Suburban vs. Urban Drivers in Houston

[lockmat]

I've now lived in the suburbs and the city and I've noticed that drivers in suburban areas drive much more recklessly.

 

Suburban drivers seem less patient and drive much faster, on freeways and roads.

 

Am I the only one who has noticed that?

 

Also, on a related note, traffic on suburban roads seem much more congested than urban. I mention that, only because people seem to think that the city is a synonym for congestion. The thing is however, since it is more dense, you don't have to travel as far as you do in the suburbs to get to your destination.

 

Thoughts?

[urban909]

I haven't noticed a difference, they are both horrible. I heard on NPR a while back the the US has the worst vehicle accident rate, versus other developed, albeit it "Western" countries, with Texas leading the charge in vehicle accidents within the US. And I believe Houston just made the top 10 recently as far as pedestrian deaths/accidents. (I was almost a statistic last Thursday...thanks white Tahoe). 

[august948]

Some of the most impatient drivers I've encountered have been at Rice Village.

[RedScare]

In general, I have found suburban drivers to drive both faster and more recklessly than city drivers. However, it is not a huge gap. Old man in a Lexus almost ran me over a few hours ago while cycling...in the city.

[mfastx]

It's really a shame how we've made the top 10 in pedestrian deaths, if true.  Considering that we have such few pedestrians.

[jt16]

I'm guessing suburban drivers spend more time in traffic Nd are therefore more fed up and more "reckless"

[august948]

The bad drivers I've seen can be broken up into three categories...

1)Total idiots who don't know how to drive and really shouldn't be on the road at all - small percentage

2)Distracted drivers busy texting or talking or just daydreaming (or drunk) - slightly larger percentage

3)Impatient a-holes who believe you need to get the h-ll out of their way 'cause wherever they are going is far more important than anything you can possibly be doing - vast majority

Of course, sometimes they're a combination of all three.

Edited May 5, 2013 by august948

[IHB2]

The bad drivers I've seen can be broken up into three categories...

1)Total idiots who don't know how to drive and really shouldn't be on the road at all - small percentage

2)Distracted drivers busy texting or talking or just daydreaming (or drunk) - slightly larger percentage

3)Impatient a-holes who believe you need to get the h-ll out of their way 'cause wherever they are going is far more important than anything you can possibly be doing - vast majority

Of course, sometimes they're a combination of all three.

 

if they're slowing down or their speed is unpredictably faster/slower, they're most likely texting.

 

I drive on surface streets mostly inside the Loop and travel often on Texas highways, and it is astonishing how many people are now texting compared to just a couple of years ago.

 

and when it's a semi driver on I10....

[ricco67]

In general, I have found suburban drivers to drive both faster and more recklessly than city drivers. However, it is not a huge gap. Old man in a Lexus almost ran me over a few hours ago while cycling...in the city.

 

To be fair, it could have been someone from the 'burbs driving through.

 

Living in the boonies, I have discovered that people DO drive considerably faster and more reckless.  That being said, I find it amazing on how many people bike out here.  I'm not talking recreational, but actual commuting.

 

Fortunately, the cops out here are very enthusiastic in their traffic enforcement.

[samagon]

I don't notice any special types of drivers, I just assume everyone is trying to run into me.

[Trae]

The bad drivers I've seen can be broken up into three categories...

1)Total idiots who don't know how to drive and really shouldn't be on the road at all - small percentage

2)Distracted drivers busy texting or talking or just daydreaming (or drunk) - slightly larger percentage

3)Impatient a-holes who believe you need to get the h-ll out of their way 'cause wherever they are going is far more important than anything you can possibly be doing - vast majority

Of course, sometimes they're a combination of all three.

I have the pleasure of reverse commuting on the Katy. The freeway is so damn wide, but there are times where traffic bunches up for no reason at all. So from my experiences bad drivers are:

1. Slow drivers who pick random lanes on the freeway and drive in it instead of staying to the right. If people would treat each lane to the left as the next passing lane, there wouldn't nearly be as much traffic. These also tend to be the people the brake for everything when its bumper to bumper instead of letting the vehicle roll. Especially going uphil...my god people let gravity ans friction work for you.

2. People texting, daydreaming, not paying attention, etc.

3. People who drive with like a car gap between the car in front of them. This is especially bad when these drivers are on the right side and you're trying to get on/off the freeway. You can't leave as much of a gap in urban areas as you can in rural, but the length of an 18-wheeler should be the minimum gap between vehicles.

I don't normally see people fly down the side streets in Houston. Too many potholes. Now Cinco Rand Blvd? You better watch out...

[The Pragmatist]

2. People texting, daydreaming, not paying attention, etc.

3. People who drive with like a car gap between the car in front of them. This is especially bad when these drivers are on the right side and you're trying to get on/off the freeway. You can't leave as much of a gap in urban areas as you can in rural, but the length of an 18-wheeler should be the minimum gap between vehicles.

 

To both of these points, on two separate occasions last Wednesday, a car next to me (or directly in front of me) slammed into the back end of another car.  Both people were following too closely to the cars in front of them.  On the ramp from 610 to I-10, a lady slammed her SUV into the back of a car.  She appeared to be texting someone from what I saw as I was directly to the left of her. 

