What We LOVE & HATE About Driving in the USA?
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- čas přidán 30. 05. 2024
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0:00 Cultural Differences USA vs Europe
0:27 Positives: Automatic Transmission
0:54 Right Turn on a Red Light
1:42 Traffic Lights
2:12 Trucks
3:38 Speed and Speeding
4:22 Parking
4:39 Drive-thru
5:00 Interstate System
6:38 SurfsharkVPN - partner of the video
7:56 Negatives: Low Speed Limit
8:55 Sitting in the Left Lane
9:39 Cars in Terrible Shape
10:47 Road Signs Written Only in Text
11:37 Gas Prices & Pre-Pay System
13:00 Colors of Turn Signals
14:25 Stops Signs Everywhere
16:04 School Bus
16:47 US Mirrors Suck
17:20 Car Sizes
19:02 Share Your Opinion
20:26 Czech Word
Thank you for your support!
Janek Rubeš & Honza Mikulka, Prague based journalists
#HonestGuide
Please don't adopt the right on red in Europe. It is super bad for pedestrians as the drivers will be looking left while turning right and will not look at the pedestrians trying to cross the road. Also the traffic light is not on the otherside of the intersection as that allows people to pull into the intersection while seeing the light instead of having to stop infront of the intersection. This again is there to protect pedestrians and cyclist. This is all pretty well documented and that is why the US overall has way worse traffic stats when it comes to pedestrian safety and road fatalities.
I would imagine it is more for traffic flow. Being aware of pedestrians is needed also, but being aware of cars as a pedestrian is just as important
You also have to look for pedestrians when doing this maneuveure as a driver so your point is moot.
Absolutely agree!!!
@@hoihoihoi420 i can totally agree with your idea in cities, although again with most US cities traffic flow is pretty bad
Actually we have this in Europe, but only on some intersections and it's signalled by a blinking green right light, so it never becomes red, but you have to give priority to everyone else before you go.
As a driver in the US right on red is quite nice but now as a pedestrian/cyclist in Europe I am glad it's not a thing as it would be quite dangerous. Also, due to right on red being a thing in 90% of cases in the US, most people ignore "no right on red" signs which are specifically there at certain intersections to protect pedestrians/cyclists. It has often happened to me that someone beeps their horn at me for not making a right on red even when there is a no right on red sign.
In Europe when you have "full green" - Without arrows in it - the pedestrians on the left may have green light and the cars in opposite way so do have green. So you have to give them way, even you have green. If you have Green with arrow right, the pedestrians on the right might have also green light. Only when you have Green left arrow or you go straight forward, you can go without giving way to anyone.
"You look left, and you turn right!"
says enough about pedestrian/cycling traffic imho :)
Also we often have additional green arrow to the right. In that case you can go right, but you have to give a way to everyone first.
As a French driver who has driven in North America for ten years, I agree with your sentiment. as all the signage and regulations in Europe are for safety, while in North America they are seen as an inconvenience and, in some cases, I would even say, a scam. The safety of pedestrians and drivers is not a priority whatsoever. I myself drive a motorcycle in Cancun, Mexico, and at a red light intersection, a driver behind me honks to move forward to make a right turn. The rules are not the same as they are in the United States, but the danger is. I move my bike a little bit to the left, the driver goes forward, and he gets hit by an oncoming vehicle. Could you imagine if there was a cyclist or pedestrian passing in that moment as well? There's also a serious problem with vehicles that are in bad shape or are not well maintained when it comes to road safety.
for example I was driving pass with my motorbike and there was a vehicle making a U-turn. but didn't signal. The guy of the second vehicle did break but his tail light didn't work. another vehicle behind the second guy was tailgating and couldn't break in time. in the end all three vehicles collided with each other. which could have been prevented.
I have seen so many crashes, which was asinine and moronic, I would say that they shouldn't have a driving license as their are public endangerment to themselves and everybody around them. unfortunately I'm in Mexico right now and the police have the same problem, driving with the cell phone and going straight into a red light without any siren.
The problem is I think is that the way no turn on red restrictions are signed is not great. For one, usually you will have two signs, one on the right side, often behind you when you're in a position to make the right turn and one on the traffic light mast where at night most car headlights don't light it up. Some intersections will also put it on the traffic light pole on the other side of the intersection, which is better placement IMO. The other problem is the existence of no turn on red when pedestrians in the intersection sign, which looks virtually indistinguishable from normal NTOR signs except for the small when pedestrians in intersection text under it. Since you see the latter signs a lot more often than you see a straight NTOR, it makes it easy to tune out NTOR signs as a whole. Overall there is some progress on this front, I think having lighted no right turn signs that I have started seeing in some cities is progress, though I think what the US needs is a pictographic sign dedicated purely for NTOR. I'm generally a fan of the worded signs used in the US vs pictographic signs in the Vienna convention since so many signs are so obscure as to be meaningless if you haven't seen it since you got your DL, but NTOR signs are common enough to where I don't think that meaning would get lost in the same way and making it distinctive would be a better way to get compliance with NTOR rules.
i am 32 and have lived in the united states my entire life and a guy from the czech republic just told me the logic of our interstate numbering system and i had no idea such logic existed. i simultaneously feel like an idiot but am also amazed
In Ukraine, we have "green arrows" placed next to the red light signal. Whenever you see such an arrow it gives you permission to make the right turn on a red signal. These are normally only placed in places where it is safe to turn on red. I saw similar in Germany and some other countries, but not often though.
Same in Poland.
I don’t think letting everyone turn right on red is a good idea in Europe. We have a looot more pedestrians and cyclists.
In Czechia we have it aswell.
In the U.S. such a green arrow means you don't have to stop to turn right.
The more usual *red* arrow means you treat it as a stop sign: come to a complete stop first, then turn right.
We have the same green right when leaving the work place here in Germany. If there is incoming traffic from left you gotta let them trough. Also a lot of those right turns without lights. I think its the similar right on red. That was new for me when coming there cuz there wasnt such roads in my home country so I had to get used to it. We only had right or left turns but with red and green on crossroads. But no separate right turns where you dont follow lights but signs for side road. As you have to let traffic through.
Yeah they are VERY rare
We visited Texas from the UK and were blown away driving there. In the UK you're constantly zigging between motorways and in Texas our GPS just said "Continue straight for 180 miles". We even spent the whole time in cruise control, which is impossible in the UK!
"Americans think 100 years is a long time. Europeans think 100 miles is a long way".
Speaking of hundreds; the meme way back in the day, with the temperature being 100 degrees, always brings a laugh. 😁
50 degrees in California: Arcticwear
50 degrees in Michigan: T-shirt weather
100 degrees in CA: T-shirt weather
100 degrees in MI: marathon runner on fire.
Then, someone from London pipped in, rightfully confused. Him forgetting that it was in degrees Fahrenheit assumed it was Celsius.
50 degrees in London: great fire
100 degrees in London: molten lava!
Coming out of Denver on eastbound I-70 my GPS told me to take exit X (in Kansas City) in 600 miles. I had already been on the road for 12 hours at that point so it was a little disheartening.
We also have a toll road here that has a speed limit of 85 mph so that’s 136 kmph. It’s by Austin, Texas lol
Well... the size of North America explains it all. I think a lot of people that aren't from here don't realize how big the US and Canada are
i love that you talk about the "left lane is for passing only" signs. other states use a derogatory phrasing where "slow traffic must keep right," but people dont want to consider themselves slow. bunch of psychology goes into minor details about traffic dynamics
Lack of capital letters at the start of sentences should be next topic on this channel.
@@zuti071 why are you concerned with minor grammatical or punctuation errors?
@@zuti071 get bent
@@Acusumano25 You know, those (grammatical and punctuation rules) have been invented in order to make the readers to understand the writer's intention more easily. If you don't want us to understand you, why you even bother to write?
@@jozef_chocholacek a simple capitalization at the start of a sentence, aka what the other moaner already identified, has a minimal effect, if any, on the meaning of a sentence. the content and intention doesnt change because of a singular capital letter
I actually see that red F150 in Prague regularly, it parks in the neighbourhood, which is the Prague centre. Funny thing about it - it once parked on a sidewalk like this - and they couldnt tow it away due to its size, so they instead clamped it. It was fun to look at
I actually know the guy that owns this car, it's a french guy Frederic Delavier
@@fly1063😂
That's why i carry a cordless angle grinder in my car... they are now powerful enough ( thanks to lithium battery's ) to make short work of wheel clamps.. pmsl
@@__PJ__ or... don't park illegally? 😅🤣
5:15 In Germany we have something similar. Even numbers are from East to West. Odd numbers are from North to South. Single digits mean long national Autobahn. Two digits mean regional. Three digits means that it connects two other Autobahns. Also 2 and 3 digit Autobahns often start with the same number as the postal code in that area.
