Ray 'CityNerd' Delahanty explains how 'Dunning-Kruger Is a Scourge On Our Roads,' a driving update

As I promised yesterday, today's educational entry is a CityNerd video about drivers and a driving update, since Pearl passed 70,000 miles yesterday. Watch as Ray 'CityNerd' Delahanty explains how Dunning-Kruger Is a Scourge On Our Roads.

I've often heard that EVERYONE thinks they're an above average driver. Well, I wanted to look at data to see if it's actually true, share research on how the Dunning-Kruger effect impacts driving, and look at wider consequences on our transportation system.

I've been blogging for 15 years and I've never mentioned the Dunning-Kruger effect until now? I'm amazed. I've had so many opportunities to apply it, especially during two administrations of "only the best people." *Snort*

That written, I'm not surprised at either people's inflated self-assessments of their driving skills or how poor they really are. I wish I weren't surprised that the people who did the worst actually upgraded their self-assessments after doing poorly. I guess they thought they did better than they expected. And I have to share the road with them? Ugh.

That's the general driving situation. Follow over the jump for my personal driving update.


As I wrote above the jump, Pearl passed 70,000 miles yesterday, Monday, August 18, 2025, 83 days since she passed 69,000 miles on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. That translates to 12.05 miles per day, 367.47 miles per standard month, and 4,397.59 miles per standard year. That's definitely less than the 12.82 miles per day, 391.03 miles per standard month, and 4,679.49 miles per standard year I drove her between Monday, March 10, 2025 and May 27, 2025. I wrote then, "I will be driving to only one work location beginning in May." I even drove to work two fewer days per week, since my Tuesday-Thursday classes were canceled. It still wasn't enough for me to drive Pearl less than the equivalent period last year, when I averaged 11.63 miles per day, 354.65 miles per standard accounting month, 4,244.19 miles per standard year. I must be driving more and longer errands and fewer miles on my wife's new Tiguan. Speaking of which, her update is coming up soon, as she's about to turn over her first 1,000 miles. In the meantime, stay tuned for World Mosquito Day, when I have another excerpt from Human Footprint planned.