driving in Texas

We will be travelling through Texas by rental car this September. As a foreign tourist I do not have the intention to get caught for speeding on the lone star roads but I suppose that sticking to speed limits is not very popular for some drivers behind. I also gathered that the driving attitude in Texas is quiet macho. Any advice on how to behave in traffic and towards cocky drivers would be welcome.

driving in Texas

I believe you will find that most Texas drivers are quite courteous. City drivers can be a bit aggressive and unforgiving of those who deter them from arriving at their destination but all in all I would not worry much and the best advice I can give is ignore the occasional driver who fails to show you Southern hospitality.

Good advice would be to plan your routes as best you can to avoid being ';lost';, get a gps device for sure, stay with the flow of the traffic...if everyone is driving 5-10 miles over the limit best to do the same and not become a detriment to traffic flow.

driving in Texas

I agree with what was said above, and would like to add that while drivers in Houston or Dallas may exhibit an attitude that could be described as ';macho,'; if my that you mean aggressive, if you%26#39;re driving off of the interstates on what we often refer to as ';country roads,'; you%26#39;ll most likely encouter drivers who are going much much slower than the posted speed limit. They will often pull over to the side of the road and let others pass, but don%26#39;t count on it. Where in the state will be you driving?

Thanks Mr Ted and Gehrig. I quote here from this same site onder Houston-health and safety:

quote: Don%26#39;t show your road rage. The driver next to you could well be armed. If you%26#39;re irritated at another driver, don%26#39;t give them the old ';one finger salute';. It could get you in real trouble. unquote.

...Waw! Quiet impressive comment for a European and the trigger :-/ which made me ask this question.

@Mr Ted: Preparation is still in an early stage. We%26#39;ll start off in Houston, head for hill country including SA, Fredericksburg aso. Then further to Palo duro, Big Bend and lots more. I am still discovering and already looking forward to this 3 exciting Septemberweeks.

Don%26#39;t worry too much, drivers for the most part are courteous. One thing to remember on the interstate or freeways is the left hand lane is sort of considered the ';fast'; lane or passing lane. If you are in this lane on the interstate and a car approaches you from behind, they will expect you to move over to the right to allow them to maintain their speed. If you don%26#39;t move over, some drivers will tailgate you. If you%26#39;re nervous about driving here, you may want to avoid that lane.

BTW, I think the advice of avoiding the use of the ';one finger salute'; holds true for anywhere in the world, not just Texas.

@stadenaar -- Just keep in mind as you plan your route that Palo Duro Canyon and Big Bend are roughly 500 miles, or a 10+ hour drive, from each other. Palo Curo is in the far northern part of Texas, near Amarillo, which is not near any of the other places you mentioned.

Regarding the ';warning'; you received in the Houston forum, just be courteous and you should have no problems anywhere on the road in Texas. I%26#39;ve often been a less than courteous driver and have never experienced anything like what is being alluded to by that comment.

Common sense, good manners works here as well as in most other countries.

Welcome to Texas! if you want to see the real Texas, try to plan your trip so you can avoid the Interstate highways. The state roads are usually well-maintained, and county roads are, too. You can have wonderful unexpected encounters at local diners, rest stops, and shops. Also, you%26#39;ll see more of Texas and less of billboards if you take the ';roads less traveled';.

The driving attitude on state and county roads is usually ';I%26#39;ll get over on the shoulder so you can pass'; or if you stop to take a photograph, two or three cars will stop to see if you need assistance. You can order a free map of Texas and a free state travel guide at TravelTex.com and have it snailmailed to you (I don%26#39;t know if they charge postage for foreign countries, but I doubt it).

Sure hope you have a wonderful vacation, and want to return!

I don%26#39;t know about the laws where you usually drive, but the speed limit in Texas goes down at night so be sure to watch out for that.

I drive 30,000+ miles a year within the parts of the state that you will be driving in mostly, and most of the drivers are really nice. I%26#39;ve never had a flat or breakdown without someone stopping to see if they could help. I agree that you will enjoy the roads that are not interstate best.

When you get closer to knowing when and where you are going, write in again so that we can give you some tips.

We are very proud of our state.

I just wanted to emphasize what the previous poster pointed out - watch for areas with a lower night time speed limit. It is a very easy way to get a ticket.

If you are driving in rural Texas, pay special attention when you start seeing somes homes or buildings after miles and miles of fields. There is a very good chance that the speed will be reduced, sometimes significantly, in areas where people live and/or work (even if it is only a few blocks).

after living all over the USA I can proudly say that there are some horrible drivers everywhere - not just in Texas. And there are people that always think they are more important than anyone else on the road. And, driving across the entire state, you will - most likely - run across a few of these people. Just laugh at their ignorance and move on. Most of us are not like them. I agree with the other posts - stay out of the left lane on highways unless you are passing someone - this will make people mad more than anything else. Also, from my experience (being pulled over around 6 times by Texas Highway patrol) the officers are usually very friendly. And I have never been given a ticket by a highway patrol officer! Texas is a fairly popular state for drug runners (since it borders Mexico) and that is a big part of what they are looking for. I%26#39;ve passed a State Highway patrol officer (he was going the other way) going 85 mph (speed limit 70) and he smiled and shook his finger at me. Don%26#39;t worry - I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how nice people are in Texas.