The worst drivers never seem to be the ones getting tickets. Jalopnik readers want to change that, and here’s how they’d do it.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day - our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
There are many laws that we like on the books. DUI laws, for instance, are a good idea. Banning texting-and-driving is also a wonderful thing to have. In America we even enjoy one of the best driving laws in the world, right turns on red. Even the driving paradise of Germany doesn’t have that one.
And before we get into what laws we’d like changed, we would just like to reiterate that this country’s roads would be much safer if we had better driving instruction. A driving test is laughably easy to pass in the States, and you really only learn in your first year or two on the roads themselves. We would always prefer teaching drivers safe handling techniques and theory over laws punishing them for indiscretions down the line.
With that said, take a look at our short list often laws to change, and let us know what we left out in Kinja below.

Photo Credit: Richard Masoner
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10.) Heavy Tickets For Left Lane Hogs

We admire the cop who ticketed a driver doing two under in the left lane but we need to see this happen more, and we need harsher tickets as well. The left lane is for passing.

Suggested By: Tonylukes, Photo Credit: rik
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9.) Mandatory Driving Tests For The Elderly

I love my grandma, but we only knew she had to give up her keys when she got into one accident and then drove on the curb at night with her lights off. Regulating the elderly when they mess up is a bad system. We need regular checks to see if they’re safe to drive.

Suggested By: thestanwastaken, Photo Credit: Matteo Pieroni
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8.) Stop Signs Should Act As Yield Signs For Bicycles

We can’t remember how many times we and friends of ours have been ticketed for rolling through stop signs in completely empty, safe intersections. It’s bull****.

Suggested By: ttyymmnn, Photo Credit: Lynn Friedman
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7.) Fines For Bad Headlights

Improperly aimed headlights, particularly poorly-aligned aftermarket kits, are a hazard to other drivers. We need to ticket everyone from lifted bro trucks to cheaply-modded hatchbacks.

Suggested By: Dean, Photo Credit: Jorge Quinteros
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6.) Raise Speed Limits For Passing

It shouldn’t count as speeding if you need to get up past the limit to execute a safe pass. A slow overtake can be dangerous.

Suggested By: driveaboutMAXIMUMVRM, Photo Credit: CameliaTWU
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5.) Tiered Licenses

As reader fintail put it, “the same license that allows you a Rio allows you a Veyron, and the same endorsement that allows you a Vespa allows you a turbo Busa or a 1500lb hog/2 wheeled Civic with no doors.” We like the idea of having tiered licenses that keep bad drivers out of large and fast cars, and restrict full driving privileges to drivers with a good record and additional training.

Suggested By: fintail and gt40mkII, Photo Credit: Superbad
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4.) Legalize Lane Splitting

This one is a no-brainer. Lane-splitting for motorcycles is safe and efficient and should be legal in all 50 states.

Suggested By: dreygata, Photo Credit: gth_42
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3.) Tickets For Not Signalling

Reader DontPanic1 sums this one up nicely.Suggested By: DontPanic1, Photo Credit: TheCanonShot
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2.) Drop The 25 Year Import Ban

America would not be worse off if we could bring over a few Audi RS4s or Skyline GT-Rs. Hell, it wouldn’t be worse if city residents could pick up diminutive kei cars, or business owners could import a thrifty Mahindra. Just end the ban on importing vehicles less than 25 years old.

Suggested By: cesariojpn, Photo Credit: Daft Photos
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1.) Raise Speed Limits

Three words: safe and prudent. There are many roads (mostly in residential areas) where a low speed limit is safe, but for the wide open spaces of this country, or even in the high-power 80-90 mph freeways common everywhere, a higher speed limit only makes sense.

Suggested By: Triborough, Photo Credit: Mikeldray/Shutterstock.com

Discuss


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I AGREE WITH ALL OF IT!!!

 

I agree to them all. I also think that the whole police budget and quota rules should be examined. I think it is BS that a police officer will ticket the first car he sees just because he is behind on his quota. I am serious, I seen them given out for "changing lanes too fast" when no one is on the road except that car. I personally lost my license for 30 days last month for losing traction for more than a second on wet roads in a RACECAR (it was legal but barely), I mean drunk drivers get fined but keep license but I lost mine for a burnout? yeah stupid ****.

 

I agree too with all of them.

With that said, I guess the #9 is applicable to America I guess. I say that because where I'm from, if old people want to move around, they either ask younger family members to drive them around OR they hire drivers (or chauffeurs if they're really loaded). Hence, afaik, no on beyond retirement age (65 years old) even drives an automobile here on their own.

But I guess it's different in America since the cost of living is higher (than in the Philippines) so it's really expensive to hire manual labor in a developed country like America.

 

applaud, applaud

 

I agree, this would make the world a better place for the most part. I wouldnt want the motorcycle split one though. That seems less safe. And the quota for tickets thing is not existent here in VA but the more tickets you write the better you look. For example, the officer who writes the most tickets and is best at his job recieves the better car. There is no set quota though.

 

my only.issue with this is lane splitting. how.is that even remotely ok?

 

Agreed. Motorcycles are already very dangerous so allowing lane splitting only adds to the problem.

 

Is there a petition I can sign for all these

 

Only problem is......what's the definition of an "Elderly" driver, and when would one schedule the driving-test? :uh"

The late Carroll Shelby, for instance, despite many physical injuries (his body, like Evil Kneivel's, was basically held together with pins and rods), could probably drive better in his 80s than many guys in their 20s and 30s. I'd also bet that guys like A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, Mario Andretti, etc.... despite their also-advanced years, would also be safer on a public road than some people less than half their age.

 

I myself would add another one...though some cops might not like it. Many states get along just fine with a rear-only license plate....I'd like to see more of them drop the front-plate requirement. Yes, a front-plate can, and does, help in law-enforcement (and helps keep the cons in prison, who make them, working) , but is also just one more thing to get bent /damaged in automatic car-washes, makes the front bumper harder to hand-wash (I do my own hand-washing), means one more date-sticker to paste on each year, and often requires the use of a plate protector to keep it clean and/or undamaged. For some cars, it also messes up their front-end good looks.....especially with garish or bright-colored plates. I say dump the requirement for front plates. For most drivers, it would do more good than harm.

 

Some great points being made. Especially the lane change one. That needs to be addressed heavily, and it just shows more of a disrespect than laziness IMO.

 

Yes on the bicycle's @ stop signs and just more enforcement of biker rules in general. I live and drive frequently in NYC and there are loads of bikers who believe red lights, stop signs, or any rules don't apply to them.

 

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions