DRIVING IN CZECH REPUBLIC: BEWARE! (Tips from a California driver)
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
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I've been driving in Czech Republic (with a Czech license) for 4.5 years (mostly in Prague) and these are some things I still can't get used to! I grew up driving in Los Angeles, so I'm a pretty confident driver, but the trams, the unmarked intersections, the priority roads and the people who tailgate make me crazy. Have you driven in Czechia? Did you make it out alive?
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No wrong statements in the promo this time, nice!
Posledně když cizinec řekl "Bye Lidice" tak se dostal do učebnic.... :))
Auf Wiedersehen, Liditz!
A do Oprásků!
Sbohem Reinharde, bude nám líp. Měl's velký fáro (s potahy vycpanými koňskými žíněmi), my malej Říp (a sice zaseklej Stengun, ale taky bombu).
zaebal ;D
Our lights don't go from red -> yellow -> green. They go from red -> red & yellow -> green and on the way back they go green -> yellow -> red. So that you can always tell which light will light up after the yellow even if you didn't see the light before that.
Yes, that is a very helpful thing we have here.
same in US
@@petex3909 Maybe not in California where Jen learnt to drive? :-D
@@petex3909 But not everywhere
Czechs I speak with always speak of it as ORANGE, which is clearly wrong. That may be just the people I meet, including my driving instructor and the examiner, while the law and teaching materials refer to it as yellow.
"Bye Lidice!" To je drsný :-D
Vybrala si zrovna zajímavý příklad :D
@@tomgol6140 👍
a pak že nerozumí černému humoru ... :)
Vola K.H. Frank Adolfovi...
Frank: Adolfe, uz si videl Lidice?
Adolf: Ne.
Frank: A chces je vypalit?
jaj, spatny priklad. Tusim, ze film Lidice je i s eng titulky
For the gas stations, almost every gas station has cameras, so when you leave without pay, in a minute police has your license plate, so i dont see how it could happen in USA if they adopted this pay system.
@UCRTCbZldNwvn07KFaBhPIeQ Kde hovorim, ze je to dokonaly system? Ano 1x, 2x to skusis a mozno ti prejde a policia sa na to vysere. Skus to takto robit pravidelne a uvidime ako dlho budes na slobode.
The difference is that czech license plate is always registered to owner. In US, there are many stolen cars or cars with fake plates. Also, you don't have privately owned gas stations with old security system, that is still running on VHS tapes.
What she said is strange to me. When I was in the US we almost always pumped gas and then went into the shop to pay, as far as I remember. This was in 2004. Maybe they have changed the system since then? The point about cameras is also clearly correct - you can't just drive off if your car license plate is recorded.
In NJ you can’t pump your own gas only attendant can do it
@@jeremygarlick5862 Which state was it?
13:35 German SS officer 1942
Top
TOP! :D
It is actually prety easy at an intersection: make yourself comfy waiting, file your nails if need be ... and when you hear honking from behind, obviously the green is on (probably has been for a while) and you can go. :D
True storry...
At the Motoyama intersection in Nagoya, Japan, the red signals are so long you can change your car's oil before it turns green.
To že se u pumpy platí až po natankování, není poctivostí ,ale kamerovým systémem. 😊😊😊
a také se neříká počet litrů ale číslo stojanu.
Taky se mi nezdá, že by Češi byli nějak poctivější než Kaliforňani, spíš naopak. A v Americe nemají restaurace, kde se platí až při odchodu? Tam je to přece taky založeno na poctivosti.
@@TheAngelsHaveThePhoneBox jn
ani nie, bolo to uz pred tym nez bol vobec nejaky kamerovy system na pumpach. Skor je to proste zvyk v nasich sirkach.
Tak to není, kamerový systém nebo ne. Většina lidí má nějaké morální zásady a nechce se ráno dívat v zrcadle na zloděje :)
13:30 "Hi Lidice, Bye Lidice" is pretty solid Czech humor! Did you realize the name of the town you chose? Hahaha
That was SAVAGE lol
This is absolutely gold
"Hi Lidice, Bye Lidice" said the nazis...
