Bad Drivers: We didn’t make the list?
By Gregg Wendorf
Advance News Journal
We should feel cheated. Why? Because Forbes Advisor put out a report ranking the cities with the worst drivers and we didn’t make the list? Clearly, they didn’t visit the Valley.
Actually, I’d have to check, but instead of cities, I think Forbes used data from Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). In our case, that means all of Hidalgo County (McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA).
From a story published by a Florida TV affiliate (WFLA): “As the number of deadly vehicle accidents continues to rise nationwide, a new study has ranked the cities with the worst drivers — and a New Mexico city has topped the list.
“Albuquerque, New Mexico is the most dangerous city in America to drive in, with high incidents of fatal car accidents, drunk drivers and distracted drivers,” reads the Forbes Advisor report.”
Puh-leeze. Our bad drivers can drive rings around Albuquerque’s. I bet they don’t have drivers stopped at every stop light with their head buried in their lap texting, oblivious to the red light that just turned green (okay, not all, just nine out of 10?). Honking doesn’t help. They just shoot you the bird and keep texting. Then, just as the light turns yellow, they drive through the intersection and leave you hanging, fuming, longing for the days of the horse and buggy. It was such simpler times.
Or, how about the Valley’s trademark move? You’re flying down the expressway in the far-left lane while tailgating the poor slob in front of you doing the speed limit. Exit up ahead in heavy traffic? No problem. Normally, you would slow, and ease your way over to the right lane far in front of the exit sign.
Not here, we don’t. Instead, we wait until the very last moment and then fly across all four lanes to exit. If other cars and trucks crash into each other with screeching brakes, that’s on them. We’re already headed down the ramp with our speakers blasting.
In the RGV, we can also multi-task. We can tailgate, text, and eat a donut, all at the same time, while applying mascara (men are plucking nose hairs), exceeding the speed limit by at least 20 mph.
On weekends, too many of us love to drive drunk. The beer commercials tell us it’s a good way to kick back and have fun, and besides, with the beautiful women pictured in the ads, the male stud muffins, lean waist, the implication is, if you’re holding a cold brew, the opposite sex is going to see you as a turn-on, as opposed to the drunk hanging to the side of the toilet puking or the drunk driver in cuffs.
Not only that, but when we’re drunk behind the wheel, we don’t even abide by the speed limit. Instead, full throttle ahead. In the Rio Grande Valley, alcohol is the biggest problem. In Albuquerque, I’m guessing meth. Either way, an intoxicated driver is a danger to all of us.
Below is a look at the top 10 cities with the worst drivers, according to Forbes.
• Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Detroit, Michigan
• Tucson, Arizona
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Dallas, Texas
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Tampa, Florida
I write this column, somewhat, tongue in cheek, but it’s not really funny considering how many fatal wrecks we’ve seen of late. We actually have some very good drivers in the RGV. But we also have some very bad drivers. We also have a lot of drivers, especially the young ones, who don’t even have a driver’s license. I’ve sat in traffic court and watched it pass by. Teen gets in front of the judge, stopped with no driver's license. The judge asks mom or dad in the audience how the kid got the car keys. “I was taking a nap.” Maybe, maybe not, but there are too many of those cases to be true.
Drivers with no insurance are also a problem. They get a 30-day policy to get the car’s registration and inspection renewed and then let it lapse. So when and if they get in an accident, they have no coverage.
To be fair, this Forbes list is the sort that local Hidalgo County officials are no doubt happy to not be named.