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Are LA's drivers the worst? Tell us your behind-the-wheel horror stories
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This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

Sep 5, 2013
Listen 16:53
Are LA's drivers the worst? Tell us your behind-the-wheel horror stories
What do you think is the worst city for drivers in the country? How does driving in the U.S. compared to driving in another country?
Which city do you think has the worst drivers?
Which city do you think has the worst drivers?
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Flickr/Irish Typepad
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What do you think is the worst city for drivers in the country? How does driving in the U.S. compared to driving in another country?

The city with the worst drivers, according to Allstate’s America’s Best Drivers report, is Washington D.C. It’s the sixth time the nation’s capital has topped the survey, which finds that drivers there are twice as likely to get into traffic accidents than those in the rest of the country.

Los Angeles is ranked 181 on the list, among the worst. As to other California cities: Bakersfield, 56; Palmdale, 60; Lancaster, 61;  Riverside, 110; Pomona, 114; Huntington Beach, 117; Long Beach, 133, and Pasadena, 165.

What do you think  is the worst city for drivers in the country? How does driving in the U.S. compared to driving in another country? In your opinion, what is the absolute worst to be a driver… or a pedestrian?

From the Phones:

Peter in Silver Lake
"I drive an average of 150-200 miles a day, and I drive all over the county. I've noticed in general I can say that suburbia drivers tend to be more courteous, less speeding, they tend to be more on the game and not as distracted. When it comes to street driving in the city, the westside — and I think it's almost a sadistic mentality that people get when they drive, because they're so frustrated. You wouldn't believe the things I see people doing. driving. As far as distractions, people still don't get it about texting...I see it every day, all the time."

John in Ontario
"I drive about 3,000-4,000 miles a month, anywhere from San Diego to Bakersfield. I'll tell you the Inland Empire, Rancho, Ontario, all these areas are wonderful places to drive. San Gabriel Valley — Arcadia, Alhambra, Temple City — man, the drivers are just rough in that area. They're timid, they're slow, they're very afraid to drive, that's been my experience. Across the country one of the worst places I've been is Houston. Very uncourteous drivers.

"Across the world, one of the worst countries I've driven in, unfortunately it's my home country, Egypt. It's a very bad and very dangerous place to drive in Cairo...There's very few traffic law adherences and the amount of drivers in the street in Cairo, if you think Los Angeles is packed, the amount of drivers in the street in Cairo is absolutely just terrible. With the curfew at night everyone's been describing it as a wasteland because it looks so empty."

Brett in Victorville
"I grew up in New York City and by far they are the rudest drivers bar none. I've driven all 48 states as a truck driver. When I moved out to California and I was blowing my horn, I came to the realization that nobody else was. Now I'm out here driving in Coachella Valley. Out here it's very courteous, but very slow."

Marley in San Diego
"I just recently got back from a trip, I was in Europe and Africa. I was driving in Morocco, Spain and Italy...Coming from California, we drive pretty well. Coming back to California was a breath of fresh air after dealing with the Mad Max driving skills you get in Morocco, for example. Over there it's if you can get the nose of your vehicle in and let people know that you're coming then that's the rule of the road.

Joseph in Palos Verdes
"I've driven all over the United States several times, Canada, Mexico, across the world. By far the worst is Egypt, Cairo specifically, Paris is incredible I think Los Angeles is probably THE worst place to drive. I actually rented a car to drive in downtown New York just to see if I can compete and that's entry level compared to Los Angeles. Cairo is the worst. They don't have any lanes and it's just one big street. You just go, there's not even a direction. There's pedestrians with cattle and cars in a downtown city, I've never seen anything like it. It is a full contact sport there."

Bill in Burbank
"I used to think Manila was bad, because nobody obeys the traffic signs, there aren't even stripes in the roads hat indicate staying in lanes. They don't have speed bumps, they dig ditches to slow you down. I think the craziest driving has got to be Mumbai. No streets are marked, if you're driving you can't tell where you are, but you have trucks, lorries, buses, elephants, cows, dogs, horses, tuk tuks, it is absolutely nuts."

Luke in Venice
"Just a comment to make, I've spent a lot of time in India, and I'm from the UK, but now live here in California. What I find really interesting is that in India, yes its chaotic and there are animals on the road, but there's a lot more spatial awareness. I've seen traffic that is insane, but no one bumps into one another, everyone is aware of their surroundings. In California, conversely, I feel like people here are in their own little world...Compared to India and Eastern Asia, there's a lot more safety in a sense because there's more spatial awareness."

Credits
Host, AirTalk
Host, All Things Considered, AirTalk Friday
Senior Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Producer, AirTalk with Larry Mantle
Associate Producer, AirTalk & FilmWeek
Apprentice News Clerk, AirTalk
Apprentice News Clerk, FilmWeek