Atlanta drivers, please don't drive like fools when it's pitch dark and pouring rain outside

[JC84]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I would. I know some disagree, but I have lived in other parts of the country and travel quite a bit, and some of the driving I've seen here in the Atlanta area qualifies as among the most dangerous and least courteous.

It goes in extremes on both ends here. You've either got the person who wants to drive 25 or more mph over the speed limit and who sits 2 feet off your rear bumper, or you've got the person who drives like they're 100 years old and afraid of the road.

Turn signals are not even optional. They're ignored.

When courtesy is needed, people here give will cut you off even if you have the right of way, but then they'll hold up 20 cars behind them to be "courteous" to one vehicle who doesn't have the right of way.

Wet roads here just seem like an excuse to test how much speed the bald tires on mechanically unsafe vehicles can take without causing a deadly crash. Maybe people up north have more money, but I've never seen so many junk cars unfit for the road until I moved here. Lack of vehicle inspections doesn't help.

Ditto. I've never really encountered so many people that drive with their freakin lights off as I have in Georgia. Why?!?

[gerrythesnake]

At least we aren't as bad as Virginia drivers. You think Atlanta is bad try living in Hampton Roads or Northern Virginia.

[ElleKaye]

I feel validated. It is not just my imagination.

I am used to driving in a lot of rain and it appears most Atlantans are not. I mean really, what's the plan? How are you planning to stop that 4,000 lb death trap when you're riding two inches from my bumper?

Interesting posts about why speeding violations are not strictly enforced here, but the problem is more than speeding.

[PKCorey]

Let's not forgot that the state doesn't fund the Department of Public Safety that well. I know, a few years back, the State Patrol did not patrol overnight in certain areas of the state due to budget cuts. They've cut the gas budget for the GSP/DPS which is the reason you always see trooper sitting on the shoulder/ramps instead of driving and catching aggressive drivers etc . Add in the low starting pay when you can make more working for a city police force and you see why the GSP has a shortage of troopers on the road.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

Let's not forgot that the state doesn't fund the Department of Public Safety that well. I know, a few years back, the State Patrol did not patrol overnight in certain areas of the state due to budget cuts. They've cut the gas budget for the GSP/DPS which is the reason you always see trooper sitting on the shoulder/ramps instead of driving and catching aggressive drivers etc . Add in the low starting pay when you can make more working for a city police force and you see why the GSP has a shortage of troopers on the road.

OK, well that's a good explanation.