OZARK ROAD ETIQUETTE

The bad always make the news. I want to compliment those who behave properly and receive no notice. Because they are behaving so instinctively good, they are probably unaware that their behavior is remarkable. This is a shout out to the Ozark Mountain drivers.


I lived in Florida for many years and have traveled to several large cities out side of Florida, so I do have a comparison. Florida drivers are not the best, partially due to the fact that there are very few native Floridians. The native has been watered down by the huge influx of tourists. Not many natives remain. Thus the highways are full of people from many states with different ideas of road courtesy, sometimes, no idea of courtesy.




The freeways are where turf wars are fought daily. Speed means survival and but can also mean the end. To travel just the speed limit on I-95 for instance, would cause an accident. At least 10 miles over the limit is necessary for your survival and those sharing the road with you. Driving on either coast of Florida is a thrill ride.


The farther south you travel, the shorter your life expectancy. Luckily I mostly lived in the center of the state. If you have ever traveled cross state in Florida, you realize that 90% of the people in the state live clinging to the coastline, hoping for a glimpse of the ocean and a share of the tourist dollar.


There is not much in the middle of the state besides cows (both dairy and beef), vegetable farms, alligators and orange groves once you remove Disney from the equation. With the glut of cars fighting for road space in the hectic coastal areas, anger seems to ride in most cars as a non-buckled in passenger. The sad thing is even if they never have an accident, the anger itself is life shortening.


What immediately impressed me when I moved here, was the Ozark Road Etiquette and lack of anger. Now if you go to Little Rock or any congested Arkansas city, you may find attitudes similar to Florida. I can only speak for the Ozark Mountain Manners.

Our roads are for the most part, narrow, two lane, very curvy, with periodic high accents and low gear descents. Most of our serious accidents here are single car involvement where someone just tries to take the curves to fast.

Passing lanes are very brief and for that reason, there is a very refreshing show of patience. Often you only have the length of a football field to pass another vehicle. The double yellow line dominates. Most everyone drives with a built in cushion of time in case they get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle. I think that is one of the differences between us and large cities, that built in cushion of time.


Rarely do people tailgate just for the sake of tailgating. They quickly realize speeds are probably not going to pick up, there is fat chance to pass, so they just fall several car lengths back, relax and work on that morning coffee. If you do get behind someone who is driving very timidly and slowly, the offender will invariably find a wide spot on the side of the road and pull off letting the more aggressive pass safely.


Though I usually drive a bit over the speed limit, if someone is on my bumper, I too will pull over when safe and let him go ahead. Tailgating is rare but when it occurs, they are only on my bumper because of the previously mentioned tiny passing zones and are probably late for work. They forgot or had something tamper with their time cushion. After you pull over and allow them to pass, they always wave appreciation and I do mean "wave." The middle finger salute is just not done here.


Car horns I am sure just die of rust, never of overuse. No one honks if the light changes and you don't leave a rubber trail accelerating through the intersection. The ONLY time I have heard a horn used is when my neighbor's dog is too close to the road or a friend drives by.


Because of the twisty nature of our roads, when someone asks you how far someplace is, we measure in time it takes to travel, not distance. I always allow extra time for travel when an appointment is over 40 miles away. Yes, that ole time cushion.


You never know when you will get behind a log truck,semi, or an RV. These large vehicles often can't find a spot to pull over and you are stuck. But that is OK for the scenery is wonderful and since I have allotted enough time, I take the slower speeds as an opportunity to just enjoy.

Only have one recommendation if you are traveling the Ozark roadways. Make sure you are the passenger, for the driver has to concentrate on driving and can't fully enjoy the really jaw dropping scenery.

Do hope you live in a peaceful area.


Happy Motoring.