That has nothing to do with growth and Charleston. People don't want to slow down and get in behind you -- then want to speed up cut you off, make you slam on the brake so they can get to their exit. Selfish , boorish behaviour -- kind of becoming a thing don't you think? Heading to the city tonight -- getting on the bridge there was a guy in an SUV darting in and out of traffic, cutting people off -- there wasn't that many people on the road and he didn't get to the exit any faster than two or three of the cars he cut off...he was just driving like an idiot.
I'm sure folks who have lived in Charleston a lot longer than I have will agree that there had always been a driving culture that was based on more courtesy and patience than most other places in the US. Yes there was the occasional rude tourist in the IoP rental program but on the whole, up to a couple of years ago, there was mostly peace on the roads.
With the influx of people moving here from all over the country (including myself) they bring their own driving culture with them, and as the roads get more congested everyone's worst driving attributes surface. It just takes a few people cutting you off and pressing you for you to say that's it, I'm not letting anyone in anymore. (when I say you I don't mean you specifically) This kind of driving culture escalates very quickly on the road and in no time you've gone to waiving everyone by, to every person for themselves. It is all based on congestion combined with everyone feeling a sense of entitlement that their time is more valuable than everyone else's so they need to get there faster.
We've gone from a provincial driving culture to a big city driving culture in no time, and for a lot of people it's very difficult to adjust to that, hence the increase in accidents.
Most accidents are avoidable. Most of them are caused by someone doing something stupid or simply not paying attention.
It's not really a matter of 'bad' drivers, it's a matter of 'dumb' drivers.
I agree many drivers here are just rude. Moved last year from Knoxville. Although a lot less crowded than here, you could count on people being courteous to one another. The driving here is much more aggressive. Definately need to be a defensive driver and that may not even save you. I picked up a new car this weekend and almost got clocked backing out of my space at Target. Some "person" in a pickup truck decided he wasn't going to wait and kept barreling on through. Missed me by inches.
I consider myself lucky. Stay safe out there!
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