Ben Kenobi said:
Oh where do I start? My wife and I just returned from a driving vacation to Florida and the stories I could tell. Round trip was approximately 3000 miles and I think I saw every kind of bad driving imaginable. If anyone else is a long time Car & Driver reader you'll recognize some of the terms. I had drifters, LLB's (Left Lane Bandits) who think it was written in the constitution that they can sit in the left lane as long as they want. What else.. oh yes, people who don't think they need to signal at all when changing lanes...
Actually, in Florida, you don't! Turn signals are only required changing direction (i.e. making a left hand turn into a parking lot, or a right hand turn onto another street). It's another of our quirky laws that drives me nuts.
That said, I'm one of maybe a dozen Floridians who signals lane changes. Funny, but being a motorcyclist (which brings "defensive driving" a whole new meaning) does a lot to motivate you as a safe driver. I've also installed side marker lights from the European version of my 300M on my car, just to make it even MORE evident that I'm using my turn signals. I recently picked up JDM SMLs for my Toyota P/U, but haven't yet installed them. Too many spring concerts and business trips giving me too little time on the weekends to get a round tuit.
Another strange law (thankfully, not enforced) - all vehicles are required to have two front headlamps. What's strange with that? I'm a motorcyclist, remember? There's another section of the vehicle code that states that motorcycles may have 1 or 2 headlights, but that doesn't take precedence over the place in the vehicle code that states
all vehicles must have 2 headlights, and of course, a motorcycle is a vehicle.
Another weird law - it's legal to have amber brake lights!
We
are required, by law, to have our lights on when it's raining. However, it's kind of like gun and morality laws. You can't legislate good driving habits, and when you do, only good drivers will abide by them. The laws are meaningless if they're not enforced, and with all the other crime going on out there, I'm not sure I want such petty things as wiper laws taking up the time of our constables.
Anyway, glad you had a safe trip.