Also the single digit Autobahns start with lower numbers in the North and East.
AFAIK in the beginnings, the two digit Autobahn were meant to be the connectors and the digits are the ones from the single digit ones. So A14 would connect A1 and A4. But this idea was dropped very quickly.
Same for the E-roads in general in Europe - E55, E49 etc.
man lernt nicht aus. wusste ich alles nicht (hat auch damals die Fahrschule nicht erklärt)
Janek, of all the places in the world, can you imagine right turns on red in Prague?! Unlike most of the US, pedestrians actually exist here.
You can already see the madness that is I. P. Pavlova where cars from Ječná get a green light to turn right while a crowd is still crossing Sokolská. Now imagine this, but more chaotic.
One must give way to pedestrians when he turns, even when he has got a green light.
Either as @pejsekocicka says, but when "right on the red" occurs, the pedestrians have also red. So I don't think it's as big issue as you think.
@@kmartyCZ the pedestrians on the perpendicular road have green as well, so yeah it's a big issue
@@edipires15 In the moment, when the "right on the red" occurs, the pedestrian who want to go across perpendicular road (the road to which "right on the red" driver would want to go) has red light.
On any other case, the rule "pedestrian has the right of the way (on his green light)" still works (as usual). So where's the issue?
@@kmartyCZ the issue is that drivers will disregard the pedestrians’ right of way 90% of the time. Drivers are human and they make mistakes (knowingly or unknowingly). That’s why right on red should not be permitted
I've never been to the US so I cannot say much in that matter, but as a Polish living in Czech Republic I really am glad of the courtesy of drivers to pedestrians, even thought I've been living here for over 4 years I still get surprised when I see cars stopping for me on zebras and slowing down in a considerate distance and not right in front of the crossing.
It improved over the years. It was much worse.
depends where you are, but in my state, you are required to stop if someone is wanting to use the crosswalk
I am a US citizen living in Germany. Pedestrians in a crosswalk ALWAYS have the right-of-way here (when their signal is green), even when a car has a green light to make a turn. In the United States, the crosswalk is pretty much the kill zone.
It's a legal requirement in poland. Cars always stop for me when i'm trying to cross the road.
PUT IT IN H!!!!!
It’s interesting watching this as a European non-driver with an interest in Urban Planning. A lot of the things you like about driving in America are also things that make America miserable as a pedestrian and some of them even result in worse traffic jams. Right turn on red does speed up traffic, sure, but it makes it way more dangerous to be pedestrians, drivers are required to look for pedestrians but they often don’t, this makes it harder to cross and leads to collisions, and when the pedestrian experience is worsened enough people start to drive short distances instead of walking, and if even 3 pedestrians decide to drive rather than walk because of RToR, the extra traffic immediately counteracts any speed benefit from right turn on red.
The lights too, having them on that side of the intersection does make it easy to see, but if also means a lot of drivers don’t stop properly on the line. A really common problem in America is drivers blocking the crosswalk as they stop at the furthest point they can, which combined with RToR makes walking even worse, people sometimes get hit by cars because they walk out into the crossing quickly in a gap between turning cars only to get stuck in the middle because someone pulls up and blocks the crosswalk, only for another turning car to run them over because they weren’t looking for pedestrians. In Europe, from my experience, the stop line is placed at the furthest point that an average car can still see the lights from, and therefore the crossing isn’t blocked and people can still usually see the light.
The parking lots also are a real mixed bag, sure it’s convenient when you drive but it makes everything further apart and makes walking more depressing, incentivising more people to drive and making really inefficient use of space. Often with the increased amount of drivers, even larger parking lots are needed, and it eventually makes things worse for everyone. It’s a tough situation because drivers find these things really convenient but they have a cost, and the amount of drivers means it’s hard to ever get these things changed, and with these factors always creating more drivers (as well as US zoning plans and some other things to consider) more and more people get used to the convenience and don’t want to change things, even if it makes it better for pedestrians.
I understand what you're saying, but it wouldn't be an issue because as a European, if I moved to the US, I'd get a car and alleviate most of those issues
@@adamcheeseplease That's exactly the issue. The fact that you are obligated to have a car in the US even if you didn't want to.
@@adamcheeseplease and you would get fat
Why do you care so much about a country you don't even live in?
European cities have, for the most part, purposefully designed their cities to be more pedestrian friendly. The US, almost without exception, is hostile to pedestrians. While the right on red is pretty bad, US cities often have something that's much worse...the slip road. This allows a right on red without stopping or even slowing down much.
I do think most of the problems of drivers hitting pedestrians while making a right on red could be avoided by simply putting the stoplights on the near instead of the far side.
Czech drivers has really improved their risk awareness the last 20 years. I recall going for a few hours and you would almost always see the remains of an accident and EVERYONE was speeding a lot. So nowadays it's a lot better
Speaking as someone from Florida...yes, you will find so many strange things on the road (and everywhere else in the state). Just the other day I saw an altered golf cart on US1. As in a cart that someone installed a gas motor in. No windshield or doors or anything. Probably not legal but, yeah, it's Florida so no one is gonna look twice at that thing. 🤣
Mainly red states have no inspection, blues states are usually more regulated.
@@thomasasix1884 yeah, especially Illinois... No check engine light? Send it! Rotted out truck frame? Ah, who cares!
@@thomasasix1884 most of the highly regulated areas are really just using it for tax collection...yet their roads are some of the worst on the upper continent.
Using golf carts in Florida is very common where you have snowbirds down for the winter.
Florida is the home of the legendary "Florida man". My parent live in the FL Keys and I used to live in Sarasota. The bizaare thing you see in Florida are so numerous it is mind boggling I once saw an overturned vehicle in a drive though fast food lane in Bradenton. The Amish bicyclers get clipped on a regular basis. Golf carts are the new wheelchair. Wheelchairs are now called scooters to be cool.
The nice thing about having the stop lights on the near side of the intersection is it encourages cars to stop earlier. In the US people will often pull all the way across the crosswalk before stopping -- in Prague they don't do that since they wouldn't be able to see the light turn green.
School Bus: Yellow lights on school bus flashing is notification of approaching a stop. Once they switch to red, you must stop. You may proceed when the red lights turn off (also when the stop sign retracts).
American here. I've got a few things to say.
I've always been taught during my childhood that the left lane is the "fast lane" and the right lane is the "slow lane" or "exit lane". Basically, if you want more space to go a little above the speed limit (like 5 mph) then that's where you'd want to go. If you want to go a little slower or exit the freeway, you merge to the right.
Only learned of the whole "passing lane" thing when I applied for my driver's permit at the age of 15, but that's probably because I live in a large metropolitan area, and the freeways I've been on most are usually 8-10 lane interstates (4-5 lanes per side, more lanes you can use to pass), while I've never really had experience on four-lane interstates going cross country, other than a handful of road trips.
American turn signals are red so that they are cheaper, and iirc only cars made by American companies (Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler) follow this, and most if not all foreign made cars follow the traditional "European" rules
As for four-way stop signs, Americans are taught that the first car that arives at the intersection has the right-of-way. If multiple cars arive at the same time, the car on the right always goes before you. (Edit for additional clarification: this also means that, if there is no car to your right, then you have the right of way
Schools buses have stop signs because, on two lane roads, kids will usually cross the road right after they get off the bus, even if there is no crosswalk at the bus stop.
US has more signs and signs with writing because, when getting tried in court, US citizens use the fact that they "didn't know the law" as a way to get out of it (i.e. when getting in an accident at an intersection with no stop signs you could say that there wasnt a sign to tell you to stop. Same case with the school busses and their stop signs; if you end up hitting a kid and the bus didn't have the stop signs, you could easy fight it in court. Also, with symbols as signs, someone could claim that they didn't understand the symbols meaning). This just creates a mess for both the government and insurance companies, since whoever is at fault has to pay the entirety of the damage (well at least in the U.S idk bout anywhere else). So they just take the easy way out: put more signs and make them more understandable for American citizens.
(EDIT: last one idrk about, i was just guessing. maybe its really just because we americans are dumb lmao)
About the texted signs: LOL -- In Europe you just need to know the signs to get a drivers license, not knowing equals being in the wrong
Besides, graphic signs are much quicker to percieive, you don't need to stop for reading the lot
@@la-go-xy fair point, our court system is kind of broken anyways.
"Didn't know the law" will NEVER EVER work as an argument here in Europe. If you're driving, you're REQUIRED to know the law, and have a license of course.
@@johnnymartinjohansen its not as much not knowing the law as it is not understanding the signs, but im no legal expert so take it all with a grain of salt
Great Video! The Problem with „Turn Right on Red“ is, that here in Europe there are more pedestrians and Bicycleriders. There would be an massive increase of accidents with cars that turn right and „don’t see that person on the right“.
