274
votes
Accepted
Why prohibit engine braking?
Completely different thing! They are referring to the "Jake Brake" in heavy trucks, where the trucker opens a portal to the depths of Hades and you hear a very loud
BrapBrapBrapBrapBrapBrapBrap
...
112
votes
Why prohibit engine braking?
Even if the signs are often referring to engine braking in general, the intention is to prohibit usage of so called compression release engine brakes. Diesel engines in heavy vehicles are often ...
- 53.6k
108
votes
Which safety features of the German Autobahn make it possible to have no speed limits as opposed to every other country?
TL;DR: It’s religious cultural.
A considerable portion of Germans consider the absence of a general speed limit a fundamental freedom and will strongly argue against any suggestions to abolish it. If ...
- 2,676
106
votes
Caught speeding 111 Mph (179 km/h) in California. How can I settle the case with the court?
While speeding, normally an infraction, often does not require a court appearance, you were driving 111mph, which is sometimes considered Reckless Driving, a misdemeanor, a more serious charge, hence ...
- 85.7k
101
votes
Accepted
What is the easiest place to cross the US Rocky Mountains, going to Oregon, in a large truck?
Downshifting - you gotta know it
Avoiding hills is simply not an option.
Mountain driving is a lot like a roller coaster. The truck works really hard going up a long, long uphill, and then on the ...
95
votes
Accepted
How to best get through a motorway toll booth safely between paying and the barrier closing?
I ride a motorcycle (I've never learned to drive a car) and I cannot imagine anything you could be doing in a car that takes as long as zipping up the riding suit, putting the gloves back on, putting ...
- 9,376
81
votes
Accepted
Aren't there road signs that show populations of towns in the UK?
I have lived in five countries including the UK and never seen such a sign in real life. I only know them from American movies, where I've always semi-felt they were some sort of Wild West joke or ...
- 762
70
votes
Traffic light fails to give a green to one's movement even after several cycles -- what can a driver do?
Some jurisdictions may have laws that specifically address this situation. For example, in Colorado, CRS 42-4-612 says:
Whenever a driver approaches an intersection and faces a traffic control ...
- 37.4k
69
votes
Accepted
What are the legal consequences for a tourist who runs out of gas on the Autobahn?
It is illegal to run out of gas on the Autobahn according to the German StVO (Straßenverkehrsordnung) which is the road traffic regulations in Germany. The fine can be from €30 up to €70 depending on ...
- 1,105
69
votes
Accepted
Where is the largest road network that shares a landmass with, but is disconnected from, a larger ('main') road network?
South America is physically connected to North America, but there's a jungle/marsh area in the middle that has no roads through it (the Darién Gap). Several people have crossed the Gap, but this is a ...
- 1,201
68
votes
When the road is blocked by animals, what's the proper way to proceed?
The picture is of horses in the road. When I stayed with friends in The New Forest, UK, where free range ponies roam (not actually wild), they often block the road in groups, and nothing apparently ...
- 11.5k
66
votes
Accepted
Why don't American traffic signs use pictograms as much as other countries?
The US has never signed the Vienna convention on Road Signals, which is what is used everywhere in Europe. Neither have Canada and Australia, who mostly follow the US standards on the road-signs.
As ...
- 16.3k
63
votes
Why are California freeway exits painted with disconnected shoulder lines?
This peculiarity on Californian highways is even mentioned on Wikipedia.
The purpose is to easier see that an exit is approaching when driving in foggy conditions. The interruption of the road ...
- 53.6k
62
votes
Which safety features of the German Autobahn make it possible to have no speed limits as opposed to every other country?
German autobahns are not exceptionally safe
In fact, German Autobahns have mid-level safety compared to other countries, well behind countries such as the UK. The Czech Republic has particularly ...
- 3,076
59
votes
Accepted
What does "Drive Friendly -- The Texas Way" mean?
I don't really have a source for this, but don't overthink it. "Friendship" is the official state motto. Which doesn't really mean anything—state mottos aren't some guiding ethos everyone in ...
