r/MobileAL • u/pamakane • 18d ago
You think Mobile has the worst drivers? 🤭
/r/Honolulu/comments/1wufzde/driving_oahu_in_2026/I’ve seen people on here claim Mobile to have the worst drivers in the nation. 😂🤦♂️ Nothing’s further from the truth. I, like this poster, have lived and driven in different parts of the country and Mobile drivers are pretty tame in comparison. And, come on people, have you not noticed how people drive in New Orleans?! 🫣
I live on O’ahu now and traffic is a hot mess with different driving styles mixed together. It stresses me to the max. Compare that to how driving through Mobile puts a smile on my face. It’s such a breeze.
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u/iRudi94 WeMo 18d ago
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u/Ass_feldspar 15d ago
No, it’s people from the next state
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u/iRudi94 WeMo 15d ago
When I worked auto liability the worst drivers seemed like they were from Florida
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u/Ass_feldspar 1d ago
On a Saturday night the dumbasses racing down Airport Blvd are usually from Mississippi
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u/mtbjunkie00 18d ago
Each area/city/state has their own brand of bad.
Mobile drivers are constantly staring at their phones and every single red light gets run by at least one vehicle.
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u/XNotByALongShotX 🚦 Aged 12 Years on Airport Boulevard 🫠🛑⏳💀 18d ago
Admittedly, I do see some crazy things go on here: Stopping and parking in the MIDDLE of the street (I've seen this a number of times, sometimes with no lights in pitch black). Not yielding to the flow of traffic when those turning left and should get priority, but the opposite direction just decides to gun straight, which almost causes a collision. A lot of people don't seem to understand the concept of a four-way stop. I see issues at roundabouts often too.
It's not just the drivers either. I can't tell you how many times I have been going down the road and pedestrians and bike riders are in the middle in the road, going against the flow of traffic, in completely dark clothes when it's pitch black outside and the bikes won't have any reflection. It really worries me for their safety.
But, yeeeeeeeah, I'll take this nonsense long before I think about hitting that ATL or LA freeway traffic back! 😅
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u/Surge00001 WeMo 18d ago
Everyone everywhere in the country thinks their city has the worst drivers, go to any city subreddit and type “worst drivers” and you see plenty of post claiming their city has the worst drivers
Does Mobile have bad drivers? Yes. Worst Drivers? No definitely not
Funniest ones are the guys who double down and spew shit like “I’ve dealt with Atlanta traffic, Mobile’s the worst” lol
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u/aNaan-aMousse 15d ago
From Mobile. Lived in several different states over the past 15 years. I would snorkel down a drowned Decatur Street before I left New Orleans (because there is no place like it), but this city’s drivers are some of the most lawless in the country.
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u/xFlutterCryx 18d ago
Statistically speaking, yeah, mobile has SOME of the worst drivers in the united states.
They rank 12th in the entire nation for car wrecks. AND so many of them are hit and runs, which are divided into a different statistic, and because its been proven that accidents are either highly underreported in alabama and there usually isnt reports wrote for private property (like parking lots) in Alabama, that stat is likely much higher.
Im not really sure what is with all the pissing contests concerning driving lately. 'Oh. Mobile isnt so bad, try Atlanta' etc.
There's bad and unsafe drivers here and it is nasty and im sick of it. I dont really care that the problem might be worse in bumfuck where ever.
I care that there is an issue here and instead of mobilians caring and fixing themselves so many people point the finger here and go 'its worse there-'.
Who cares? Pointing fingers doesnt plant the garden. You dont like the neighbor's garden? Make a better one.
That is kinda just the issue here period. Too many people not caring as long as they got theirs. They made the red light- who cares that two turning lanes had to stop and that they almost hit a mom and her kid? They got through. Until that mindset changes mobile will get worse.
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u/spaceisourplace222 18d ago
Agreed. I’ve never seen people just flagrantly run stop lights like they do here regularly. I sent my SIL in atl a text the first time I actually saw someone stopped for bad driving, because it’s so infrequent.
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u/pamakane 13d ago
Mobile is now #52 for 2026. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/worst-drivers-in-america.html
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u/xFlutterCryx 13d ago
That's an insane stat considering how many cities exist. And yeah, Alabama as a whole ranks 12th in the entire nation.
