This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Dan Marrs of Farmington hit the nail on the head in his letter ("At Utah border, driving insanity begins," Forum, Nov. 20) about Utah drivers. We just got back from Austin, Texas, where we lived for 10 years a few years back. Most Texans are just plain nice when they drive. They wave you in to merge, they don't cut you off, they are patient, they make eye contact and they smile.
When we moved here in 1999 I immediately noticed rude driving behavior. I didn't want to give up my Texas plates. The only way I could distinguish myself from others was to "drive friendly" as Texans are admonished to do. I even wrote a letter to our governor at the time and asked if we could start a "drive friendly" campaign in Utah. He said there weren't funds for this.
So how about everyone just committing to driving friendlier? Make it a New Year's resolution but start practicing today. Pay attention. Don't text and drive. Wave people in. Don't tailgate. Don't cut people off. Use turn signals. Wave with your whole hand, not one finger! Please — let's turn our troubled driving reputation around and become known as a friendly state to drive in!
Kaye Nelson
Provo