Hi Jen, I definitely recomend you to watch the movie about Lidice with the same title name. Then you will understand nazis note.
pretty solid Reinhard Heydrich humor :/
I would say the best thing about the day lights is that both pedestrians and other cars instantly know whether your car is "active" or not, and thus whether it poses any danger. Also a lot of people can really take their time with turning the lights up when visibility worsens, which create even more danger.
Some around my house in Žižkov don't even turn their lights off when they park it for the night. /a joke/
Definetly!
In some cities or vilages, you have cars parked along the road, sticking to the lane. And when nbd has their lights on, then its confusing
That's actually a really good point, especially when there are so many cars parked and you can't tell which is active.
@@DreamPrague yea, exactly. But most of the new one cars have nice "obrysové svetlá" or parking lights, which i think is okay to use during the day by the law...or am i wrong? 🤔
@@teresasvk2443 I suppose that's what Jennifer calls "day lights". And to be honest, I wasn't really ever taught the term "obrysová světla"; where I'm from, everyone just called them "denní světla" as well. I guess by the law, any lights that are white in front and red in the back are good. :-)
@@MikeGill87 thats what we call them here, at least....its cuz they trace the shape of the lights, i guess? :D anyways great videos Jenn, i love them
That Lidice joke is dark as hell and I love it! 😄😄
I am not completely sure Jen would make such a morbid joke intentionally.
Bye Lidice :D
That is wild, I know Jen can stir up some debate with Czechia and East Europe, but this is quite dark even for her :p I like it though.
@Jen don't leave us hanging, did you know what you are doing? 😅
It didn't seem like an intentional joke which makes it that much better.
Just a note on the alcohol in blood - we generally do not use the unit "per cent" (%) for that here, we use the unit "per mille" (‰), which is "parts per thousand". The legal limit in California would better be explained to Czechs as 0.8 ‰.
This is actually a lot, because if you have 1.0 ‰ or more here, it is no longer a minor traffic offence, rather a criminal offence (the less severe type of a crimianl act). This means you face a criminal court and if you are convicted, it will be entered into your criminal records, nowadays available internationally, which may come bite you in your behind later.
Wow, that's a serious penalty! I think it's a lot better than the much more lenient rules in CA
@@DreamPrague It is, also in Slovakia, because we still have somewhat lot of traffic accidents caused by alcohol, so that is why we have these harsh laws. 0-0,99‰ is fine, 1‰ and more possible jail time in super short court decision + loss of driver license for few years.
@@DreamPrague Well, the penalty is not that serious, it would mostly be some monetary fine, community labour hours, temporary driving ban, etc., but yes, you potentially can go to jail for having 1.0 ‰ or more. It generally won't happen to first time offenders, though, unless you do something else, such as causing an accident totally drunk. Or if you make the judge really really really angry with your own attitute.
I like the 0.0 tolerance policy, because it is safer and quite easy to follow - had anything? Don't drive. Had anything in the evening and don't know if you are clean in the morning? Don't drive. Most people do know how much they can safely drink in the evening to be able to drive in the morning here. Oh, and the 0.0 tolerance is valid for all drivers. Mind, that the "operator" of a bicycle, a horse drawn coach, or a horse as such, is still considered a "driver" by the law.
We also have this wonderful invention called non-alcoholic beer. It is awesome, especially in the summer. :-D
@@Miichal1337 Distracted driving - phone, eating, applying makeup - causes more accidents than alcohol.
@@abirwait5636 Well, we may want to keep it that way, you know? Because alcohol is one of the causes that can be kept low.
Tailgaiting and honking is definitely not what you are supposed to do. Just chill. Most likely it's just a crazy guy in BMW or Audi.
From my observation it's most likely national supersport car Octavia 1.9 TDI... But indeed seconded by BMWs and Audis :)
Yee, even the picture was audi :D
Those guys are usually idiots, overcompensating for something. Don't mind them. ;-)
@@Blafirelli JJ Ovce v čipu :) nebo sluzební Audi tatínka :))
13:37 1942 colorized
F
F
F
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F
About the traffic lights, there are the ones on top, those are meant for cars further away. But when you are the first one in the line and can't see the top lights, there are ones on the sides (either left or right depending where you turn) that are easier to see. Usually it is combined for going straight (normal traffic light system) and turning right (only green arrow on/off). Sometimes there is a pedestrian indicator that tells you the pedestrians also have green and you should let them pass.
yeah that helps, still it's a lot easier when the lights are across the street from us!