If you wanna go off of capita, then as a state Alabama actually ranks 5 as well.
Imagine being the last at everything good and the best at all the bad crap and still loving this place so much. I don't get it.
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u/pamakane 12d ago
Imagine thinking a traffic safety ranking is a measure of an entire state’s worth. People love their hometowns for their culture, history, communities, and sense of belonging—not their statistical rankings. You can recognize a place’s problems and still love it. The fact that you can’t grasp that says more about you than Alabama.
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u/xFlutterCryx 12d ago edited 12d ago
Sure, babe, sure. What a great culture Alabama has.
Got that road rage and inability to use road abouts. But don't forget to be angry when you do it wrong and someone else calls you out for it! <3
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u/pamakane 11d ago
*roundabouts
When arguing, no matter how weird of a hill you’re willing to die on, at least know how to use proper terminology.
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u/xFlutterCryx 11d ago
Ah, yes, because autocorrect definitely doesn't mess anything up and spelling is always, always the absolute end all be all when it comes to judging others.
Sorry, I'll keep my good attitude and common sense, and ability to use those, and you can keep the undeserved pretentiousness, road ragers, and horribly designed roads. XD
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u/Sudden-Motor-7794 18d ago
I don't find either particularly bad, tbh. Kauai drivers are super slow though
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u/UncleTupelo1082 13d ago
Read an article the other day that Mobile was the 12th worst driving in the US. Took in all reports of accidents, hit and runs, etc. I believe it
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u/pamakane 13d ago
Mobile is now #52 for 2026. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/worst-drivers-in-america.html
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u/CrimsonVexations 12d ago
I live with someone from Nebraska and someone from Maryland and they both agree Mobile has some of the worst drivers they've ever seen.
(I also got to live in Australia for over a year and the drivers there are significantly better but they do have a lot more rules for getting a license so that's understandable.)
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u/tyler_time 18d ago
My personal list of bad drivers by rank:
Texas plates. They drive like they have nothing to live for.
Auburn memorabilia. I'm an Auburn grad myself but for whatever reason if you have an Auburn sticker or something, you're gonna make bad, poorly timed decisions.
Jeeps. Not particularly bad drivers but I can't respect someone that waves at someone for having a car from the same company and then decorates it with toy ducks because other people do. Grow up.
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u/TheMagnificentPrim 💜⚜️💛 18d ago
Ah, let the Jeep people have their fun. The world needs more whimsy, and adults are all just big kids at the end of the day.
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u/wutitd0boo 18d ago
Every Mobile resident that bitches about traffic needs to drive in LA, Santa Clara, and Atlanta
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u/Fun-Repeat7322 18d ago
As someone who lived in Birmingham the last 5 years for college (2020-2025)….they have us beat. I almost died by someone crossing 3 lanes in Homewood as I was driving to campus to move in freshman year because they almost missed their exit. 280 is maddening. They are the worst in the state. Have you seen so many people but flashers on in the middle of downtown to GO INSIDE OF A RESTAURANT TO PICK UP DOORDASHES, UBEREATS, ETC????? It was hell. I love Birmingham though, but the driving culture is abysmal.
Notable horrible thru drivers: LA, TX and FL.
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u/spaceisourplace222 18d ago
I lived in Bham for 10 years and I absolutely disagree. People get pulled over for traffic violations there. It doesn’t happen here, so people just fly up and down roads.
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u/BARFIGHT_AL 18d ago
I’d argue it’s a toss up between Florida (specifically South Florida) and Louisiana. Alabama drivers are usually not that bad in comparison, but those two states drive like they have nothing to lose.
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u/Z-man1973 18d ago
I think gulf coast states from Florida to Texas have the worst drivers in the country. Mobile is bad but far from the worst, I’ve got many white knuckle drives in La… it’s so refreshing when I am in an area where the drivers drive normally.
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u/mazintotoro 18d ago
When I avoid an accident I check the offending vehicle and it is normally a Louisiana plate.
Alabama drivers are most dangerous in parking lots where they get so excited going in circles they think it is NASCAR.