Is tail-gaiting a problem in Washington State? (moving to, suburban)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Not really. Most Seattle drivers are non aggressive, but still can get very angry at times. However the landscape is changing as more out of State residents move in. That said every big city has its share of this problem. Seattle is not exempt. I used to get angry but today just let it go for best results.

I think that was true until a couple of years ago. There are two factors affecting it, the reduction in gridlock with people working from home, and the law preventing police from chasing traffic lawbreakers. I just drove into Seattle from Sammamish on I90. Someone in a BMW tailgated me all the way along 228 and down the hill to the roundabout at East Lake Sammamish Parkway, when he zoomed past at about 60 in a 40 zone. I was then tailgated several times going 70 on I90 which is a 60 mph limit. The traffic flow as closer to 80. I find the same happening when I drive home at 2:30-3pm. It's the same every day, traffic moving way over the limit yet people still tailgating. Yesterday my wife and I went over the 520 bridge to Seattle and only 1 tailgater, but again the traffic was moving at more than 10 mph over the limit.

[pnwguy2]

This is what happens when police enforcement is not in place. I can’t speak for every municipality but covid has reduced enforcement levels. Perhaps as we get out of it enforcement will get back to normal levels.

[Diana Holbrook]

Honestly, I think you'd do fine out here in the sticks!

The key to staying away from busy hurried people is don't go to town.

[04kL4nD]

I find Washington drivers to be indecisive and slow, but they aren't terribly aggressive. I haven't lived here for very long, but I find it much easier to get around than the Bay Area, although driving within Seattle propper is in a word: irritating. Compared to places back East, you will probably feel that people are annoyingly skittish and timid, but it's pretty easy to just go around the slowpokes without having to drive like a maniac and risk your life to avoid a collision.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

I find Washington drivers to be indecisive and slow, but they aren't terribly aggressive. I haven't lived here for very long, but I find it much easier to get around than the Bay Area, although driving within Seattle propper is in a word: irritating. Compared to places back East, you will probably feel that people are annoyingly skittish and timid, but it's pretty easy to just go around the slowpokes without having to drive like a maniac and risk your life to avoid a collision.

There is still a problem with overpolite motorists in the suburbs. Here in Sammamish a few blocks from us is a 4 way stop, near a school. More often than I can count I have gotten there with 2-3 other cars and no one goes, everyone waving "go ahead" to the others. I also see people stop to let a pedestrian cross, or to let someone turn into the road in front of them. Not at all like the selfishness of the freeways.

[rantiquity]

I think the most irritating part of driving is people who drive across a roundabout and not driving around like normal people.
But I think most of the time it's older locals who are set in their ways who do that. I do believe the roundabouts should be a raised design so that can't happen.

[dav51lin]

of course it is its bumper to bumper traffic all over in western washington

[rkcarguy]

There is definately changes in this depending om where you are. I find the Seattle area drivers "move with purpose" and things move along well until someone screws up, which doesn't take long at the heavy traffic volumes.
Then, as you get up here in the Bellingham area, we experience a mix of elderly drivers that are afraid of the gas pedal on the onramps and are generally very in-attentive, college students in go fast cars, hippies in some VW that won't even climb the grade leaving town, the former big city implants who only know the speed limit is the cars bumper in front of them, and all the Canadians that seem to think Kilometers are the same speed as MPH or vice-versa. Then, the latest craze is those who are DWI and/or caught in a stolen vehicle, try to run at high speed until they ram another vehicle, setting it on fire and burning the occupants inside alive, rolling it over, driving into a building, etc.
Washington is at an especially high level of lawlessness thanks to the states soft-on-crime policies.

[homesinseattle]

Not nearly as much as on the East Coast. Of course you’ll find it but people can actually be (believe it) kind on the roads out here.

[Indy1982]

I would say people in Connecticut, and the east coast in general are more aggressive on the road that people in the PNW. The general consensus by many people is that WA and OR drivers are some of the nicest on the road.