Originally Posted by Bruce Rosar
Redefining established words, phrases, labels, etc., effectively creates a personal
Newspeak language. That's deceptively confusing for those of us who use conventional English (which in George Orwell's Newspeak was termed
Oldspeak). If someone wants to describe a new concept, they should use a new name or label (rather than attempting to modify or override an established one).
For example: in US law (i.e., case law, statutes and other legal authority), the applicable state law already defines the
Rules of the Road. Two instances:
- From the California Vehicle Code: Division 11 - Rules of the Road (there's much more in the CVC than just the RotR)
- From Chapter 20 of the NC General Statues: Part 10. Operation of Vehicles and Rules of the Road
I'd like to suggest that we just say no to personal languages.
No one is redefining anything.
Do people drive according to the "rules of the road" or not? I say yes, and those "rules of the road" cannot have much to do with the sources you cite since the vast majority of drivers have never even glance at them. So, then, what does "rules of the road" refer to when we talk about the "rules of the road" that drivers
actually use? Again, I'm not defining or redefining anything... I'm asking what do people mean when they use the term "rules of the road" with respect to what drivers follow?
Yes, the vehicle code is a specific type of manifestation of "rules of the road", but it's not the only kind.
For example, here is an informal summary of the "Rules of the Road" courtesy of state of NY:
http://www.nysgtsc.state.ny.us/roadrule.htm
But the rules of the road by which drivers
actually operate are far more informal than that, because most have no knowledge of these formal and semi-formal manifestations. That is, drivers may be aware of their existence, but most have little to no direct/specific knowledge of their content. Only vague personal interpretations. Those are the "rules of the road" by which most drivers
actually operate, for better or for worse. Such is life.
Nothing personal about it. I didn't invent that definition, that's the reality, whether you like it or not.
The good news is because of this, the "rules of the road" that cyclists need to know are already known by anyone who is a driver. Note that specific knowledge about the "rules of the road" that are in the vehicle code is NOT required.
Edit: Also, remember that the main reason drivers follow the "rules of the road" is to get from A to B without crashing into anyone else. Avoiding tickets is a secondary priority, and any knowledge of the technical/legal/documented "rules of the road" is only needed for this second priority, and it's mostly not even needed for that.