 

The other occasion occurred on 45 North at Gulf Bank.  A girl was following a brand new Challenger too closely and slammed into the back of it when the cars came to a rather sudden stop.  Leaving several car lengths in between me and the car in front of me that slammed into the Challenger, I was able to come to a smooth stop.  Of course, neither the girl in the Challenger nor the one in the car that ran into the back of it would pull off to the shoulder. They were in the rightmost lane and both cars still ran.  This caused another road hazard because they're too naive to clear the lane.

[skooljunkie]

*insert Fort Bend County female Asian joke here*

[JLWM8609]

I see drivers do stupid stuff on a regular basis in urban and suburban areas. I'm talking about drivers stopped at a red light with 3-4 car lengths between them and the car in front of them, or those who don't know the concept of  proper space and almost kiss your rear bumper at the light. I've also seen drivers in the right lane of the freeway signal and get over to hug the right side of that lane when that lane gets wider for a short distance after a merge point. I see that happen a lot in the right lane of 288 NB just past where the onramp from Southmore merges with 288.

[Andrew Broadfoot]

Not sure who is at fault here but I enjoy watching people make left turns from the right lane and vice versa downtown.

[kylejack]

Suburban drivers are much more hostile to cyclists, on average. I was riding on Cash Road in Stafford on the right side of the road and about every third motorist was honking at me.

[august948]

Not sure who is at fault here but I enjoy watching people make left turns from the right lane and vice versa downtown.

Yeah, that's one of my favorites, too. I see it happen all over town. Next favorite, and I'm sorry if this sounds sexist, is women talking on the phone while driving Escalades or similar.

[august948]

Suburban drivers are much more hostile to cyclists, on average. I was riding on Cash Road in Stafford on the right side of the road and about every third motorist was honking at me.

That's the type of road I'd be riding the sidewalk on. It's also another reason why the Critical Mass rides should be in the suburbs and not inside the loop.

[Texasota]

I would argue that urban neighborhoods limit the ability of reckless drivers to speed as much as they can in the suburbs. How fast can you seriously go in the narrow, craggy lanes of Westheimer? Or midtown? Sure the streets are wide and smooth, but the blocks are all of 250' long. Kinda limits things.

[Texasota]

Critical Mass in the suburbs? A: how would you get enough riders (i.e. "critical mass") in the spread out suburbs to make that work? B: I absolutely guarantee you they would be, at some point, taken out by a truck with an inattentive driver. It is so much more dangerous to ride outside the loop, even with a large group. 

[august948]

Critical Mass in the suburbs? A: how would you get enough riders (i.e. "critical mass") in the spread out suburbs to make that work? B: I absolutely guarantee you they would be, at some point, taken out by a truck with an inattentive driver. It is so much more dangerous to ride outside the loop, even with a large group. 

 

A:  You might be suprised how many riders there are in the suburbs.  Any given day there are tons going up and down the Terry Hershey trail and along the trails in Bush park.  I see a lot in team jerseys as well doing practice runs.

 

B:   Isn't raising driver awareness the point of Critical Mass?

Edited May 6, 2013 by august948

[Texasota]

The trails are one thing; suburban roads are quite another. As the trail system gets more interconnected I will happily ride out to george bush park and back. 

 

But yes, raising awareness is the point. I would support suburban critical mass; i would just be more concerned for their safety

[august948]

The trails are one thing; suburban roads are quite another. As the trail system gets more interconnected I will happily ride out to george bush park and back. 

 

Understood.  The point about how many riders there are on the trails now was just to indicate there are a lot of cyclists in the suburbs.

[samagon]

I would argue that urban neighborhoods limit the ability of reckless drivers to speed as much as they can in the suburbs. How fast can you seriously go in the narrow, craggy lanes of Westheimer? Or midtown? Sure the streets are wide and smooth, but the blocks are all of 250' long. Kinda limits things.

Let me preface this by stating I never would, nor ever have challenged the limits of lower westheimer. The biggest thing holding someone back from going formula 1 down westheimer is the other cars that like to drive 20 mph and occupy both lanes at the same time. And then there's metro to contend with.

[Texasota]

...and the fact that the outside lane is only sporadically usable

...and the lanes are narrow, so if a car has to swerve to avoid something (pothole, cyclist, etc) he is guaranteed to come well into your lane

...and the weird head-in parking in front of Catbirds that often sticks into the lane

[august948]

Let me preface this by stating I never would, nor ever have challenged the limits of lower westheimer. The biggest thing holding someone back from going formula 1 down westheimer is the other cars that like to drive 20 mph and occupy both lanes at the same time. And then there's metro to contend with.

The metro buses are especially fun at that kink in the road near the tattoo shop.

[Andrew Broadfoot]

Let me preface this by stating I never would, nor ever have challenged the limits of lower westheimer. The biggest thing holding someone back from going formula 1 down westheimer is the other cars that like to drive 20 mph and occupy both lanes at the same time. And then there's metro to contend with.

The metro buses are especially fun at that kink in the road near the tattoo shop.

I really enjoy lower Westheimer. I just hope the city doesn't come in there and level everything around there that makes it what it is in order to make the lanes 20' wide.