Why do people just ignore road rules?

[Xukog]

Because people are stupid and selfish,to the point where they will risk everyone's life,including their own,to make it to the place they are going a few minutes faster.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Sometimes a person will speed by 5 - 10 mph, at which point they will swiftly be pulled over by our horrible corrupt parasitic traffic control officers and given a 200$ speeding ticket. There are cameras at all our stoplights, not just to catch people running red lights, but also to catch people speeding. I've been given a 100$ ticket because I was caught on camera driving through an intersection 7 miles over the speed limit.

Right, cops giving tickets to people for recklessly endangering other drivers is totally corrupt. Going 7 miles (11km) over the speed limit is alright on the highway, but when you're in the city, it's just plain wrong and you deserve to be punished for it. I'm glad you got the ticket, though it doesn't seem you learned your lesson. You know what I've noticed? The only people who seem to badmouth their city's police force are the ones who have trouble following the rules of the road.

OT: I really don't know why people do some of this shit. It's extremely easy to obey the rules of the road yet I constantly see people doing dumb things. It's like they think laws are just suggestions and not actual rules.

No, giving people tickets for violations they DIDN'T COMMIT is corrupt. I've already told the whole story up above, so I won't reiterate it.

Ah, my bad. Doesn't change the fact that you'd be saving yourself a lot of money if you just didn't speed but I see where you're coming from. I got a speeding ticket once because I was going down this really steep hill that almost no other vehicles are ever on. The assholes put photo-radar at about 3/4 of the way down. That pissed me off so I can imagine how shitty it must be for you.

 

[Firstmark_Bannor]

I live in north carolina and when driving I always do at least 5 mph over the speed limit. I never wear a seat belt. On any open stretch of road with no other cars, I go as fast as I please. The best part is of my entire circle of friends, I'm the only one who has never crashed their car. I consider two sets of rules for the road, one set by the state to be ignored. The other is common sense, to be followed always.

 

[triggrhappy94]

I normally get mad at people for driving too slow when I'm trying to get to class on time.
Or, when a jacked up truck tries riding my ass. I really don't get the appeal of having to fill up every other day and collectively driving up demand on and price of gas for everyone else.

I don't normally see all that much bad stuff. That said, I'm from the home of the California stop, so maybe I'm used to a certain level of lawlessness on the road.

Just in case you don't know:
A California stop is when you roll up to a stop sign, slow down as you check to make sure it's clear, then go.

EDIT:
So, here in the States, just about every state has passed a law saying it's illegal to talk on the phone and drive (I think Texas is the exception). One of the things that pisses me off the most is the people who try to avoid/follow the law by putting their phone on speaker and holding it an inch from their face. They're not fooling anyone, it's not any better then just talking on the phone.

 

[spartan231490]

And I'm not even talking about 'oh you followed 20 feet too close, or didn't signal enough in advance/at all...' I'm talking about the rediculously dangerous stuff. Left turns on a red light, driving in BOTH lanes simultaniously (dotted line right down the middle of their car), that kind of stuff. I just see people do it all the time with no regard for anyone or anything. What's happened in the past couple years to make this get so much worse?

People. Are. Assholes. And not signalling is probably one of the most dangerous things a driver can do without intentionally.

 

[triggrhappy94]

Where are you from OP?
Where I'm from, St. Louis Missouri, you almost never see people breaking the law or driving recklessly. Sometimes a person will speed by 5 - 10 mph, at which point they will swiftly be pulled over by our horrible corrupt parasitic traffic control officers and given a 200$ speeding ticket. There are cameras at all our stoplights, not just to catch people running red lights, but also to catch people speeding. I've been given a 100$ ticket because I was caught on camera driving through an intersection 7 miles over the speed limit.

If people did the type of stuff your talking about over here they'd probably wind up in prison before the day is out.

You guys still have traffic cams? We used to have some in California, then they were determined to be police entrapment. Most of them don't work any more. For the picture to mean anything in court, they're suppose to have a picture of the license plate and the person behind the wheel, which is basically impossible.

 

[Uratoh]

Where are you from OP?

Virginia.

And ya, to the british, we're bizzaro traffic world, so this would be like someone making a right turn on red to you.

