OK now I am an Englishman abroad but I do wonder how come the USA have such an outdated and poor road network?

Question

examples the road markings and signage is appallingly inadequate especially at night. speed limits can fluctuate between 35 and 70 mph on Interstates with barely adequate warning signs. And of course the State troopers are only able to intercept a single driver at a time, ever heard of speed cameras which can and do work effectively at intercepting ALL speed offenders?

Answer 1

When you consider that the USA has several MILLION miles of Interstate and state highways covering a good sized part of a continent spread between two oceans, and you can drive for thousands of miles at high speed without ever having to stop for anything but fuel and restroom breaks, I think the USA has a d**n fine system and fools who come from places where they drive on the wrong side of the roads don't have much room to criticize!  Just because you let the government of your pissy little island put out cameras to regulate every part of your life doesn't mean that everyone has to!  

America is still the LAND OF THE FREE!

Answer 2

we try to stop car crashes, dear....ya wanna speed...go to datona.....too sloww for you....what ami a turtle on valium?if ya need speed....go to the dokta,...ya need iron IN YA DIET... AS ASPISTER SEANSTRESS JILTED in my prime..by a brute name bruno, i declair...if you speed you do offend..and i acclaim that you are doing damage to the intefgrety of the highway system....be safe..SLOW DOWN I SAY!

Answer 3

It's kind of odd, don't you think, that we Americans can get where we have to be using our antiquated road system and a hip, up to date British driver like you can't. Perhaps that means we Americans don't need more than what we have and British drivers need all the help they can get. *zing*

Answer 4

England is about the size of a Wal Mart parking lot compaired to the US.....get the drift?

Answer 5

It only seems fair if everyone is going to pick apart America and whats wrong with it... then we can have a topic about England and whats wrong with it..........................

Answer 6

Some American Cities use traffic cameras for the purpose of red light enforcement. They have encountered much resistance with regard to using cameras in the way Great Briton does due to noted obstructions in constitutional civil liberties. Road signs on interstates which are federally funded are designed to meet a common code. However, depending on what state you are in their condition and level of conformity can vary. When I was driving through Mississippi and Louisiana I was in awe at the conditions of the roads and lack of emergency call boxes. Getting electricity to very rural areas for sign lighting is not always economically feasible (need solar pwr).  Minimum speeds on all interstates is 45 and max I have seen is 70. I have seen teams of State Troopers pulling over multiple speeding vehicles by use of aircraft and or remotely placed officers on bridges communicating via radio to waiting officers on the ground. More expensive than cameras but effective as well. Being from the UK I am sure you understand how the civil liberties of some create an opportunity for others to get away with crime(s). I am more surprised that you have not sighted the fact that American drivers as a whole do not yield right of way for faster moving traffic and or emergency vehicles which to me is even more annoying that the signage or infrastructure inadequacies!! I get the feeling they will catch on as all airports are now using modern technologies such as CCTV with facial recognition and chips in-bedded in passports to track people walking through. I get the feeling speeding cameras are on the down slope of technology as here in Bermuda they are now using microchips in-bedded in cars registration certificates to track uninsured motorists. Soon there will exist a technology to use the same chip technology to track speeding offenders for less monetary investment and maintenance. America is a great county no doubt but given it's size bringing it up to snuff with Briton would be a massively difficult and expensive task. Have a good holiday in the states anyway.