BS. Even now when you have green in a car and turn right, there are pedestrians who also have green, so you have to stop.
I am glad someone else pointed out that most right turn lights usually also allow the pedestrians through you have to wait on. So yeah I call BS on this too.
@@JarinCOD but it allows for more careless driving. There will be people that just wont even stop properly and just turn right. Only allowing it in certain places is just safer
@@holycaketree Bad drivers = bad accidents. Good driver has no problem with going right on red light.
@@kozmaz87 I guess only us are actual pedestrians and drivers here.
I’m not offended at all. As a Texan who has travelled the world I love the differences. It makes travel fun. Pros and cons everywhere
US is mostly cons like the statitics clearly prove you lag far behind in traffic safety
@@leob4403 That's true but at least we can drive more than 25mph here. European traffic can be so boring and don't get me started about the damn speed cameras giving you a ticket by mail.
@@dadisphat6426 rather boring than dead. and I wouldnt dare to speed too much in the US because I dont want to get beaten up or shot by some lunatic cop.
@@leob4403 you also forgot about the road rage here on the us and the higher rate of violence on minorities. So let’s try positivity, anything you like about the USA?
@@dadisphat6426 haha good one man well yeah of course its a hate/love-thing. I find that your language has permeated by brain so thouroughly that I use it more often than my native language Swedish when I think and speak to myself (yes Im demented). My favourite show of all time is the Simpsons, my apartment is full of Simpsons stuff. My greatest music influences that inspire my own playing is stuff like Smashing Pumpkins, Joe Satriani, Metallica and Green Day, aswell as Brittish bands of course. Most of my favourite movies were produced in the US.
The mass media and propaganda are obviously to blame for a lot of my negative feelings, but the mass medias are honestly equally awful here. I guess what irks me is a sense if superiority and cockyness that leads me to wanting to "take down" some americans a notch or two. A lot of americans it seems are convinced that the american way is always the best. But I do the same with Swedish people. Its just an instinct I have. At the same time I feel like in sports and esports the rivalry between US and Europe is one I usually enjoy indulging in, it adds some drama and ethos (or is it pathos?) to the proceedings
8:30 Most US states have what is known as the statutory speed limit that gives you a good guide on what you should drive if you dont see a sign. It depends on the state but in mine it's 10mph (16kmph) for alleys, 30mph (48kmph) for streets, and 55mph (88.5kmph) for Highways in urban areas. Also, when in doubt, follow the crowd.
@mj6463 Minnesota. But as stated, that's The statutory speed, i.e. "unless otherwise stated". Our highways go up to 70 in rural areas.
I prefer a stick vs automatic, also the US at one time did have a length restriction for Semi's including the rig, but eventually that was eliminated. One thing, there are places where Right on Red is restricted, but it has to be posted. Interstates in the US was inspired by the Autobahn and also designed to move troops throughout the country if necessary. I hear you about those left lane drivers, however some states the state patrol will pull people over. Wisconsin is known for this, but most don't and its annoying.
If the US interstates was inspired by Autobahn, why don't USA have no speed limits on some sections? Oh wait, 95% of US drivers are stupid and always end up crashing.
I how how a country that's all about driving, yet 95& of US drivers don't know how to drive
School busses in U.S.: If the red lights are flashing on a school bus and the bus is on the same road as you, you _have_ to stop the whole time the red lights are flashing, even if the bus doesn't have the fold-out stop sign. The only exception is if the bus is on the other side of a physical barrier from you, like a guard rail or concrete barrier separating the opposing directions of traffic. (Busses will have yellow lights that flash before the red ones to give you a warning that you're going to need to stop.)
Crazy. Those school buses stop anywhere. And its normal to slow down and drive carefully in this case. Completely stopping is dumb.
Depends really. In WA you can go by if you are on the other side of the road and there’s a lane separating you and the school bus.
Why would ANYONE want to drive around school busses? I'm usually so paranoid and frozen when I see the stop sign out or the lights flashing, I even put the car in park just to be safe.
It only takes a moment of not paying attention ...
Don’t have to stop here if the bus is on the other side of a road with more two lanes. Unfortunately at least half the drivers don’t understand this.
The right turn on red law is proven to reduce pedestrian safety
yes, driver negligence reduces pedestrian safety..... a red light that youre allowed to turn during is no different than a stop sign - at which you are supposed to obey pedestrian right of way.
Walk signals. Ignored by 50% of humans... causing their own demise with faces buried in their phones. The average person looks both ways.. both walking and driving. The stupid ones get Darwin awards.
@@Echo-01 most non-americans probably dont realize the nature of those listed states. lots of open, rural areas like you mentioned.
@@Echo-01 Sure, but traffic lights are mostly in cities...
@@Echo-01 Only in poorly planned areas
The interstate numbering system extends beyond just the freeway numbers. The mile markers follow the same pattern. Mile marker 0 is always just over the state border on the south or west side of the state and climbs as you drive north or east until you reach the next state border, where it resets back to 0. It’s nice driving from the east or north, because the mile markers count down to the state border so you always know how close you are.
In the UK we “pre-pay” at pumps for fuel but usually it’s a holding charge of £100 which then gets rectified to the actual amount in like 1-2 days when the charge fully comes through. It’s not that much of a big deal tbh and it ensures people don’t do a runner or if you forget your card you’re not stranded (although nowadays you have Apple Pay/Google Pay)
thats how it is in the US.
This right turn on red exists in a lot of European countries in the form of a second light on the right of the traffic light that has a right turn indicator on it. It might even have a third yellow flashing for pedestrians warning, as you need to give way to them.
Furthermore, in countries like Estonia or Finland, it's common to have the traffic light on the opposing side of the street as well.
In the Netherlands, only cyclists are sometimes allowed to do this, for the rest I do not encounter this anywhere
The benefit of a light for turning right is that it will be switched off (turning not allowed) if pedestrians or cyclists are allowed to cross the road you want to turn into.
In Croatia more and more intersections are getting additional traffic lights on the opposing side as well.
@@gameguild1555 why cyclists have different rules from cars?
@@ligametis Because a bicycle is a lot less dangerous than a car. If you hit a pedestrian with a car they are likely going to be severely injured or dead. If you hit them with a bike it might hurt but they'll live. It's also easier to spot and thus not hit them in the first place on a bike, because you''re not boxed in a hunk of metal.
Honestly the better question is: why would cyclists have the same rules as drivers? It doesn't make much sense for 2 vastly different modes of transport to have the same rules in every situation.
I feel like you forgot to mention the Carpool Lane. That's an amazing concept!!
Here's a lane on the highway that's almost never crowded because it's only for cars with 2 or more people in it. And there's usually room in it, because so many people in the US drive their car alone. Because the distances are just that much bigger, it's necessary with a car.
Except the car pool lanes always seem to have mostly cars with 1 person in them. At least here in Tennessee.
@@WolfThrower in the Mid-Atlantic states if we pull that, they'd ticket us back to the stone age
In the northwest states, the carpool (hov) lane is almost always where you'll find those people camping in the left lane, doing exactly the speed limit and no mord
It's not only distances, it's also city planning. Or more specifically, suburbia planning - with no efficient public transport, often even without sidewalks and with giant obligatory concrete parking lots. Those giant concrete deserts create the distances you mention and in total with lack of public transport this makes car necessary.
Wouldn't be necessary with a car if the railways had been kept in decent condition
Hi, I am an european living in New York State, and I have some comments: 1. in the US there are "default" sped limits like in Europe. For example, in NY state, the speed limit outside cities is 55 miles, and there is no need to have it posted again and again unless it´s different in a particular area. 2 In the US there are also A LOT of drivers who speed and want you to pull right to let them through when you are passing a truck. 3. Gas prices have been high for a while, but are much lower now. 4. I have not seen any gas station where you have to pre-pay - it is an option but not compulsory. Finally, I remember that in eastern countries (I remember this from East Germany shortly after the wall came down) turning right on red was actually allowed. Technically it was not "on red", because they had a little sign with a green arrow pointing to the right, imitating a green traffic light, but without light because it was permanent. So at every intersection, you had "green light" to turn right.
as a German I can confirm the green arrow on some crossings - especially in east germany, but also in the rest of it.
0:45 like Mr.been not only has 3 keys to start the car but also takes the wheel. so pata theft can't drive ya
1:02 and kills pedestrian
1:45 so that pedestrians can see the green light as well when crossing. there was an incident where people were crossing and then the light above turned green because pedestrians couldn't see it. the driver hits a pedestrian. and the driver is not at fault because of the green light at that time.
2:57 I don't think it's only in the United States that people drive 5000 km. even in Russia because all goods are transported by rail not trucks. The trucks used are similar to Europe because they save more space.