 

[Michael LeBlanc]

Because people by default are stupid, arrogant, and self-important. This is only compounded when you put them behind the wheel of a 1-2 ton death machine that can do 120 MPH. They suddenly have a sense of invulnerability on top of the lack of caring about anyone else. The cherry is of course that at the same time the police are understaffed and overworked. Things will get better once automated speed traps and red light cameras become more established.

 

[Gomithrus]

I moved to China a month ago for work...there are no rules, just suggestions. Crossing the street is an adventure...you don't just look left and right but front and back as well, CONSTANTLY! Riding in a taxi is kind of fun though, if you stop caring about the rules.

 

[broadbandaddict]

Reading this makes me want a dashcam more...

Seems like most people don't give a shit about anybody but themselves. I've seen 3 "accidents" where a car has merged lanes directly into the car next to it in the past 2 years because they were too busy doing something to actually check if I car was there.

Or, when a jacked up truck tries riding my ass. I really don't get the appeal of having to fill up every other day and collectively driving up demand on and price of gas for everyone else.

Most people I've met just fill up the tank when it gets near the E and call it good. Nobody I know keeps track of mileage (or really even maintains their car but that's another story), they just look at me like I'm crazy when I ask what kind of mileage they get.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

I'm from California...so it feels like everyone drives like a moron or punches down the freeway at 90 MPH. Like others have said, I just assume everyone is an idiot and assume they are going to run the light, the stop sign, or something else that is going to get me hit.

No accidents yet and lets keep it that way.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

Some places have worse drivers than others, some of the places I've lived, it was not uncommon to see upwards of 3 accidents a day along the stretch of road I traveled for work, other places, more dangerously designed with bad road grading and tons of blind hills and hidden driveways, one or two accidents a year, so yeah, there are a ton of assholes who can't drive, but from what I've seen, stress seems to play a large part of it, and in places where everyone's strung out, more assholes, worse drivers.

When you're calm, you don't rush as much, you don't ignore rules as much, you don't drink as much, you drive better.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

One interesting thing to try is to keep track of how many drivers obey the laws. You'll likely see that there are many more of them than the idiots who don't, but you don't remember them. People screwing up are more memorable, sadly.

This is true...but there's something about a negligent driver that just demands attention. It's a lot easier to remember the guy in the SUV cutting across 3 lanes of traffic to take an exit 300ft away than every other driver who obeys road rules. Out of curiosity OP, where in the US are you from? I'm lucky enough to experience Maryland traffic on a near daily basis[/sarcasm]

Where are you from OP?

Virginia.

And ya, to the british, we're bizzaro traffic world, so this would be like someone making a right turn on red to you.

Close enough! I haven't had a chance to drive through VA yet but you're close enough so that the crazy is probably just as potent there as it is here.

 

[BNguyen]

I really hate it when people drive nearly 20 over the speed limit and ride my ass, or they deliberately start texting and nearly run everyone off the road because they aren't paying attention.
And sometimes when me and another driver are trying to switch lanes, they'll work to get ahead of me before trying to move over and when they do get ahead, they slow down to a crawl and I nearly rear-end them

 

[WanderingFool]

And I'm not even talking about 'oh you followed 20 feet too close, or didn't signal enough in advance/at all...' I'm talking about the rediculously dangerous stuff. Left turns on a red light, driving in BOTH lanes simultaniously (dotted line right down the middle of their car), that kind of stuff. I just see people do it all the time with no regard for anyone or anything. What's happened in the past couple years to make this get so much worse?

Because almost everyone on the road is a retard. And not the Mentally handicapped kind, the "Really should know better but doesnt for some asinine reason" kind. Im not sure where you're from, but I rarely have to worry about it, but than again, thats why I always drive defensively; just in case I do run into one of those morons, they wont be taking out my car.

*Edit*

BTW, I for one am quite thankful that man hasn't invented cheap personal flying vehicles for the masses...

 

[dystopiaINC]

As a general rule people suck at driving. I just watch out for myself and keep myself in check and don't do anything that can get me pulled over or killed by some idiot.

But seriously people Learn the damn rules of who has the right of way for fucks sake. when I am sitting at a red light and you are across the intersection wanting to go left and I am going straight. I HAVE THE DAMN RIGHT OF WAY unless you get a an arrow, then in that case you get to turn and I don't even get a green until you have turned. DO NOT TRY TO GUN IT AND GET THAT LEFT TURN OFF BEFORE I CAN GO STRAIGHT, I WILL NOT STOP FOR YOU AND YOU WILL BE BUYING ME A NEW CAR ASSHOLE.

