Do People Drive Better on Back Roads or Highways in a Maine Snow Storm?

Let's be real... Everyone in Maine thinks they're a good driver.

I have a theory that all this chit-chat surrounding the idea of "Mass-hole" drivers is a lot of bull crap. I've driven in Boston more times than I can count and have never run into any issues. If I need to merge, I just merge. And drivers there have no problem with that. Ever try to merge onto anything in Maine?

You're likely to have someone start waving a pistol at you for just trying to get on the highway. I personally believe that we're some of the worst drivers anywhere. If we weren't, we wouldn't all complain so much about driving. But there's one time of year we all show our true colors. Winter...

Winter is the great equalizer on the road.

Winter is where you show people what you're really made of. For instance, you will never, ever impress me with your "fearlessness" behind the wheel in winter. Sure, it's ok to be a confident driver. But the people who constantly tailgate or pass people on a snowy road, you're just the worst. You have the respect of zero people on the road, not that you likely care.

Then there's the people who drive cautiously to the point of being ludicrous. Safety is awesome. But if you're on a flat road that is plowed, salted, and sanded... consider going the speed limit instead of 10mph under it. On the other hand, where are the better drivers in snow? On the back roads or on the highway?

Everyone has an opinion.

This question ended up on Reddit the other day, with wildly varied results. But if I had to pick a side, it would seem people on back roads, or in-town roads, seem to be a bit more respectful of other people, than those who take the highway. The consensus seemed to point to people on the interstate being much more likely to drive faster and be more aggressive behind the wheel.

Of course, we've all experienced this on back roads too. But given the choice, I'd rather spin out at 25mph than 65mph. I've been in nice, easy, low-speed fender benders and it was no big deal. It's usually a lot more dire when there's bigger speeds involved. Not to mention the level of entitlement that people seem to have on the highway.

While it's quite a subjective opinion, Mainers feel you're better off on the back roads if safety is your main motivation. I mean, it should be all the time anyway, but again, we live in Maine. Safety always loses to entitlement. We should all try to not be that person. Take your time out there. Time is all we have sometimes.

Let's see if drive like a jerk in a snow storm is on this list...