- 85.7k
58
votes
What is the longest stretch of the Autobahn that is guaranteed to have no speed limits?
I can not comment yet on this SE, and this is not an answer to the question, but I feel like I have to warn you. And the other two answer you got (Jan's and Tor-Einar Jarnbjo's) are still pretty good.
...
- 1,264
57
votes
Accepted
Is it dangerous to go to Île de Noirmoutier using the pass?
Passage du Gois is a natural passage with a length of 4,3km (2.58-miles), located in the Atlantic coast of France in the Vendée. Part of the D948 leading to the island of Noirmoutier floods with high ...
- 35.3k
54
votes
Accepted
What does a red X on a yellow sign mean on an Austrian autobahn
These signs are, as some answers state, for snow plow operators to mark parts of the streets where the snow plow has to be lifted to prevent hooking into the surface and damaging the plow.
The crosses ...
- 596
51
votes
Accepted
How to make myself more visible in traffic as an EU mainland driver in the UK?
Use a P plate. Here's an example of some on sale. (No affiliation, this is just a major UK retailer which came to mind).
http://www.halfords.com/motoring/travel-accessories/learning-to-drive/halfords-...
- 718
50
votes
What are the legal consequences for a tourist who runs out of gas on the Autobahn?
As Klettseb already wrote in his answer, you can actually get fined for running out of fuel in Germany, but his explanation of the legal basis and the list of expected fines are incorrect.
To avoid ...
- 53.6k
50
votes
Accepted
Longest uninhabited road segments
There are some very remote roads in northern Quebec.
The James Bay Road (Route de la Baie James) is one option.
Located in northeastern Canada, in the province of Quebec, the James Bay Road runs ...
- 7,664
49
votes
Accepted
Are there speed cameras on stretches of the Autobahn with a temporary speed limit?
(Source: I am German, have been driving in Germany for 25+ years, and had, altogether, 3 temporary driving bans of one month each for speeding)
Yes, these things are enforced.
A different answer ...
- 1,716
48
votes
Accepted
Texas, USA speed ticket as a European citizen, already left the country
A relevant resource would be
Texas DMV paying tickets (Disclaimer - this is a 3rd party website and not connected to the government. We really need the jurisdiction of your court in order to provide ...
- 14.8k
47
votes
Accepted
Why does Google Maps say that driving from San Francisco to Seattle via Portland is 30 minutes faster than driving from San Francisco to Seattle?
The primary difference is traffic.
When you ask for the route from San Jose to Seattle, the website displays the "Leave now" option and calculates a real-time prediction based on current ...
- 85.7k
46
votes
Accepted
French A roads, Spanish E- roads, Dutch E roads and German roads
Yes, there is such a system. The roads marked with a green label and letter E are marked in accordance with this system: E47 on the Denmark map is the European route 47, E1 on the Portugal map is the ...
- 6,975
45
votes
Accepted
Caught speeding 111 Mph (179 km/h) in California. How can I settle the case with the court?
The "speeding in excess of 100mph" charge, CVC 22348(b), is a civil infraction. We do not issue arrest warrants for those. However, failure to appear (CVC 40508) is a crime, and this charge will ...
45
votes
Accepted
In California, is it always legal to drive with your car headlight on?
Yes, it is absolutely legal to drive with your low-beam headlights on at any time. High-beam headlights must not be used when there is approaching traffic (within 500 feet), or when you are following ...
- 118k
45
votes
Is it safe to drive from Prague to Salzburg during winter?
As a local, I would find the Prague-Salzburg route generally unproblematic, even during winter; many people from Prague use it to get to the Alps for skiing (in which case, the tricky part starts ...
- 551
45
votes
Accepted
Why are California freeway exits painted with disconnected shoulder lines?
As already correctly pointed out here, the "before exit" line breaks are intended to visually warn drivers of upcoming exits in cases of heavy fog. It is a drastic break that is intended to ...
- 546
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible