Asian drivers

[will_wait4Him]

I am doing paper on disproving that asians are horrible drivers and how the stereotype is exagerated. Do any of you believe in this? Why or why not?

Do you believe factors such as age and birthpplace effect the level of skill an asian driver has?

Does their geographical location stand as a reason for this stereotype? Countries like China are rapidly progressing technology wise, and this includes auotmobiles. Thousands of chinese are purchasing cars every year. With a growth rate this high, is driving going to become a problem for asians who immigrate to the US and begin driving?

Do stereotypes in movie, television, commericals/ads help influence these stereotypes such as bad asian drivers?

 

[KarateCowboy]

I am doing paper on disproving that asians are horrible drivers and how the stereotype is exagerated. Do any of you believe in this? Why or why not?

I believe it might be true, because my g/f is from Japan, and she and all her fellow Japanese businessmen say it's much safer to drive in the US than Tokyo, because Tokyo drivers are lethal.

Do you believe factors such as age and birthpplace effect the level of skill an asian driver has?

Birthplace only because of culture. Some cultural things may affect it.

Does their geographical location stand as a reason for this stereotype?

I don't think so, though I am not sure what you mean by that.

Do stereotypes in movie, television, commericals/ads help influence these stereotypes such as bad asian drivers?

The only time I have heard of this stereotype is through word of mouth, so no, they have not influenced it.

 

[Yusuf Evans]

I hate to say it, but yeah it's true. Why do I know this? From firsthand experience. I lived in Okinawa, Japan for seven years and I've been in Hawaii for almost two years(Yeah, I know Hawaii is part of the U.S. but 45% of the population is Asian).

 

[Paulos23]

I honestly don't have any experience with this, so I am undecided. But, even in the US, driving skills and behavior changes from area to area. I know of some people from the east coast that where surprised that we use turn signals on the west coast.

It really depends on the culture around you that you learned to drive in.

 

[Garnet2727]

Actually, the worst drivers I've ever been exposed to were natives...of Montgomery, Alabama. A place where traffic lights and speed limits were just a suggestion.

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

The worst driver I ever met was chinese, a co-worker. He was an absolute menace, had several wrecks in the space of a few months, would drive down the middle of the street paying no attention to lanes, and everybody in the company refused to ride with him.

I went with him on several business trips to Austin. Even though the rental car was in his name, as he was an employee and I was just a consultant, he would always hand over the keys automatically, without a word.

 

[rambot]

I live in Korea. And (I'm still not sure this was the smartest thing to do but) I have a car.
I can say this unequivocally, driving in South Korea, CANNOT (and SHOULD NOT) be compared to driving in Canada (read: The West). I have been to Japan. The driving there was fairly reasonable compared to Korea. I have also been to China, as crazy OR crazier than Korea.

I don't think I need to go into the specific problems but (at least for Korea) I want to point out issues that may contribute.

What I see as the "harsh reality".
Besides having a VERY dense population, South Korea is subjected to a VERY "GO GO GO" attitude. I happen to live in Busan (a city on the southeast coast) which has a rather "rough and tumble" attitude. This is expressed (to some extent) in driving as well.
But I digress.
My MAIN point is that it seems Koreans where I live have a strange kind of bubble around themselves and have a tendency to think that people will simply cow to their desires.
They will make motions, turns, or lane changes without warning, indicating, OR checking (mirror or shoulder). They do this because they (must) assume that everyone around them "will make due". They rely on other people to keep them safe.

When I first started riving here, I had been taking subways almost everywhere so I didn't have too much experience (except with [PSYCHO!] taxi drivers] on the roads. As with most western drivers, I started out on the defensive, always checking, moving, slowing down etc.... After a couple months, I had to adapt and become, not only offensive, but "obliviously offensive". As long as you are infront, you won't have problems. When you are behind someone you have to be a bit more careful.

If I may be so bold as to help you out, simply:
It doesn't have to do with "geography" but it DOES have to do with your experience driving.
If you spend 10 years driving in Canada, then move to Korea, you do NOT drive like Koreans. That is a simple fact...AND the reverse is true too.

