3 ms·

Just anecdata, it really seems like drivers are significantly worse after COVID than before. Not just on main roads but on side streets and parking lots. I can'

Just anecdata, it really seems like drivers are significantly worse after COVID than before. Not just on main roads but on side streets and parking lots. I can't say if it's due to driving less during shutdowns or a confluence of other issues but people seem to drive shockingly worse.

ikr678 3y ago
Smartphone use. App use while driving, wearing airpods and the like, more vehicles with monitors, more integration between phone apps and car entertainment systems to fiddle around with? I have defintely seen private drivers watching tiktok on the highway, and ride share drivers either trying to manage jobs across multiple smartphones, or spending their shift in a discord/group call with some friends.
- Root_Denied 3y ago
  It's this plus a distinct lack of enforcement. I've driven in 3 major cities over the last decade (LA, SF, Seattle) and in all of them the local police departments have been ignoring a lot of traffic infractions that they would have pulled people over for before. The shift seemed to happen after there was that "Defund the Police" call and the BLM protests.
  - mschuster91 3y ago
    > The shift seemed to happen after there was that "Defund the Police" call and the BLM protests. No surprise there, it's not the first time police unions have decided to just not enforce any laws at all to get politicians to do what they want.
    - zzleeper 3y ago
      As much as I would want, I wouldn't place all the blame on the police. Just here in Virginia, we are struggling with: https://www.moheblegal.com/blog/2021/08/new-va-law-prohibits-traffic-stops-for-minor-safety-violations https://www.moheblegal.com/blog/2021/08/new-va-law-prohibits... > In March 2021, a new Virginia law went into effect that prohibits law enforcement officers from making traffic stops for certain minor offenses. This law prohibits police from stopping you if you are e.g. missing a taillight or a brake light, which for me feels insane. There are similar things in DC/MD as far as I can recall
      - reggybbq11 3y ago
        [flagged]
      - Auracle 3y ago
        The same thing happened in Minneapolis, along with this: ‘The City Attorney’s Office will stop prosecuting tickets for driving after suspension when the only basis for the suspension was a failure to pay fines or fees and there was no accident or other egregious driving behavior that would impact public safety.’” As someone who only drives in Minneapolis every few months the change that happened around 2020 was ridiculous. I regularly saw cars doing well over 100 in the city when I had never seen that before.
    - LorenPechtel 3y ago
      Disagree. BLM caused the politicians to throw the police under the bus before it was determined if they were actually in the wrong or not. Of course the police are going to be more interested in avoiding possible incidents and less interested in going after trouble. BLM got what it "wanted"--there's a definite drop in police shootings where they were active. But it was a cat's paw result: The increase in criminal black deaths was far greater than the decrease in police black deaths.
  - nothercastle 3y ago
    Yeah Seattle I see so many people driving without plates now. Lack of enforcement is a real issue. They are simply not enough police as they all quit after the Riots
- giantrobot 3y ago
  > Smartphone use. App use while driving, wearing airpods and the like, more vehicles with monitors, more integration between phone apps and car entertainment systems to fiddle around with? These are all likely factors which is why I can't just claim everyone forgot how to drive during COVID shutdowns. At the same time the shocking incompetence I've seen (anecdata) the past year or two haven't seemed to involve people fiddling with distractions but just being hyper aggressive shitheads.
musicale 3y ago
I just wish that vehicles - especially large ones - would stay within the lane lines unless they are actively changing lanes. I've also noticed many cars with tinted windshields and front seat windows, which probably reduces visibility. I understand why they might do it though given the blinding LED headlights. ;-)
dageshi 3y ago
Is this present in other countries? You would expect it to be so if it's partially the result of lockdowns as plenty of other countries had those.
- 331c8c71 3y ago
  I don't feel there has been a difference where I live in Europe. And my personal experience is that the driving culture in the US (east coast) is more aggressive to start with (except, maybe, sparsely populated remote areas).

ikr678 3y ago

Smartphone use. App use while driving, wearing airpods and the like, more vehicles with monitors, more integration between phone apps and car entertainment systems to fiddle around with? I have defintely seen private drivers watching tiktok on the highway, and ride share drivers either trying to manage jobs across multiple smartphones, or spending their shift in a discord/group call with some friends.

Root_Denied 3y ago
It's this plus a distinct lack of enforcement. I've driven in 3 major cities over the last decade (LA, SF, Seattle) and in all of them the local police departments have been ignoring a lot of traffic infractions that they would have pulled people over for before. The shift seemed to happen after there was that "Defund the Police" call and the BLM protests.
- mschuster91 3y ago
  > The shift seemed to happen after there was that "Defund the Police" call and the BLM protests. No surprise there, it's not the first time police unions have decided to just not enforce any laws at all to get politicians to do what they want.
  - zzleeper 3y ago
    As much as I would want, I wouldn't place all the blame on the police. Just here in Virginia, we are struggling with: https://www.moheblegal.com/blog/2021/08/new-va-law-prohibits-traffic-stops-for-minor-safety-violations https://www.moheblegal.com/blog/2021/08/new-va-law-prohibits... > In March 2021, a new Virginia law went into effect that prohibits law enforcement officers from making traffic stops for certain minor offenses. This law prohibits police from stopping you if you are e.g. missing a taillight or a brake light, which for me feels insane. There are similar things in DC/MD as far as I can recall
    - reggybbq11 3y ago
      [flagged]
    - Auracle 3y ago
      The same thing happened in Minneapolis, along with this: ‘The City Attorney’s Office will stop prosecuting tickets for driving after suspension when the only basis for the suspension was a failure to pay fines or fees and there was no accident or other egregious driving behavior that would impact public safety.’” As someone who only drives in Minneapolis every few months the change that happened around 2020 was ridiculous. I regularly saw cars doing well over 100 in the city when I had never seen that before.
  - LorenPechtel 3y ago
    Disagree. BLM caused the politicians to throw the police under the bus before it was determined if they were actually in the wrong or not. Of course the police are going to be more interested in avoiding possible incidents and less interested in going after trouble. BLM got what it "wanted"--there's a definite drop in police shootings where they were active. But it was a cat's paw result: The increase in criminal black deaths was far greater than the decrease in police black deaths.
- nothercastle 3y ago
  Yeah Seattle I see so many people driving without plates now. Lack of enforcement is a real issue. They are simply not enough police as they all quit after the Riots
giantrobot 3y ago
> Smartphone use. App use while driving, wearing airpods and the like, more vehicles with monitors, more integration between phone apps and car entertainment systems to fiddle around with? These are all likely factors which is why I can't just claim everyone forgot how to drive during COVID shutdowns. At the same time the shocking incompetence I've seen (anecdata) the past year or two haven't seemed to involve people fiddling with distractions but just being hyper aggressive shitheads.

musicale 3y ago

I just wish that vehicles - especially large ones - would stay within the lane lines unless they are actively changing lanes. I've also noticed many cars with tinted windshields and front seat windows, which probably reduces visibility. I understand why they might do it though given the blinding LED headlights. ;-)

dageshi 3y ago

Is this present in other countries? You would expect it to be so if it's partially the result of lockdowns as plenty of other countries had those.

331c8c71 3y ago
I don't feel there has been a difference where I live in Europe. And my personal experience is that the driving culture in the US (east coast) is more aggressive to start with (except, maybe, sparsely populated remote areas).