 

[michael87cn]

I've come to the conclusion that everyone speeds. EVERYONE. I am always the only one driving the speed limit, I am always being passed up and having people get mad at me for... DRIVING THE LIMIT.

These people think that a couple extra MPH is so important, but it really isn't. Good, you saved yourself 5 whole minutes getting home. That car accident you got in, or that speeding ticket you got, though? pfttt. No problem, right?

I used to walk to work for years though, so I'm so damn thankful that I can finally drive. It's such a huge luxury that nobody appreciates.

 

[solemnwar]

BTW, I for one am quite thankful that man hasn't invented cheap personal flying vehicles for the masses...

If that ever happens I am never leaving the house ever again.


OT: Some people don't seem to realise that when the crosswalk lights are flashing you DO NOT FUCKING KEEP GOING. Also road law here (not sure about elsewhere) says you're supposed to WAIT until the person crossing has reached the other side, not once they pass your lane, to keep going. I suppose just in case there are other people going, or they suddenly turn to go back because they realised they left their oven on (idk), or they jump back because a jackoff in the lane next to you decided not to stop.

And then there's the assholes who just don't stop ever and you have this poor elderly person trying to cross but no one will fucking stop. It's a real problem in my city, especially downtown. Crosswalk near my house, I was nearly hit (only didn't because the fuckwit honked their horn because they didn't even try slowing down when they saw the flashing lights), and then not 30 seconds later the guy on the other side of the meridian was SLAMMED by an SUV because the fucker was talking on his/her cellphone. :/

Seriously what's so hard about stopping? At least slow the fuck down if you're not sure if they've finished crossing because then when it turns out they haven't you can STOP. AAARGH.

 

[Blow_Pop]

It's that they think they own the road and everyone else should get off it and they have their heads up their asses.

Honestly I question as to HOW half my city passed their driving exams. I had a guy make a left turn at a red light (for turning going straight was green) and had I been going the speed I should have been he would have smashed into my drivers side door and he looked at me like it was my fault.
I had a chick turn left out of a parking lot and almost went straight into my car instead of turning into the middle lane like she should have when I was going 45 mph and looked at me like it was my fault and actually flipped me off for it because she wasn't paying attention.
I had an 18 year old boy side swipe me because he made an unsafe lane change on the freeway and almost sent me into the center divider and then have the gall to blame it on me to the police officer who luckily wasn't an idiot.
And those are fairly regular occurances out here. I swear it's like driving an obstacle course out here most days.

Left turns on a red light

Why left? You shouldn't be going through red lights, be it straight ahead, left or right.

You can turn right on red lights, if traffic is clear. Did you not know this?

You can only do that for some lights. And that's only if there isn't a sign strictly prohibiting it which reminds me there is a light that does that and people STILL do it constantly right near my house.

Oh and the people who ignore stop signs and don't know how to stop/go at stop signs. ESPECIALLY near schools when people are going into school/getting out of school.

 

[BlackStar42]

Left turns on a red light

Why left? You shouldn't be going through red lights, be it straight ahead, left or right.

You can turn right on red lights, if traffic is clear. Did you not know this?

Not if you live in the UK just a heads up

Well, yeah, if you're driving on the left side of the road, then the sides would be reversed. XD
Unless you mean you can't go left on red either... though I'm not sure why that would be.

Nope, red light shows, you can't go anywhere. Of course, taxi drivers always assume that that doesn't apply to them...

Really? Oh wow, why is that? If there's no one coming from the right, and no pedestrians crossing, there should be no reason why you can't turn left on a red... I'm very confused. lol
And actually, if you come across a red during your driver's test here in America, and you DON'T turn right when he tells you to take a right (assuming there is no oncoming traffic), you'll get docked marks. Apparently it's very important to do the opposite of what the people in the UK do.

We don't have that many crossroads/intersections here, so it's not really a big deal. That said, there are so many people who don't check their damn mirrors when they're turning off a roundabout that it's not even funny. On my driving test I saw a wrecked car in the middle of a roundabout, presumably he was drunk and crashed into the middle bit. Even the examiner did a double take