The problem is that driving in Korea is MUCH more chaotic than in Canada. Practically speaking, that means things like (but not limited to):
changing lanes with no shoulder check
wondering into an intersection to turn
running lights
ignoring lanes
"drifting".
When someone does those things in Korea, well, they're like 60% of the driving population anyways and other drivers are used to that.
In Canada, VERY few people drive like that and VERY few/ NO people are used to it.

And so, Koreans have a TERRIBLE reputation.

As a last note: It is MUCH easier to regress in your driving style (defensive to offensive) than it is to do the opposite.

 

[justanobserver]

Actually, the worst drivers I've ever been exposed to were natives...of Montgomery, Alabama. A place where traffic lights and speed limits were just a suggestion.

sounds like out here in CA......I live about an hour east of san Fransisco/Oakland and the main freeway from the valley to the Bay area is Hwy 580 - also known as the "580 Combat Commute". I think the freeway was designed as a testing round for studies on road rage of all races and nationalities.


but I digress.....

 

[akaibara]

I've never heard of that stereotype, actually.

 

[bammertheblue]

I've heard of it but I've never personally found it to be true. The people I am most afraid of (especially as a cyclist who has to share the road with them) are those on cell phones. But that's not what your paper is on so I'll shut up

 

[will_wait4Him]

So would you all say that an asian driver is only necessarily a bad driver if he or she use to live and drive in Chine, Korea, Japan, etc. and then immigrated to the US and remains driving like they did in Asia?

Or do you guys believe some US born asians are bad simply because their asian?

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

So would you all say that an asian driver is only necessarily a bad driver if he or she use to live and drive in Chine, Korea, Japan, etc. and then immigrated to the US and remains driving like they did in Asia?

Or do you guys believe some US born asians are bad simply because their asian?

I would say the first case is true, and that it's not genetic. I know plenty of asians who were born here and their driving is no different from that of anybody else.

 

[will_wait4Him]

I've never heard of that stereotype, actually.

So would you guys say a person, like akaibara, that hasn't ever heard of this stereotype believe it blindly when told or shown on television?

Not that you would or wouldn't akaibara. Just using your post as an example.

 

[Ave Maria]

No, I don't believe that stereotype.

 

[KarateCowboy]

So would you all say that an asian driver is only necessarily a bad driver if he or she use to live and drive in Chine, Korea, Japan, etc. and then immigrated to the US and remains driving like they did in Asia?

Or do you guys believe some US born asians are bad simply because their asian?

No. I think it tends to be cultural. I don't think it's genetic. Something about the laws in Japan or China or whatever, you know what I mean? I know that in Japan people will park on what we would consider the wrong side of the road and nobody will care. But in the US people are like "Hey, he's not following the rules". So maybe they come here and are less observant of proper driving etiquette. Kind of like when Americans in Japan stick their chopsticks in rice and people get offended.

 

[KarateCowboy]

[staff edit]

(BTW, my g/f is a terrible driver(but mainly due to a lack of experience, I think))

You know, one thing to consider is that most people in Asia don't drive at all. So if you come over to the US and start driving you are prone to be less skilled. Now in Europe they do not drive as much either, however if you see a Russian who drives horribly but don't know he is Russian, you won't start to think "Wow Russians are bad drivers", but since Orientals are a minority in the US the difference may stick out more.

 

[kopilo]

[staff edit]

Maybe 'Asians' are teribble drivers because of different road rules and how they are enforced. Karate Cowbow, sounds logical enough for me.

 

[faster_jackrabbit]

You know, one thing to consider is that most people in Asia don't drive at all. So if you come over to the US and start driving you are prone to be less skilled.

I assumed this to be the case with my chinese friend. He was probably pretty good with a bicycle.

 

[Spherical Time]

Considering that the latest street racing/drag racing movies have featured Asians that are amazing drivers, (like F&F: Tokyo Drift) I would have thought that the stereotype was the opposite.

Regardless, I think that Karate and kopilo are probably correct that any negative stereotype are due to lack of experience.

 

[Eudaimonist]

When I was a teenager, I was told by a Chinese friend that the Chinese (in China) are often terrible drivers. He explained how Chinese who were used to slow traffic didn't know how to drive on fast highways, and so they would turn the wheel too quickly and sharply and would end up crashing on the side of the road.

I don't believe there is anything genetic that makes asians bad drivers, and I'll bet that many asians are excellent drivers, but there may be some basis to those unfair overgeneralizations.


eudaimonia,

Mark