A Refined Theory of Bad Drivers
Everyone likes to claim that the drivers where they come from are the worst, but we can’t all be right. I think the problem is that we’re talking past each other: there are different ways to be a bad driver.
I hereby propose a rating system with three axes:
- incompetence
- negligence
- aggression
Here are some example applications for some places I’m familiar with:
- NorCal: incompetent and negligent, but emphatically passive
- Italy: hyper-aggressive, but by and large competent and usually attentive
- New York City: all sliders to maximum
I think disagreements happen when your bad drivers and their bad drivers are at even moderately-different positions along these axes.
Interestingly, while it’s obvious that minimal incompetence and minimal negligence is objectively good, the same is not true for aggression. Drivers that are too passive cause traffic flow problems and annoy other drivers – rightfully, I’d say, if you won’t pull into the intersection on green when you’re waiting to turn left.