What We LOVE & HATE About Driving in the USA?

There's a ton of it.

Thank you

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

[AloysiusDente]

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.

[Ryulin]

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!

[LUSCIOUSDUNCAN]

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

[samurai]

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.

[alexanders.]

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.

[Acusumano]

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

[jurajkovac]

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.

[dominikk]

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.

[shioyoutube]

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.

[jreyman]

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).

[JxDGT]

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

[Knautschfriese]

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“.

[Axelle]

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. 🤣

[dennisshaykevich]

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.

[theventuracountyrailfan]

The reason American speed limits are low for highways is because everyone drives 15 over

[timbofoo]

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.

[dadisphat]

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

[IstasPumaNevada]

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.)

[IvyANguyen]

The old turn signal colours here in the US used to be amber/orange/yellow, not red like it is now.

[GumikoVT]

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.