Does driving get crazier the further south you go?

[Tailtwister]

For the first time in a good number of years I was driving on the M25/M4 today and was taken aback by some of the crazy driving I witnessed. Undertaking and cutting people up seemed the norm, along with tail gating and generally dangerous driving.

I was amazed at how aggressive the general driving style was. Granted, you see plenty of dodgy driving in Scotland too, but today almost everyone seemed to have a death wish! Is this normal or have I caught a particularly bad day? If this is the normal state of affairs I'm amazed there aren't huge numbers of accidents.

[MaryBateman]

Nope Kim the Leeds inner ring road is nothing compared to driving in inner London. The last time I drove from Euston to the start of the M1 and onwards I was as stressed as hell. The Leeds inner ring road is like a quiet country road by comparison. Am a Leeds girls, have been a Leeds driver since 1992 and London since 1995. These days I get the train when I travel down to London. Too many idiots!

[Fanjango]

I am in NE Essex. Many of my friends would rather drive in London than here! I guess when they aim at you at least they are going slower in the capital .
Seriously, though, the standard of driving here is awful, me accepted naturally

[HellonHeels]

Oh god outside London the driving gets progressively worse. No one knows what the hell to do on a roundabout.

I had a colleague who was married to a Nigerian so had experience of driving in Lagos. Her theory was that the closer you got to the equator the worse the driving became.

[LazyMonkeyButler]

I find it gets worse the nearer you get to a major city (with the exception of Exeter).

I live in a fairly rural place but occasionally have to go to Birmingham. I bloody hate driving through there! It's the aggressiveness of the driving that gets me, rather than the increased volume of cars on the road.

I have never been to London though (driving or otherwise), so have no knowledge of the roads there.

[HellonHeels]

But I must speak up for the drivers of Essex - I rode my bike out in Essex recently and was amazed and impressed by the really polite driving. Without exception the drivers only passed me when safe and gave me loads of room. No aggressive beeping or shouting either.

[Monty27]

I'm a Londoner and I'm certainly not psychotic on the roads

It. is. just. busier. near cities, probably particularly London orbits etc.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Oooh the M25. I know I'm nearly home when I reach the hallowed tarmac.

I once witnessed two cars on the M25 get really close side by side then the passenger of one car handed the ciggie lighter to the driver of the other.
Who lit up, and passed it back.

[hiddenhome]

The M62 going towards Manchester is the worst road I've ever driven along.

[BigBoobiedBertha]

I have a particular dislike of the M42 around Birmingham and joining the M6 around Knutsford. Chaos.

I don't think the issue is Southern roads as much as busy roads. Unfortunately, there just happen to be more of them in the South.

[Onesleeptillwembley]

M62? No wzy! Try driving up Leeds Rd in Bradford. I've driven all over the world, that's up there with the best.

[raisah]

Try Cairo, the Egyptian drivers are completely mental. No politer way to put it.

[itsonlyapapermoon]

My cousin went to Egypt and thought she was going to die because of the driving lol. Thats coming from an Aussie so it must be bad haha! Around where I live people just have no common sense, common courtesy or regard for life in general on the roads. Hardly any cops to catch them being idiots either.

[Twattybollocks]

Rome is madness driving wise. We went a couple of years ago, the taxi driver who took us from airport to hotel was insane. I arrived at the hotel a gibbering wreck and I'm a confident driver!

[TidyDancer]

You get crazies on the roads wherever you go, it's ridiculous to make it a north/south divide.

[TidyDancer]

Actually, two of the worst driving experiences I've had were in Manchester and Italy (Tuscany). Rural roads in Italy can be terrifying.

[marriedinwhiteisback]

There are two ways to drive in London: either you keep moving constantly edging out so others give way; or you constantly give way and stop at the junctions until it is clear both ways and get nowhere with a traffic jam building up behind you. I don't find London bad tbh - nothing compared to the perifique in Paris - roll on later!

[VivaLeBeaver]

I was going to say Bradford, Leeds and parts of the m62 as well.

I think I held my breath for ten minutes coming through Bradford last week.

And the m62, narrow lanes, everyone nose to tail doing 80mph. Lane switching and undertaking like mad. Craaaazy.

[Eve]

Try driving in southern Italy!!! Once you get close to Milan gets civilised!

[Lazyjaney]

As roads get busier driving gets harder, people get more frustrated - and the South is much busier.

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I used to live in Israel. Even walking on a pavement alongside a road involves taking your life into your own hands. Really bloody terrifying!

[worldgonecrazy]

I drive all over the country and have seen crazy driving everywhere. Away from towns and cities I've noticed a large number of uninsured and drunk drivers (I'm looking at YOU Gloucestershire and Cornwall!) - not enough police around to do anything about it. Within some cities, such as my home town of Birmingham, it's anybody's guess as to whether the driver has a licence, though given the extremely low standards of some foreign driving tests it doesn't make much difference. The M40 is a favourite for foot-to-the-floor dipsticks in their superfast sports cars, probably why there are always accidents on there. London is fine as long as you know where you're going.

I would also love to drive in Paris.

[Damnautocorrect]

I find its how close to the m25 you are to the bad driving. It's like a pack of animals in a small space all trying to mark their territory / take the next persons.

[Barmix]

you want crazy driving?

Naples.

[northernlurker]

Leeds is awful I agree. Dh drove through London a few years ago. He is a very confident driver and even he found it an uncomfortable experience.

[ChunkyPickle]

I like driving in London - yes, it could be seen as aggressive, but I prefer to call it decisive :)

When I've been driving in London for a while, then head out into the country I get all sorts of looks (and honks) until I tone my driving back down again (this was especially the case on a motorbike)

Having said that, I do mean decisive, not dangerous - no overtaking on blind bends, no tailgating, speeding, pootling at 65 in the fast lane or dodgy lane moves.

I have to agree though, if you think we're bad, the standards are much, much worse in other countries I've driven in.