Driving School 101: New York Edition

By Stephanie Porteus

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From the state which took the title back from New Jersey last year for America’s worst drivers, (everyone loves New York!), here’s a look at the most common traffic laws that I see people simply ignore everyday. Read on…

First off, we seem to forget what a stop sign is for. Okay, I know sometimes when it’s a desolate road and there’s no one around we’ve all done the California roll. However, when in a more congested area, this maneuver is just as aggravating as it is dangerous. One is supposed to come to a full and complete stop, and when it’s a 4-way stop (Lawd help us!), you still have to come to a full and complete stop, but you are to wait for the person who got there first to go before you go–or alternately, yield to the driver on the right if more than one of you arrived at the 4-way at the same time. Needless to say, our 4-way stops are thrilling.

Much like stop signs, here in NY we also make a habit of ignoring the yield sign (or perhaps there’s a misunderstanding somewhere and everyone thinks it means YIELD TO ME! no matter which side of the sign you’re on?) Who knows, just remember–whenever you’re in NY, anywhere near a yield sign, just hold on tight and try to beat the other guy before you have to give him the right of way. Right of way? Huh? I’m going first and that’s all there is to it, so you better get out of MY way! (Did I mention NY is also one of the worst for road rage?)

Next up, say the power goes out and the traffic lights are off (Oh no! Now what, NY?) It seems I am the only one who recalls the rule that when a traffic light is out, that intersection turns into a 4 way stop, therefore you’re to treat it like a stop sign, but then since we always run them anyway, I guess it’s better to close your eyes, hold on tight, and GUN IT!

Just when you think you can blame the carelessness on the driver here in NY, even our road-crew flagmen are guilty of causing confusion. Just the other day, I encountered a sign on the highway that read, “Right Lane Closed Ahead.” Okay, so I get into the far left to allow room for the people in the far right lane to merge into the middle since it’s their lane closing. When suddenly I have to just short of slam on the brakes and get back over because–Surprise!–the left lane was closed and not the right. It seems also to be a common occurence for the flag man to issue cryptic gestures while seemingly forgetting they even have a flag at all but still expect you to know what it is he wants you to do.

There are a few theories as to why the top four states for worst drivers–New York, New Jersey, Hawaii, and California–are as bad as they are, one being that due to the congestion their urban areas encounter, they are forced to bend the rules in order to get where they’re going. Another attributes the collective lack of skill to the prevalence of mass transit; drivers are more likely to drive infrequently, and thus forget the rules.

But what states do the country’s best drivers come from? Idaho, Wisconsin, Montana, and Kansas.  See where the rest of you rank here. As for NY, NJ, HI, CA: better luck next year!

Observations aside, I looked into some statistics and, not so shockingly, it turns out that 41 million licensed drivers aren’t even familiar with the rules of the road, and wouldn’t even pass the written National driver exam (Test your knowledge here). I admit, although I consider myself to be a decent and defensive driver, that I didn’t score so hot on that test. But then I remembered that I’m from NY…oh, and to the fellow New Yorker, refresh your memory here!