4:30 because cities are made for cars, not pedestrians. there are 8 parking lots for every car in the United States
8:39 because every province in the United States has different regulations regarding driving speed
9:04 why do you pass other car
if ever car has the same speed
9:50Because people can't live without a car if the government takes the car of these poor people how will they go to work tomorrow.what transport do you use? uber
14:57 because is dangerous in usa .There are no roundabout in the United States to slow down cars in the United States
Right on red is in Europe as well, present as a safer alternative: the blinking green arrow. Not always existent in the smaller towns, but in general there is one in most places where such a thing would make sense (idk, in Romania at least). You have the convenience of turning right when you can and the safety of not having cars turn when it should not be the case.
On the "semaphores on the far side of the intersection" thing, I've heard arguments that there are many drivers stopping inside the intersection because of that, while in Europe, it is much more inconvenient since you cannot see the traffic light if you don't stop where you should. Moreover, in Europe, if you cannot comfortably see the small light on the red side, unless you're not in the outside lane and you have a large car next to you blocking it, usually means that you probably should stop a bit further behind. If you cannot see the light at all, then you 100% stopped too far. Which is not good for pedestrian and cyclists crossing. These are arguments that I've heard from other people, not mine, but they make sense imo, especially if you have shitty drivers. In Bucharest there are some places which have traffic lights at the far end or in the middle of the intersection, but they are some isolated cases.
Yes, we have 2 types of lights in czechia. First is classic, full circle, that is put on the "any direction" lights, and then arrows, which are specific for a direction+ with the green arrow, its guaranteed that there is no green for pedestrians, which makes it super simple and safe
@@kexcz8276 We have those two, but we do also have a blinking arrow. Like, you have the right turn arrow, which is green when it's your turn and red when it's not, but we also have a blinking arrow which blinks when you can turn, but you have to yield/be careful (either to incoming cars or to pedestrians). They are present in other european countries btw, not only Romania, would be surprised if there aren't some in Czechia.
In North America, I find it super rare that anyone stops inside the intersection. I can see it happening to, for example, a European on their first drive here, but everyone is accustomed to it so it is not a problem. Also, there are clear usually lines on the ground marking where to stop, sometimes even a sign on the sides pointing where the stop line is, and you can use common sense to see that you are not blocking traffic. While I love many things about driving in Europe, this is one thing I really think North America does better.
@@I_Santos_ The arguments are usually about drivers being assholes, and not people not knowing where to stop though. While I'm in no position to comment on this since, again, I'm from Romania, we are known for our beyond shitty drivers, I can definitely see someone just not giving a fuck and stopping too far because they can.
@@h-0058 fair points. Where I live, drivers certainly aren’t great. Driver training here is ridiculous, it’s like they just hand out licenses like candy. However, I still find that with this particular issue, people just don’t really do it. I think the immediate chaos it would cause just isn’t worth it, even to anyone impatient. And it doesn’t help the dummy either. This isn’t saying that we don’t have other bad habits here at all, haha. Just this particular one doesn’t seem to be an issue. :)
Great video - some funny moments. Just to point out that if ‘turn right on red’ ever became a thing in Europe, it could have serious consequences here in the UK (and Ireland)! 😂
it would just be "right on left" there and yes, maybe not in London or other busy pedestrian/cycle aggregations but further out it would save a lot of time for many people!
having said that now I remember just how "careful" (read silly and inexperienced) the style is there..
@@karlandersson3852 left on red not right on left
@@paellamaster8305 yes that's what I meant, silly me
In UK, you are half way there already with your legal option to cross road on red light as a pedestrian! 😃
it does exist here in Europe, in Portugal specifically, although it's "right on flashing amber" not actually red.
I have no idea how safe/unsafe it is compared to places where it's not allowed like the UK, but I do know that it's very bad for the pedestrian experience. Although cars do have to give way to pedestrians crossing, and they mostly do, you're always having to look over your shoulder and make sure, i.e. "you're in the road now, watch out for cars", regardless of the fact that it's theoretically "your road", i.e. your right of way.
Cities and countries won't reduce car-dependence if they don't improve the experience for other modes.
It's actually funny, that you used a clip of a Danish Vehicle in the segment about pre-paying for your gas.
Here in Denmark, it's the norm, to prepay before you pump gas, at gas stations. :D
Well, the plates are Danish but vehicle is not. It is ferrari and ferrari is Italian :)
I like prepay at the pump.i don't get his issue with it. I never have to go into the store...I tap the card, pump and go lol
1:27 Mate, that's Australia right there! Left on red only exists in a couple of cities here, Canberra and Adelaide, in a limited amount of intersections. (As you can see from the image, we drive on the left).
My guess, that image is Adelaide.
3:02 LOL, aussie trucks, Brisbane.
There are various European rules for right turns, varying from country to country. In Romania we have the "intermitent green" signal, which - when lit - means you can turn right (or sometimes left on a one way street or even forward on a T-shape intersection; there's always an arrow on the light or under it, showing to which direction it applies) when the main traffic light is red or yellow, with the condition to yield to pedestrians and vehicles running on green light from the other directions. Generally, this type of light is used on turning lane (so first lane mandatory for turn), but not always. I have to mention that, in Romania, it is mandatory for a cyclist to run on the street if there's no bike lane... this also means the cyclist must select lanes at an intersection like a car, a rule that motorists really love (no, they don't, they hate it, they honk, they scream at you to go to the sidewalk as they're in a hurry on the 20m of street before the next traffic jam; with cold blood, you too can cycle in Bucharest, I've been doing it from 11 years without major incidents). This means a bike turning left could be on the 4th lane and a bike going straight in most big intersection will be on lane 2, thus, in theory, there is no risk of being hit by right turning motor vehicles.
Untill some years ago, this "intermitent green" used to be an intermitent yellow and I think you can still find them in smaller towns. There is also another "intermitent yellow" either clear or with a pedestrian painted on it, that shows that even if you have green from where you came, if you make a turn you need to yield to pedestrians. I saw similar traffic lights in Bulgaria and I'm sure you can find them in other countries too.
Other countries allow bikes to turn right on red light or to go straight in a T-shape intersection only by installing a small traffic indicator (so no dedicated intermitent green), of course with the condition they yield to pedestrians (I've been to Brusseles a dozen times, I NEVER saw a cyclist yield to a pedestrian, no matter what...).
The US has what you describe at 8:40, it does vary slightly from state to state.
The prepay system is mostly in urban areas. Rural areas don't.
Red Going, Amber coming, similar to boats and planes and trains, so if someone is missing all their brakes lights and/or you can tell what way they are going in poor conditions. Also why you can be ticketed for lights being out.
A "Big American Car" in Europe is still seen as a status symbol in some parts of Europe, similar to the "Tiny, needlessly complicated, European car in the US".
In the U.S. when a school bus stops and the stop sign is out you need to stop. Even if the bus is on the opposite side of the road, you need to stop. This is because kids may need to cross the street, and for the safety of the kids getting to or off the bus. You may proceed once the stop sign is no longer extended.
Little correction: I 10 connects Santa Monica to Jacksonville. Great video! One annoying thing about driving in Europe is multiple, changing speeds on highways or expressways. In Germany, for example, you often go in stretches from limitless to 120km to 80km. The biggest difference I see between the US and Europe is that the Main Road/Right Side Right of Way does not exist in the US. One more thing I love about Europe is the large number of roundabouts. One other difference (also within the EU) is the requirement to drive with lights on at all times. Again, great video! Diky, thanks!
Concerning the German Highway.
As a driver, the german government assumes that you do as you have been told in driving school, and always be cautious about all signs.
Not all the Autobahn is limitless. If it is a major interstate it is usually unlimited. If it turns more into a federal motorway rather than the major interstate, we usually see 120 to 130 max speed.
80 on Autobahn is only the case, if there is a construction side or anything dangerous on the tracks, so you have to drive with caution.
Normally, you get a sign already a few kilometers ahead, that you are notified of a drastic speed change (e.g. construction side in 5km, which is lesss than 5 min, electronic rush hour warning on modernised highways etc )
What people often so wrong is, that they drive 120 until the 80 sign, which is not how it is supposed to be. You need to slow down to 80 until you have reached the sign. You have to avoid breaking abruptly.
@@NeroNemion I totally agree with you, and share the same observations, still finding the situation, despite all the mindfulness, extremely annoying. The German government despite all its virtues, handles many concerns, and so is well known for its annoyance, go figure. Happy New Year, Alles Gute!
