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THE TIMES POLL : San Diego’s Affair With Car Is Ardent, Even for California

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Times Staff Writer

Maybe it’s because San Diego’s freeways are less crowded than those elsewhere in Southern California. Maybe we’re more fun-loving than people give us credit for. But, for whatever reason, we apparently enjoy our cars more than our counterparts throughout Southern California.

We admit to driving faster. More of us bought our cars new than used. We are more apt to transfer our personalities onto our cars with bumper-sticker statements and to customize our cars in general.

And, as a whole, we are more amorous (and arrogant) in our automobiles than our counterparts throughout Southern California.

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Those are some of the findings of a Times poll that asked Southern Californians about their cars, their driving habits and their attitudes about driving. The survey included 317 residents of San Diego County; the local results have a margin of error of plus or minus 7%.

Even though San Diego has less-congested freeways than elsewhere in Southern California, we seem less tolerant of traffic. Among San Diegans, 78% complained that traffic in their immediate community is “very” or “somewhat” congested, compared to 73% of Southern Californians as a whole who complained.

1 in 5 Thought of Moving

Yet, only one in five of the San Diegans surveyed said they had thought about moving because of traffic congestion; throughout Southern California, one in three have given thought to moving away because of traffic.

San Diegans are less angry at truckers than are other Southern California motorists. Asked whether trucks should be banned during rush hours, 38% of the San Diegans said yes; throughout Southern California, 54% thought so.

About the same percentage of San Diegans (88%) drive alone to work as do Southern Californians as a whole (84%). We also spend about the same amount of time in our cars as do others.

When we’re in our cars, we get to where we’re going faster. More than half of the San Diegans said they exceed the speed limit--29% “most of the time,” and 26% “often.” By comparison, 22% of Southern Californians say they speed most of the time, 21% said they speed “often.”

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So there’s no point letting gas stations slow us down. Among San Diegans, 93% pump their own gas at self-serve stations; throughout Southern California, 90% do.

Use of Mass Transit

Interestingly, San Diegans were as prone as their counterparts throughout Southern California to use mass transit: 29% of the San Diegans surveyed said they “mostly” or “often” use mass transit, the same as for motorists throughout Southern California.

Asked whether they have been involved in an argument with another driver during the past year, 90% of the San Diegans said they had not; throughout Southern California, the figure was 88%.

San Diegans, however, appear more arrogant about their driving skills than their counterparts. Among those who were involved in accidents, 75% of the San Diegans blamed the other guy; throughout Southern California, 65% of the motorists shifted the blame to others.

San Diegans appear to be as irritable behind the wheel. For example, 42% of San Diego drivers made an indecent gesture toward another driver. Across Southern California, 38% of the drivers did.

Who do San Diegans think are the worst drivers? In order: teen-agers, the elderly and Asians. Maybe more old folks live in San Diego, because, for Southern California as a whole, Asians were considered the worst drivers, followed by teen-agers and the elderly.

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Motorists’ Pet Peeves

San Diego motorists have their pet peeves. In order, they are motorists who drive slow in the fast lane, people who don’t use their turn signals, people who take two parking spaces and drivers who leave their turn signals on.

Twenty-three percent of the San Diegans surveyed said they put bumper stickers on their cars, against 18% of Southern Californians as a whole; 15% of San Diegans customized their cars, contrasted with 11% of Southern Californians.

When asked why they most valued their vehicles, San Diegans said that their cars are reliable, give them freedom and reflect their life style--essentially the same reason given by others.

More San Diegans (34%) think about traffic when they’re behind the wheel than anything else, although Southern Californians as a whole think about traffic 37% of the time. Thoughts of family are on the minds of 27% of the San Diego motorists--compared to 23% of Southern Californians, and thoughts about the job are on the minds of 24% of San Diego motorists, and 22% of Southern Californians.

However, San Diegans seem to be more romantic behind the wheel; 10% of them think about love, contrasted with 5% of Southern Californians.

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