Like most everything else driving in the U.S. has been dumbed down lower and lower to provide access to the masses. It's time to stop giving participation trophies (and licenses) to everyone.

In the UK we have a theory test, a hazard perception test and a practical driving test, part of which is a "show and tell". You have to pass all parts to get a licence. To drive a car you have to be 17 years of age.

If you wanna know why there are so many police chases in the US, it's because a huge percentage end in fatal shootings by the police. 7 out of every 100 in fact, when you consider how many traffic stops there must be, that's just crazy. Some 800 people have been murdered by police during traffic stops in the US in the last 5-6 years. If you want people to stop running away, stop killing them, it's quite simple. Cops here don't even carry guns...

Police, for the most part, do an excellent job. And people aren't just randomly killed. Don't want to be killed, don't run and don't do stupid things. And your unarmed police, do they face the same in the criminals there? Our criminals are always armed and I suspect yours as well. Unarmed police is stupidity.

I live in Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC. I feel I have a unique perspective. First off, I have over 10 years experience driving an ambulance. The number of drivers that don't know what to do when they see an emergency vehicle is astounding. It is incredibly simple. Pull to the right and stop. Lots of cars will go left, and others will just stop in whatever lane they're in. Then there's the ones that try to outrun the ambulance.

Being near DC, not only are there drivers from all over the country, because of diplomats and foreign nationals in and around DC, we have drivers from all around the world. There's no telling what anyone will do. People going whatever speed they want in whatever lane they want. Weaving, making right turns from the left lane... I see it all.

Just today I saw a dump truck going down the highway. It had some very long sections of what looked like 12" PVC pipe, about 15 feet long. They were laid diagonally in the truck, the the pipes hanging out the bed of the truck. I saw the pipes bouncing around in the back, and told my coworker that I needed to very quickly get around it. Just as soon as I passed the truck, one of the pipes bounced out and into the road. You'd think they would have known to at least strap them down, but no, gravity will be good enough. Not only did the truck not have the load properly secured, but the truck was on I-66, which trucks are prohibited.

Driving in the USA (AND IT AIN'T A SONG)
 

Hello Jay,

You helped me - when I was driving a 2013 VW diesel JSW 6M - and I hope my thanks were expressed.

Driving an ambulance - anywhere would not be easy.......you could write a book!!

Between the Millenials and the old folks (I live in an age 55 Sun City) driving can be just plain terrifying............................

Good to hear your (cyber) voice.

best regards,

ez

Some jurisdictions have removed police from traffic enforcement. Instead, they have a force of unarmed traffic enforcement officers that do not have arrest powers. All they can do is issue citations for infractions of the driving and vehicle code. It's all that is needed to keep the driving public honest, without bringing the potential issues of interactions with an armed police force.

This is what people mean with the 'defund the police' slogan.

You can do everything right, and still be shot by a cop.

That may be a small part of what people mean, but they mean a lot more and none of it good.

The odds are infinitesimally small that will happen. You can do everything right and still be run over by a bus as well.

If you follow police activity on YouTube, they release body cam footage, and it's quite shocking how many civilians are murdered. You hear the phrase "I thought he had a gun" or "from over there it looked like he had a gun". 250,000 people a year or 5000 people a week are injured by police, and between 600-1000 are killed annually. Some police are armed here apparently, major cities maybe. I've never seen a gun, never want to. We don't need police to be armed because the public are not armed.

All UK forces will have an armed response unit on the streets to be called in if needed.
In Arkansas, it seems like eight or ten cars end up at every chase. Here it will be one possibly two single-crewed cars.
This paramedic's videos are typical of UK drivers.
https://youtu.be/NVdn3ujt9NM?si=Kk07EpbWvK6vdxQL