@@JorgeGarcia-lw7vc but as a dutch, its still better then having to be limited to 100 or 120kmh all the time but due to emissions we have since April a law that limits motorists to 100kmh between 6am and 7pm and 130kmh between 7pm and 6am unless there is another speedlimit given(which on most highways is 120kmh but when there is no speed limit given on the highway its 130kmh at night and 100kmh at day). what frustrates me the most, our roads are in excellent shape and yet the speed limit is insanely low... i have never seen a pothole
@@JorgeGarcia-lw7vc Happy new year to you, too! :)
I am a US citizen living in Germany and it is probably not a law that everyone has to have their lights on at all times. Some cars have them wired so that they will illuminate when the engine is running, but most don't. Our US-spec Mazda will turn on the headlights, parking lights and tail lamps automatically if it is anywhere remotely close to a darkened sky or close to dusk.
13:11 "...also BMW drivers, voilá, you have it (turn signal) in your car too." LOL
I'm in the US and I work in auto insurance. We crack jokes about BMW drivers....this must be an international thing? LOL
~ Trucks ~
There's a very common misconception about commercial trucks - one which, back when I was a CDL trainer, was one of the first things I prioritized getting my trainees to understand. "Don't ever allow yourself to think you're driving the truck; you're actually driving that trailer." If you're hauling a 53' (16m) trailer, it doesn't matter if you're in a cabover or a conventional with a double sleeper - everything you do is completely reliant upon the 46' (14m) between the kingpin (where the trailer connects to the truck) and the center of the trailer axles.
This is not to say that there aren't advantages to cabovers having a ±30% tighter turning radius but, with very few exceptions, you've already messed up if you get into a situation where you *NEED* that difference. Even driving a conventional, you rarely max out your turning ability outside of the occasional buttonhook turn - yet, even in those circumstances, the trailer's offtracking (remember, that trailer's effective wheelbase is nearly *twice* that of a large bus) is going to be a driver's primary concern. If you can't get that *trailer* to make a turn, it doesn't matter what sort of truck is pulling it.
~ Car Sizes ~
There has been something of a paradigm shift in the US over the past few generations. Speaking as a Cusper (inbetween the Baby Boomers and Gen X), two things were 'normal' well into my 20s - most people owned their own homes (sometimes multiple homes), and people typically had multiple vehicles. There was, of course, the "family car" (a larger sedan or station wagon); the "work vehicle" (not for commuting to work, but for hauling; typically an older station wagon, cargo van, or pickup truck); and "daily drivers" (usually a compact, either for economy or something sporty). Many people would also have a "day trip" vehicle - usually something massive, like a Suburban, conversion van, or small RV - to go hunting, fishing, or spend the day at the beach.
Nowadays, 'crossovers' have become the norm - a single vehicle to fill multiple roles. This trend started with the minivans, eventually morphing into the SUV craze. "One size fits all", by definition, seldom works; the roads now being filled with vehicles which are really too small to be a "family car" while being too big to be efficient as a "daily driver". If it *is* big enough to serve well as a "family car" (say, like a Suburban), it's ridiculously oversized as a "daily driver"; if it's small enough to be efficient as a "daily driver", it's way too small if you have any children with double-digit ages (and you certainly can't haul anything with it).
My mum actually stopped for the red light in the middle of the intersection. A police officer had to explain to her that if the light turns red after she passes the stop line she has to proceed through the intersection with caution and not to stop like this again LOL
Lol. Where is she from?
@@nerychristian Thailand
17:44 my brother in Christ, you bought the car, you don’t have to drive a giant V8 suv if you don’t want to
Pretty fair comparison, I'd have to say. Agree with almost all your obsevations. About the only exception I feel compelled to point out is the 4-way stop in the US is definitely NOT a "every man for himself" scenario where nobody knows who should go first. As most all US drivers know, if the cars arrive at the intersection at the same time, then the car to the right has the right of way. Otherwise, whoever stops at the intersection first is the first to go. Oh, and gas is still more expensive in CZ than even California.
P.S. I'm the guy that sat next to you on the flight from PRG to LHR in November. :)
The system works great until you get the knucklehead that thinks he'll choose THIS time to be polite and wave someone through. No... follow the rules of the 4-way stop. Other drivers don't know you've waved someone through. The rules are there so everyone is playing the game the same.
I worked at a gas station in the us state of Minnesota for a few years back when you could pump your gas before paying. And we would usually get multiple people who would drive off without paying for gas every day. It was a really common problem actually.
Well this also happened here but that’s why every gas station has cameras. And you are even informed about it.
Was it so hard to prosecute people who steals gas?
I'm from Slovenia and we also usually don't stop at the STOP sign, we just kinda go real slow UNLESS the intersection has really poor visibility of other incoming lanes. Also, it is not mandatory to have fog lights (but most newer cars have them), but if you do have them, they need to work properly. Regarding turning right on a red light, we have a testing phase where there is a special green arrow sign that allows you to do it, but these instances are only being used in intersections with great visibility of the left incoming lane.
Well actually you also have to pre-pay for your gas in France. It will debit the exact amount you took from the gas station (limited at 120-150€).
Also turning right on red lights does exist for some places, it's indicated by an orange arrow that lights up besides the main light.
In Switzerland each direction has it's own light !
In czechia are prepaid stations too but its not that common and especially the older population just don't know how it's work.
Same in Spain, nowadays most stations are pre-paid but some stations are mixed: post-paid but pre-paid at night.
@Phillip Banes if you pay at pump before pumping it is prepaid.
@Phillip Banes Uh...if you pay at the pump, you are pre-paying. You don't pump the gas and then put the card in.
@@romanc189I’m American and live in Czech. Pay-at-the-pump is very different from pre-pay. I like pay-at-the-pump in the US because I only have to go inside if I need to. Pre-pay in Czech (mostly used at night) wastes time because you have to go to the kiosk, estimate the amount of CZK worth of gas you need, then pay that. If you under-estimate, it’s another trip to the kiosk with another estimate a full tank. Pay-at-the-pump is just inserting payment details that they charge only once the pump knows exactly how much you gas you put in the car. Very convenient! The issue of trouble using European credit cards in the US is a separate thing related to banking.
12:01 Hit the "Pay Inside" button usually lets you don't have to pre-pay, but you have to pay inside the building and not at the pump, it is usually for people that have cash, not all gas stations work like this.
That's a good tip, because paying up front would be VERY confusing for someone from mainland Europe like me, who's used to measuring in liters, might not know the current conversion rate between dollar and euro and would definitely be driving a rental, not knowing the capacity of its fuel tank by heart.
A lot of stations don't have the pay inside button, but you can still pre-pay inside. Usually you either leave your card with the clerk and they turn on the pump or they will put a hold of a certain dollar amount that then gets converted into the exact charge as soon as you finish at the pump. We aren't as worried about our credit cards being away from us as those in Europe and Canada are.
Living in Florida, I agree 100% with you about the cars not being able to pass an inspection here. But the thing that surprised me the most about your video was the fact you didn't mention how many American drivers drive with their phone glued to their hand. Especially in Florida. That's the reason Florida leads the nation in car on bicycle/motorcycle/pedestrian strikes and Hit and Run's.
Dear European brothers and sisters Best of luck driving in my country Bangladesh.
@9:25 - that is one thing that annoys me a lot. Especially when I lived in Dallas, TX. Everyone drove to the left. Then when they wanted to exit the highway, they would cut across six lanes of traffic within 250 feet to exit. In addition, it is so dangerous to pass on the right.
Right, we have it pretty backwards here. I was at a convention this summer in my city (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and was outside talking to this guy who claimed this was his 400th something convention he's been to all across the world. He started complaining to me that we had the worst drivers in the world. His reasoning was that we didn't use the left lane unless passing enough, and didnt pass on the right. Like, doesn't that make traffic safer and faster????
I actually witnessed that in ky today by a 2500 gmc. Idk how people miss their exits like that lol.
Driving right on red light is a really stupid idea. As you said: You just look left, and go... And what about the pedestrians on your right, crossing the street?! This should be banned everywhere...
Well you learn to check for pedestrians... but also it's really only a problem in major cities where there are actual pedestrians 😅
Peds can look before crossing and same with the car crossing.
You look both ways
Outside of major cities in the USA, there are not many pedestrians. You hardly ever see pedestrians in the street because people are either driving, or parked in parking lots and walk to the destination from there- as the video states. Don't speak on something you aren't familiar with.
The USA is huge, 90% of it is country, farmland, mountains, etc. Major cities in the Southeast, Southwest, and Midwest (except Chicago), not many pedestrians are crossing the street, they drive and park at their destination. Cities like Manhattan, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C, yes you have many pedestrians- the reason for that is because it's more densely populated, there is good public transportation, and places are within walking distance. In those cities, it is illegal to turn on red. Hope this sheds some light.
Also, keep in mind many people don't care about pedestrians being hit ("Why weren't they driving?"). Sad but true.
