Michigan Drivers = The Worst & Stop Doing This

Prepare for a rant.

When I moved back home to Michigan from Alaska, I fully expected for the quality of driving, the roads, the ability to move back and forth between cities and towns to be far better than the snow driven trenches they call highways in the 49th state.

Boy was I wrong.

I live in Lansing. And honestly, I could fill up a page about everything wrong I see at the 127 & 496 interchange. Good Lord who designed this thing? And while driving northbound on 127, I have seen more people try to kill themselves by crossing three lanes of traffic at the last minute to get on to 496 than I care to recall.

Also, folks will drive in that passing lane and not move over for nothing! It's like how dare you even think of flashing your lights at me to get over. I'm going the speed limit. You get over.

AND GET OFF THE PHONE! Please. Cigarette in one hand and cell phone in the other. How are you driving? Your knees? Oh that's safe.

Just for poops and giggles, I researched it. And on paper we (as a state) don't look that bad comparatively. Nationally, Michigan is ranked 21st out of 50 when it comes to bad driving (SmartAsset, June 2019). And for the record, Alaska was 8th. Whatever lol. I've done the driving in both. I know what I'm talking about.

Where are the worst drivers in the state?

According to QuoteWizard and WXYZ, May 2019:

The list from worst to best is below.

This list would seem to say that we (Mid Michigan) are in the middle of the pack again. With Holt being darn near the bottom of the worst drivers list. And what's going on in Holland (#1) where they beat out Detroit (at #44...wow)?

Well, ok...how about this. Parking on the wrong side of the street? When did this become a thing? I moved back home, and I have seen this everywhere. On a one way street, yeah. I get it. You can do that. And it's legal. But on a two way street, parking on the left hand side with your car facing oncoming traffic, that there is a crime.

Parking on the left, or facing traffic is illegal. I will explain why it is illegal using two sections of the Michigan Vehicle Code. First, MCL 257.675(1) says that “a vehicle stopped or parked upon a highway or street shall be stopped or parked with the wheels of the vehicle parallel to the roadway and within 12 inches of any curb existing at the right of the vehicle.”

Notice that the MVC specifically requires you to park within 12 inches of the curb that is on the right, not the left.

Another law that prohibits left side parking is MCL 257.634(1) which states “Upon each roadway of sufficient width, the driver of a vehicle shall drive the vehicle upon the right half of the roadway...”. By parking on the left, it would require you to drive on the left side of the roadway, violating this law. (Sentenial Standard)

So Michigan drivers aren't the worst in the nation. And I guess we here aren't even really the worst in the state.

So let's just pay attention at 127 and 496, get off your phone, get outta the left hand lane unless you're passing, and uh...stop parking on the wrong side of the street.

And get off my lawn.