Don’t @ me Libertarians, but I’m generally a big fan of laws. Yes, yes, there are plenty of dumb ones on the books, but the good laws are pretty great. I think it’s super that breaking into my house and taking all my stuff is 100% illegal, despite the best efforts of the powerful Break Into Houses And Take People’s Stuff lobby. Laws that prevent corporations from lying to us and/or harming consumers with lax safety are all examples of top-notch legislation for me, even if they don’t always work.
I also feel our traffic laws are downright reasonable, even if I do break my fair share of them on the regular. Speed limits come to mind first and foremost, and I’m sure none of us would say we scrupulously obey the speed limit everywhere and at all times. Technically – and I’m not saying you should make this argument to a police officer – breaking the speed limit is a binary thing. You are either going the speed limit (or below) and abiding the law, or you’re exceeding it and have broken it. But it’s definitely not a binary thing. True, whether you’re cruising a 75 mph highway at 80 mph or 180 mph, you have broken the law. But at 180 mph, you’ve broken it a lot more. That 75 mph speed may not keep everyone at 75, but it should hold most people to around 85. We’re just bending the law here.
What laws are you bending? I hold few sacred myself. I’m never down for anything unsafe, of course, and I’ve never done anything illegal solely to express contempt for the tyranny of lines painted on roads, or the authority of traffic cones, those smug orange pricks. And you should absolutely NOT take any of what follows as encouragement to do the same, or an endorsement that doing so is OK. However …
“No Right On Red”? Yeah, that’s “look carefully before you go right on red” to me. Related: if I’m the only car on the road and I’m inexplicably sitting at a red light for way too long, I’m just gonna go. Same goes for those highway turnarounds that are for Law Enforcement Only. It’s two in the morning, I’m lost AF, the next exit is in infinity miles, and I’m low on gas, so yeah, I’m turning around.
Spacer
I will say though, I’m a real stickler for keeping my vehicle safe for highway travel. Outside mirrors, full set of functioning gauges, all that. It’s important.
Your turn: Second To The Speed Limit, What Traffic Laws Do You Most Frequently, Uh, Bend?
Topshot: Trains, Planes, And Automobiles/Paramount Pictures
I bend laws in proportion to the weight of the vehicle I’m driving. Mom’s XC60 T8? Every stop sign, complete stop. My sub-15lb bicycle? Slow to check for pedestrians.
“What Traffic Laws Do You Most Frequently, Uh, Bend?”
How about all of them.
I’m that sketchy looking guy in a clapped out Altima.
I’ve got trash bags for windows… what do you want from me?
Speed, either to get my transmission to go into a higher gear or just to keep with traffic.
For traffic, just talk to anyone that drives on I81. NYS limit is 65, but you can “safely” go 75 or so because that’s how traffic flows (said by more than a few state troopers).
For the gear thing, it’s about driving at lower rpms for better fuel economy. Probably doesn’t matter, but I’d rather keep rpm’s low.
For the officer reading this. I obey every single traffic law. And I help old ladies cross the street!
I’m five miles outside of town, with half a dozen stop signs between me and the highway. I don’t think I’ve come to a complete stop at any of them since we moved here, unless there has actually been another car present.
Speeding, but never in a school zone or residential street. And the occasional stop sign if no one is near. And maybe a pointless red light on an empty road. And the incidental No U-Turn. And stretching a passing zone to get by a garbage truck. And I have violated the odd gore or two…
But I do not tailgate and I use my turn signal so that makes me an excellent and conscientious driver, right?
Cross the double yellow when I know the road by heart and have enough visibility to do so safely. Also, overtaking in said conditions. It requires knowing the road, knowing your car and knowing yourself. Also, taking extra care on tourists’ season. Those suck.
When on my motorcycle, I ride by my own set of rules to keep me alive.
I drive my GT350 a lot more sane than the typical Mustang owner, but…
Two wheeled vehicles definitely have me bending a lot of laws to stay alive. Up to and including “running a red to get away from homicidal drivers” (a real thing that actually happened in NYC last fall).
Left on red, from a one way street to another one way street. I’m not sure if it’s technically illegal, and I saw a cop do it, so I can, right?
It depends on the state.
“No Thru Traffic” signs. I will obey the speed limit and stop at any stop signs on that street, don’t worry. I won’t cut through parking lots, either. But the reason most of these signs seem to have been put up is because SOMETHING at the intersection being avoided causes backups, and instead of doing something about poor intersection design, they put these stupid Band-Aid signs up.
I think no through traffic signs should exist on basically every neighborhood. They’re not for you, they’re for Waze.