I'm from Florida, and I agree with the majority of the points. I laughed so hard. Love all your videos. Keep it up
I'm visiting Prague soon, and it's amazing everything that I'm watching here in your channel. I lived in Ireland for 8 years before moving to Chicago, and everything that you said is soooo true!😅
While convenient for drivers, turning right on a red light is dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the street as drivers often only look left and don't check for people in the crosswalk (even if they have a green light). If drivers are only allowed to go through green lights, they couldn't hit the people crossing the street. Sadly the US has a nasty habit of prioritizing convenience for drivers over the safety of everyone else
You mean that you don't have to give priority to pedestrians or you have but you don't?
Or peds can look first before crossing, that's what I do. Never had issues.
........you must not understand traffic dynamics if you think inconveniencing drivers wont cascade and debilitate entire systems.
@@cristibaluta Thé driver has to look for pedestrians, but the sad true Is that often they don't and this law encourages it...That's alibism saying "Well, they should yield to them". They don't.
Yeah, it's horrendously dangerous
and if you make your traffic lights even a little bit smarter, it doesn't even give any real benefit
I live in the U.S. and I have a manual-transmission Honda Insight. I got a "Manual Transmission Preservation Society" sticker for the window too. :D
Also I recommend CGP Grey's video on the interstate highway numbering system. It's quite good.
Those two screens at 5:05 were actually lifted straight from that video.
CGP Grey's videos are just generally worth watching!
Subaru Forester with a 5-speed manual and my sticker I put on the back says "Endangered Species" with my shift pattern inside. My 5th clutch-pedal manual.
My Nissan Xterra is a 6 speed manual, so is my 2005 Mini Cooper. My antique 93 Suzuki Cappuccino is only a 5 speed, but then again it's right hand drive. Been driving since 84. I've never owned an automatic and I don't plan on ever getting one.
I’ve always wanted a Manual Honda Insight. What is your gas mileage? And what year?
Cool stuff right there!
Hey Janek, your video was really fun from an European perspective. And also very interesting, I didn't know about the numbering of the interstates roads.
Just to add something about the gas paying point :
I'm from France and here at the station we also pay with our cards before we can take the gas. I believe that it is done so that the paying machine can check if you have enough money on your account before you can take the gas. It's called prepayment and that's usually why you cannot take more than around 120/150€ worth of gas in France at a 24/24 station.
Another justification can be that you can't forget your card inside the paying machine after taking the gas.
Here where I live you pay after you fill up ur tank, but if you by any mean try to not pay and run....God forgive you :)))) Police here takes this really serious and if you try such thing, in only few hours, you will most likely get arrested so that's the reason many people from EU don't just run away. Also if you don't have money to pay... well you gota pay or police will come.
Hey honest guy! I'm from Pennsylvania USA. And we have horse and buggy. You forgot about that too. And I'm with you on the speed limit changing every few blocks. That's how they make so much money in speeding tickets here.
Well. They do it here too. If you put a sign 30 in city it means now everyone need to go 30 instead of 50. It happens a lot here. But generally I like the idea that I already know where the default speed limit is
@@andreisoma7430 in lots of places in here in America they change the speed limit every few blocks in a single town, or multiple times in a couple km(?) on the highway. I'm not exaggerating. Our speed limits are primarily a means of generating revenue.
Pennsylvania interstate suxs, it's always brokenand speed limit are always changing you guys really need to fix that
i used to advocate "right turn on red" too, until i learned about the adverse effects on bikers and pedestrians...
so right now i´m only in favor "right turn on red" for bikes :)
also the point with the lights on the other side...it encourages drivers to pull up all the way crossing the white lines
"not just bikes" has a good video titled "Crossing the Street Shouldn't Be Deadly (but it is)" about that topic
the same with the big nose trucks...
these are not favorable and unsafe in urban environments and narrow streets, even less visibility and the turning circles .....
As someone who walked 10-15 miles a day in a small city i learned real quick "Walk" signs dont mean jack if someone wants to make a right. I almost died straight up 3 times within 2 years living there.
So ban it in cities. It shouldn't be banned everywhere, I don't want to sit at a rural red light with a zero percent chance of pedestrians
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv in low traffic conditions the few lights that actually exist in rual areas are usually set to blinking yellow.... at least here in germany... so u can turn whenever
Compromise...ban right on red in cities, and heavily punish bicyclists who go through red lights, zig zag all over the road, ride the wrong direction, etc.
Agreed. It's dangerous and needs to go.
I find it hilarious how shocked he was that beat up, broken, bumper-missing cars are not an uncommon sight on American roads. You just kind of get used to seeing weird cars with their front bumpers missing or their door smashed in.
I think the main reason why it is not allowed to turn right on red light is because there is a kind of road user that is completely foreign to the USA: pedestrians.
Yeah, there are vast swathes of the US where there are literally 0 pedestrians.
True. Very few people in the USA walk or ride a bicycle. If you see a person walking on the street, you just assume they are doing it for exercise, or because they are poor and cannot afford a car. In Europe people walk everywhere. In the USA if you walk, unless it's very close, people assume you are doing it for exercise.
0:42 this isn’t a stereotype, this is actually true!!!
On one hand as a driver, it is nice to be able to make turns on red given the appropriate circumstances. On the other hand, as a pedestrian and bike rider, I despise cars turning on red because the driver is almost always looking toward traffic coming toward the intersection in the lane into which that driver would turn. I can't tell you how many close calls even I have had with drivers not paying attention to pedestrians/bikes coming the opposite way, therefore cutting me off or even almost hitting me. In fact about a year or two ago, I witnessed first hand a right-turning car hit a bike because the driver wasn't checking both directions!
Also the stop signs. I'm sure its not like this everywhere in Europe, but that intersection that Tom Scott covered while back happened to have plenty of drivers that were cruising full speed right through the stop signs. I've heard they since fixed the intersection so cars are forced to slow down and/or stop before proceeding, but at the least, it was an interesting exception... perhaps is the right word. Overall good video, I enjoyed it!
In the US we do have emissions testing and inspections in some states. Most states require emissions testing in at least some parts of the state. In my state, emissions testing is required for all vehicles, but inspections are only required for certain types of vehicles (e.g. commercial vehicles, motorcycles, salvage vehicles). But then of course even in states that have such inspections, you can drive right in from another state.
You get deaththreads if you use the left lane to cruise on German highways lmao
Or some BMW/Audi/Merc in your rear view mirror lighting up like a christmas tree :D
I think a lot of the differences you're noting are due to the different use cases for cars in America versus Europe. In America, we spend much more time in our cars generally, whether commuting because there is no alternative, or traveling because the country is much bigger. This leads not only to desiring bigger cars but also a desire to zone out and drive distracted.
We also have a lot lower standard for licensing people because it's viewed as more of a basic right and necessity to have a license, so some drivers, like the cars you're noting in this video, would not be allowed on European roads. Those two groups combined lead to the abysmal interstate traffic flow, although it does vary largely from state to state, with California and Florida being the absolute worst, in my experience.
Also, the proliferation of stop signs in the US is a traffic calming measure and has really increased in the last decade, as are the vastly different speed limits throughout cities. Most Americans will drive what they think is a comfortable speed, usually 35-40, so cities use 25 mph zones and stop signs at every intersection to bring that down in hopes of increasing safety. The huge cars people drive make pedestrian collisions a lot worse and in most of the country riding a bike or walking can be risky.
Anyway, long ramble. Longtime viewer, love Prague and hope to get back someday. Keep doing good work.
P.S. I drive a manual
As american, would you like to have an public transport of a similar quality and density as in Europe? Im curious and also think It would solve a ton of issues for you ;)
@@kexcz8276 I live in a rural area so it would be difficult to replace cars with public transit here, which I know is also the case in Europe.
As for in cities, I think that it's growing a lot more than people realize in many cities and becoming a focus for people there. If you look at Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Philadelphia, Denver or even LA and San Diego, there's been a lot of progress recently and most younger people in cities that I know seem to generally be in favor of expanding it.
That being said, I've lived most of my life in cities and even if people are in favor of public transit developing, for a lot of them I think it's more of a supplementary form of transportation, rather than a replacement for their car. Basically, an easier way to get into the downtown core for events or nights out but not a way to get to work or the grocery. I don't really think that you could achieve that kind of fundamental change here outside of downtown areas in major cities like those listed above.
I think that Tesla's success starting in America is a good example of this. Even liberal Americans would rather find a private, car-like way to help the environment over riding public transit.
If someone is hitting the break, then the light on the top of the car should light up, if it doesn’t the cop can pull you over
There are a lot of reasons that we drive big cars in the US. I think the main one is that we spend a lot of time in our vehicles. This is not as big a deal on a daily basis, but when you are driving city to city you have a much greater chance of covering vast distances in the US than you do in Europe. An 8, 10 or 12 hour drive in a day is not a big deal to us, but our vehicles also make it easy.
