I have a theory on this, cultivated after 8 years of living in DC and contrasted with having grown up and learning to drive in Atlanta:

DC has a unique combination of factors that make driving more hectic and therefore slower:

1. Lots of pedestrians and bikers. They're everywhere. They could pop out at any moment. They sometimes ride on a bike trail, sometimes on a sidewalk, sometimes in the street. This is not a value judgment about bikers or joggers (don't want to start a "thing" here) but a factor that makes people more cautious. Most of the south is not necessarily pedestrian friendly and things tend not to be walking distance like they are in DC. Parking is plentiful in the Atlanta, for example, so even in situations where walking is an option, it's generally not done.

2. Interchanges are cramped: My least favorite interchange is the GW Parkway North when it splits off to go to the Memorial  bridge or continues through a series of merges towards Spout Run and on to 495. It's like level 6-4 of Super Mario Brothers: you only make it through to your destination if you know the exact sequence of merges to take. Cramped interchanges are the result of valuable land and higher density. A cramped interchange means that even if I know exactly where to go, I still have to time my merges to fit into a smaller slice of time, and that's not to mention whether or not other people know where they're going. Many major cities where land is cheaper have HUGE interchanges that are predictable in nature. They are the standard interstate exit with an overpass exit and the easy ability to turn around and double back if you miss an exit. Where does that exist in DC? Nowhere, so people are much more cautious about not missing turns or exits.

3. Tourists and transient culture: Simply put, there are probably more people driving around the DC area on a given day that don't know exactly where they're going than a lot of other cities. It took me two years of living here before I was comfortable getting most any place without referring to GPS or a map. Tourists understandably have a hard time with it and so do people who've just moved here.

4. More cops. I don't have the numbers to necessarily back this up, but driving around the District (and to a lesser degree Arlington and Alexandria) and you can't help but notice there that are TONS of cops. They aren't necessarily the type of cops that can or will give you a ticket if they see you speeding (WMATA police or NPS police, for example) but cops make people go slower.

I could come up with other reasons and these factors are not unique to DC, but driving in DC *is* qualitatively different and I think these are major reasons why.

redstang423 said:

I miss driving in Boston too… Everyone's a crazy driver there too, for the most part (heck, bumper to bumper traffic can be moving at 70 mph there), but we're at least predictable crazy. Or so this Masshole would like to think… It's the unpredictable people that are scary.

 

This is exactly how I've tried to explain Masshole drivers – crazy, but predictably so.  I've gotten confused responses to that, but I feel like you have to have lived there to really get it.

Here's my take, based on experience of where I've lived:

- Germany – attentive, courteous, anal retentive about driving in the right lane when not passing, will yield to higher horsepower autos.  Germans actually EAT and DRINK coffee ONLY at rest stops.  In Germany, merge and exit ramps are even smaller than here.

- Massachusetts – Rude, will tell you how they feel about your driving skills, use horns excessively, at intersections will make illegal left turns in front of you before the light turns green, can drive in up to 3 feet of snow.

- NC – Rain in the winter?, school is cancelled and nobody can drive faster than 10 mph.  Shortage of Toilet paper, you get the picture.

- DC, NOVA, MD.  Inattentive, distracted and stupid, will proceed into intersection even though they cannot get across (blocking the cross traffic).  Drink coffee, operate cell phone in left lane, applies makeup.  Drives vehicles excessively sized and powered for US road conditions.

Whatever happened to two hands on the wheel, unless you are shifting, and anticipating the road ahead?

In recent history the evolution of 'family' vehicle marketed to the American public has been: the station wagon -> the minivan -> the ubiquitous SUV. I remember when the Ford Expedition first came out and thinking it was a monstrosity and then Ford upped the ante with the Excursion. Ford is only one of a number of manufacturer guilty of participating in the SUV arms race, but it is my contention that drivers of large SUVs are one of the biggest culprits distracted driving or at the very least arrogant driving. There is obviously a demand for behemoths such as the Excursion or Suburban but they are impractical and have far too many blindspots. $h!tty drivers drive all manner of vehicles but the less SUVs on the road the better. People around here lament about potholes and poor road conditions though there are hardly any roads which necessitate a massive 4x4 drive vehicle. Hardly any Americans doing day-to-day driving need a 4x4 SUV/suburban assault vehicle for that matter. I challenge anybody in the area to spend some time driving in Guatemala or Peru, or better yet Johannesburg, South Africa…you're return to driving around the DMV will be pure tranquilty. Serenity now!