Driving in the DC area *RANT*

Rant mode:

Driving in the DC area is crazy. I have driven through New York City, Atlanta and Philly several times each, but DC takes the cake. After some discussions with my colleagues we came to the conclusion that while driving in say NYC is crazy, everyone is doing the same type of crazy so you just embrace it and you will be fine.

In DC, with so many people come from so many other parts of the county (and the world) you have this mish-mash of driving cultures that are incompatible. You can never be sure how the car next to you will react. Should I put on my blinker to merge in, or will that be see as a challenge that the other driver must fend off? If I leave a safe (not even) distance between me and the car in front of me will the person in the other lane see that as an opportunity to merge in that not quite a car length space?

In the past few years I have seen a big increase in the number of accidents on my daily commute. Not just minor fender-benders, but totaled cars. I almost wish that self driving cars will hurry up and get here, then be made mandatory to not deal with some of these drivers.