I sold my pickup in September (waiting for its replacement which was updated to a 2023 order in October). The truck made thousand mile days pretty easy. Since September my daughter and I went on a road trip from Maryland (near DC) where we live, through the NE (PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, NH, ME) into Northern Maine, across to Quebec City and down to the North Shore of Lake Ontario before heading home. Our longest days were about 10 hours in our mid-size (for the US) SUV and we were unlucky enough to get bad weather on just about every travel day. The SUV (not cross-over) did well, but it was nowhere near as comfortable or easy to drive for distance as the pickup.
I’m in Tallinn and they have the traffic lights where you stop AND on the other side as well (or behind a pedestrian crossing, if it’s a straight road). Genius! Also, for pedestrians it’s on the left and on the right side of the crossing. And the fact that the green light starts blinking before it changes to orange and red. Love this country.
I am from the UK but I love Estonia too - I cycled around the whole country last summer and totally fell in love. I especially liked Viimsi near Tallinn - I wanted to buy a house and live there!
Exactly the same in Latvia
Best country in the world!
Right turn on red is a really bad decision:
- you learn not to take red signal as a given (our or German combo with green arrow, printed or lighted, is much better solution)
- it is really hard to protect pedestrians and cyclists this way (especially the look left - go right combo)
- people tend to act like this even on crossroads where this is not allowed, because you get used to it and tend to not read all signs (or respect them)
Really great video has channel Not Just Bikes, this topic especially is in "Crossing the Street Shouldn't Be Deadly (but it is)" video, from 2nd minute
I always treat the red right turn as a stop sign and there’s not a problem. If this were taught strictly it would solve these problems
Watching from Tampa, Florida. :) Love your videos.
The speed limit depends on what type of road you are on; a suburb is normally 25 to 35 mph, on a regular street. It’s 35 to 45 miles an hour, on an open road 50 miles or more depending on traffic, and the highway depends on what state has its speed laws set to and how well they are enforced.
As an American who has moved to the Netherlands and driven around many of parts of Europe, I prefer driving in Europe. I’ve mentioned many of these points in my videos as well.
I’m an American and I am very interested in moving to the Netherlands, would you be able to briefly sum up how you were able to?
Your content are top notch Sir. Very pleased finding you here :)
@@siloton thank you! Make sure you subscribe 😎
I love NL, but it's the only place in Europe I have ever been fined for driving mistakes - once for not realising the speed limit on the motorway had changed, and once for not realising the on street parking in Groningen was for residents only. They were BIG fines too! Now whenever I go there, I stick to a bicycle or a train!
Nah, to much government intervention 📸📸📸 . I typically drive faster than the avg speed, but we don't have camers
The "you can park everywhere in the US" is insane. There are no cities, just parking wasteland. ... You don't need parking at a restaurant in Prague, because you can walk there (or use taxi / public transport). In the US you HAVE TO drive, no choice.
The US has lots of cities. It is more car centric for sure, but you sound like a child when you say the country that has New York City and San Francisco is just parking lots. Like saying Czechia is just drunk tourists and old people.
@@jdm9251 Yeah, it's called exaggeration.
@@rehorekMichal maybe just don't talk about stuff you clearly don't know anything about. 🤷
- "Yay, I did it! I'm so over the moon!"
@@jdm9251: "Actually, you can't be literally over the moon, so you clearly don't know anyting, so maybe don't speak, ok?"
- "K"
Yea, thats why I am with you, not blaming you as people , but your lead and government
1:00 It's important to note that you do have to come to a complete stop first at a red light and check for oncoming traffic before turning right. The traffic with the green light still has the right of way.
It doesn't matter what color the turn signal is in the US as most people don't use them anyway. Also a new trend I've been noticing in the past few years is if you are coming to a stop light and it is turning red, just go ahead and speed up and blow through the light. I see people do it all the time. I don't know how many times I've been going through an intersection and the light is changing and four or five cars behind me come on through. I have even seen this happen with a police car sitting at the opposite light and nothing happens, they are just ignored.
Literally saw this just yesterday. Lovely Jeep plowed through an intersection and nearly hit me, me being a cyclist...
I like the right on red too, but I also can see why it wouldn't work in Europe - or at least Denmark, where I live: Too many cyclists and pedestrians! There aren't many of those in America, and that's why it works.
The position of traffic lights are different from country to country. Of the top of my head, Spain and the Czechs have that stupid position where you can't see them when you're at the stoplight. Not so in Denmark, Sweden, UK and Germany (as I recall), that also has them opposite the intersection like the Americans.
The "everybody goes about the same speed" isn't exactly something I recognize - unless you mean that about 90% (including trucks) cruise along at 15-20 mph above the limit. Okay, I've only ever been to Florida, so I don't know if that's different elsewhere in the US...
As far as the stop signs and car sizes, I'm with you!
It doesnt work in the US either. They have very bad statistics in pedestrian fatalities annually
Germany has traffic lights on the same side of the intersection, to MAKE you stop at the right spot. If you stopped right, you can see at least the lower lights that are to the right/left of you
It's not so easy anymore with the speed limits without a sign. In Germany there're many speed constrictions like 30 km/h Areas (mostly residential areas or school zones) or 70 km/h on streets outside a City. The famous Autobahn is also mostly restricted.
Yes, but those are exceptions to the general speed limit. The speed limits must be posted everywhere in the US.
Deviations from the norm have a sign.
30 km/h, I might as well walk or ride a horse.
@@STho205 Agreed, but our residental streets are a lot smaller. My street as example is a two way street but has only one lane with parking at both sides. 30 ist quick enough for this.
@@rainerbehrendt9330 20mph with traffic congestion too is faster to walk.
We have 25mph on lots of village streets now (small town not much different in the old section to Europe) because there is a fad to use golf carts. Golf carts aren't allowed on streets marked above 25mph so all the 35MPH became 25, 20 or 15.
Same streets. Nobody goes those speeds...but few drive above 35. The police know it is just a legal maneuver so they ignore standard drivers.
Most of us are not at all offended by the term "Redneck Riviera"! It lives up to its name for sure, and it's fantastic (FL panhandle area)
Thanks for making these videos in both English and Czech! I've been working on learning Czech and it is so helpful to be able to listen first in English to know what is happening, then in Czech to try to pick up what I can.
"Redneck Riviera" is Baldwin County, Alabama. Perdido to Apalachicola is the "Emerald Coast".
Orange Beach and Gulf Shores boomed in condos in 1980 following Hurricane Frederick demolishing most of the cottages between FloraBama and the Hangout.
I live in Texas and I have traveled by road across the Southern USA and a couple of other countries. Here in Texas we do have annual vehicle inspections. Here in Texas, the vehicle inspections vary with the population of the area you live. Small towns in the middle of nowhere only do a basic safety inspection: tires have more than 2/32 inch tread depth, brakes, lights, windshield wipers, seatbelts, and horn, typically. I live in a suburb of a large metropolitan area and the annual vehicle inspection includes both the safety inspection and emissions also.
It varies from state to state and in some cases, there is rational thought behind the differences. I've heard that in New York State, vehicles are also inspected for rust. With the bitter cold Winters and the use of salt on the roads, rust is a major concern there. Here, in Texas, we might get snow one day a year (some years none, some years maybe 3 days).
In many parts of the USA we also have "fix-it" tickets. If a Police 🚔 Officer pulls a driver over for, say, a headlight not working... the driver would either be given a warning (either verbal or written) or a citation/fine. Once the defect has been repaired, the driver can go to court and present evidence that the defect has been fixed and the fine is typically dismissed (less administrative fees). Obviously, for a verbal warning, no trip to court is required, but you also don't want to be stopped again because it likely won't be a verbal warning the second time.
Varies from city to city and state to state.
The old turn signal colours here in the US used to be amber/orange/yellow, not red like it is now.
Traffic lights being further back is actually worse because people then try to jump the light when they see the other side is going red despite theirs not being green.
Also just look on the one on the right, why are you trying to look on the one above you lol
It is easier to see when it is across the intersection
@@jerrymiller9039 It isn't, especially if there is more than one signal for one direction.
@@mrkv4k it is
@@jerrymiller9039 I've seen both and it isn't.
Always interesting to hear about the USA from another perspective.
I agree with your frustration about how often the speed limit can change. I know some streets where the limit changes every BLOCK. Not every state is a regulation wasteland, however. Try and get your Volvo to pass an annual/biannual smog check in a state like California...it can be frustrating as hell.
We have smog check as well and it's a part of technical inspection :)
Janek is being slightly selective in his statement that there are only 3 speed limits. I live in a small village in Czech, and there are 4 official speed limits in the 1 km from my house to the end of the village, none of which includes the highway speed. With all the other signs regulating traffic (yield, school zone, etc.), there is some sort of a traffic signs every couple meters for nearly the entire distance.
In Washington state there are so many new cars compared to old ones that we don't even have to do emissions inspections (aka SMOG check) anymore. The last time I had to get one for my SUV was about 4 years ago I think
In Slovenia we have the right on red but only where there is a sign. Also the pedestrians have a red light for crossing the street where the cars have the green light.
And here we also have the rule that if the traffic light is on the other side of the intersection you can turn left even on read. But only if there is no one coming towards you.
Very positive video!!!
Great job 👏 Honest Guide!!!
Very informational! Love this channel, Should do a comparison video between driving in Europe, US and Australia. Also should check out Australian Road Train trucks that operate here in Outback Australia.
German TV DMAX is having many reports about them. Truth be told, normal driving rules do not apply for the outback, because there are no limitations on those streets.
It is unlikely that you endanger pedestrians, flow of cars is so litte that crashs are rather seldom. The outback is legitimately the best possible street in a sense for logistics.
The problem it hugely struggles with is access to car/truck maintenance in case of breaking down
While not quite as long some states here allow a truck to pull either 2- 53 ft trailers or 3 of the smaller pup trailers.
Nobody in the US uses a turn signal at the exit of a roundabout - though, by their law, they should. Also, they like switching lanes when u least expect it, usually without a turn signal as well. They will happily push you out of your lane - and NOONE will let u merge into the lane even if you indicate for half an hour - they will do their best to block you from merging :)
You have been driving in the North East or California. Most of the rest of the country will let you merge.
As far as roundabouts go, very few people in North America know how to use them at all. They aren't that common and people aren't used to them.
@@rich7447 I disagree. We've had a good 30 years of roundabouts now, and most people I see driving use the roundabouts well. It's not the novelty it once was.
@@jaycee330 Which part of the country are you in? They seem to confuse people here in MD and it wasn't any better on either side of the state line when I lived in Kansas City,
@@rich7447 Ohio
@@jaycee330 One more thing that Ohio has over Michigan I guess.
Are you sure that the payment system for fuel in the US is pre-pay? I live in Poland and we have some self-service petrol stations here and the way it works is that you have to punch in the max amount of money you want to fill up your tank for, then you use your card and at this point the register only makes sure that this amount of money is available on your account and locks it for the time of the transaction. Then you fill up your tank up to that amount or until it's full and only then oy are getting charged with the sum you have actually filled up for. No pre-payment here, just validating that you have enough money before you fill up, since there are no employees to sort it out with if you happen to overdraw your card or anything like that.
Maybe it's similar out there, too, only in fully staffed stations as well, to spare them the occasional hassle?
If not, and that's actual pre-payment, that would be really silly.
Love your channel. You are so right about all this. BTW, did you pronounce Brno the Czech way? I expected Brno rather than "Berno".
I've been to Prague twice, all over Europe and Asia. The main thing I like about everywhere but the USA is the public transportation. I love the metros and trams in other countries, especially Prague.
😂 That’s the problem with so many Americans from small towns who go abroad and visit large cities but never bother to visit the great cities America!… The U.S. has some greatest cities in the world with amazing Metros (public transportation systems). New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles all have very extensive (and growing) public transportation systems. I live in a very large city in the Northeast and I don’t even own a vehicle!… Yes, we have 24/7 public transit system that covers the entire city!… Know your own country first before you go abroad so that you don’t sound like a stupid American because I’ve met foreigners who know about the U.S. more than native born Americans which is a crying shame!
Hello, Janek. Can you tell something about P&R parkings in Prague - how to use, how much it costs, is there tickets for public transport included when you pay for parking, etc.? I plan a trip to Prague by car, but for me it doesn't have any sense to drive to city centre, so this kind of information will be useful. Greetings from Kraków, Poland.
PS if someone interested, here in Kraków, currently we have 5 P&R parkings near tram loops and bus terminus. When you leave your car you get a ticket which allowes to use all public transport lines until 2:30 next day (you can't leave your car overnight).The ticket costs 10 zloty (about 2 euros) for one person or 25 zloty (5 euros) for a group of up to 5 people.
Heh I live in Prague and I don't even go downtown. I usually just leave the car next to a subway station and use the metro because the traffic is really bad but I am kind of new to Prague so maybe it is worth it taking the car downtown.
its a little complicated. In Prague We have 3 zones for P+R. Zone 0 = free parking for 12hours, Zone 1 = 50CZK (2,2USD) for 24hours, Zone 2 = 100CZK (4,4USD) for 24hours. But somewhere its higher if you park overnight. Problem with P+R is about capacity. In rush hours its difficult. Tickets to public transport you must pay separately (30CZK for 30min, 40CZK for 90min or 120CZK for the whole day - this tickets you must validated before entering the subway station or in time of entering to bus or tram)
correction: gas/petrol pumps in Europe that you put your card in do have a sort of prepay they ring fence an amount, often the delivery limit especially if your card is of another country.
The requirement to prepay started with a really horrific murder in my area in Canada. A young gas station employee named Grant tried to block a person from driving away without paying and the driver hit him and dragged him for a long time. There was big public pressure to make that impossible. So they made a law called Grant’s law to protect workers. Once you get used to the prepayment, it’s actually quite convenient
*Some Supplemental Viewing on the US*
The argument for mandatory car inspections in the USA is best made by the channel "Just Rolled In."[any video]
and the turn signals dilemma is well explained in Technology Connections- "The Senseless Ambiguity of North American Turn Signals" video.
I hope these help and feel free to add more helpful viewing.
Sorry but I don't buy the turn signal deliema as anything but people whining about how we did it back in wherever. The example he showed indicates he is either an idiot or reaching.
One light is burned out...is he signaling or stopping? No his blinker signals once and holds...unless he is rhythm pulsing the brake 30 times a minute.
My wife and I have two US black Ford compacts. One has an amber rear turn section. One has red. The amber one has been hit three times.
I've seen both setups from behind and neither confuse me. As to light failure...well the signal bulb can burn out too.
Just because something is a good idea doesn't mean it should become law.
In US cities are designed for cars and not for people. That's the whole issue
On speed limits, in the US states will have their own general rules about speeds in specific areas. So like in a residential area in my state it’s generally 30.
Also, there are few places in the US where people actually go the speed limit. So keeping up with the flow of traffic is far more important than the posted limit. (And is an actual defense for a speeding ticket) For example there is a road in my neighborhood with a limit of 35, but everyone goes 40 at least. People never get pulled over for speeding at that speed cause it’s safer to keep up with everyone else than to slow to the speed limit.
I don't know how it works in the Czech republic but in Belgium, you do have to use your card and pin code before you can start pumping gas. The bank will then pre-authorize €150 (about the same in USD) on your bank account. And when you're done, the correct amount will be deducted from your account. Also if you go eat at McDonald's in Belgium, you will have to pay in advance. You order, pay, get the food, eat and leave.
Don't forget about yellow flashing left turn arrows here in the US where you can turn left as long as the yellow arrow is flashing and there is an opening for you to turn.
I love those things I wish they were everywhere
PLEASE never use the fog light in heavy rain - it just makes it harder to see brake lights - seems to be a common problem in the UK atm. Only use when you can't see 100m in front of you and as soon as you see someone close behind turn it off - like you would a main beam.
I wonder if fog lights are mandatory in Czech Republic... I've seen new Skodas in Romania being sold without them, in fact most budget cars comes without them (I own a Dacia Logan... but I got a version woth fog lights) and they have no problem passing the mandatory inspection. Of course, the inspection checks the conformity of the car at the time of the inspection with the standards and condition from the moment of manufacturing, or at least that's the case in Romania. If you have a non-euro car, the emmissions measured must comply to... non-euro standards (as these were enforced when the car was manufactured), not to Euro-6. If the car has no ABS and this was legal on new cars when you bought it... you can drive it today.
In New York we do have mandatory technical safery inspection every year. Some states stopped it recently (like of course Texas) but we here see the numbers about how many cars DO NOT get the inspection sticker because they're way too unsafe - so we keep the inspections.
Maybe I'm not understanding you correctly but American cars/cars made for the American market do have low beams/fog lights which are made to help drive in heavy rain/fog/snow. Vs high beams which are more for driving really late at night and in really dark areas. Or was it a matter of strength and that the Czech Republic has a higher standard (US its just see 200ft/61m ahead)?
Interesting take. I spent a lot of time driving in Europe and have always found it to be much less stressful in USA. Motorway especially. In USA lots of different speeds, and the limit is always changing. In Europe flow was generally consistent and there was no car zig zagging.
Another thing to mention, right on red. It’s actually pretty dumb we have it in USA but makes sense. Reason we have it is we don’t have pedestrians. In any city where there’s people walking, right on red just doesn’t work and is a risk to them.
It’s the biggest issue with the US in my opinion. Reliance on cars ruins it