@@DreamPrague You should also know the difference between a full red/orange/green light and when the lights are in a shape of an arrow. In the first case, on green you can enter the intersection but you still have to yield to other cars from the opposite direction as if it were an uncontrolled intersection. (So when you turn left, first you need to let the opposite cars pass.) If the lights are in a shape of an arrow, you are free to go, there is nobody to yield to.
There can be a single green arrow pointing left on the opposite side of intersection. It can only be there if the traffic lights are full (not in the arrow shape). When it lights up, it tells you, that the opposite direction has red light and you can safely continue turning left to leave the intersection.
Last but not least, there can be an additional green arrow without the orange and red lights on top. This is usually for turning right but I've seen one for going straight as well. You can come across it on smaller intersections where putting a full traffic light for every direction would be an overkill. It allows you to enter the intersection if you continue in the direction it shows. (Similar to turn right on red in the US.)
As a motorbike driver I can say, it still sucks
@@DreamPrague but then there is this junction 50°5.18899'N, 14°26.26231'E.
@@peet6101 this one is ok. But 50.77003683844687N, 15.060871439989953E is very confusing, also it's up/downhill
Pro tip from an ex-professional driver: ALWAYS have your lights on! It's super helpful because it tells about your presence, your distance and this way helps determine your speed. It also helps identify between active and parked vehicles. It's also mega helpful when you have to go through an intersection with a mirror because those distort everything to hell. By the way, on a clear summer day visibility of a regular car with lights off will be at about 200 meters at best when you can tell it's really moving. With lights on the car is visible all the way to the horizon, even if the horizon is a hill 10000 meters far. Now, you don't necessarily need to see stuff that's 10km far, but it helps during the summer when far vehicles are just a shaky smudge and you can't even see them.
"Bye, Lidice" and "you pump first, then you pay". Excellent.
I misread your name as "Heydrich" which considerer the sentence "bye Lidice" is very funny
Semafor přepíná na zelenou tak, že nejdřív svítí červená a žlutá najednou. Tak se pozná jestli bude zelená nebo červená, ale to bych asi moc rýpal :)
If you are on a multi-lane road and in the city (especially in Prague), you can legally drive in any lane. On the right you drive only outside the city. This is because in cities there are often crossroads with lanes for a specific direction.
Yes, but "If vehicles traveling in all lanes at the same time prevent a faster-moving vehicle from driving, the driver traveling in the left-hand lane must release the lane as soon as possible; this does not apply if the driver is using the leftmost lane for turning, turning or driving at the same time"
Daylights should be mandatory everywhere. Can't believe it wasn't a thing here until 2006.
And many people still screw that, I say many cars with lights off every day, it's very dangerous in short winter days.
Totaly agree!!
There isnt a more dangerous situation, then when its really sunny, and you are driving on the road with trees around, which casts shadows on the road, and there is a little tiny tiny older fiat, grey color without the lights.
They r rly invisible at that moment i think and its dangerous nomater what....that happens in FR mostly, cuz they dont have that law, and it rly annoying for me.
@@teresasvk2443 I remember when my grandfather was still driving few years ago (he is 85 years old now) and he could not see cyclists in forest when he entered forest from sunny road, it was really dangerous.
Totally agree. I live in New Zealand and it's not mandatory here and it drives me nuts. In the mountains, we get lots of autumn and spring morning fogs and these idiots here can't be bothered to turn their lights on. The visibility is like 50m so it's very dangerous. Or when it's raining. Same story 🤦🏼♀️
I was just driving home in the snow at dusk and there were people without their lights on. It’s just so rude and inconsiderate of everyone else to not have your lights on, especially with low visibility
One day my mom was returning from a trip and was extremely tired. She took a gas at a station and in the shop she bought some things. When she was paying, she forgot to tell them she took gas as well and they only charged her for the things she bought in the shop. As she was tired she didn’t realise the price is much too low and left, not knowing she didn’t pay for the gas. Half an hour after she came home she had a phone call from the police, demanding she goes back to the station to pay for the gas. Only after she explained them, that if she gets behind the wheel right now she would definitely crash because of the fatigue, they agreed she can go the first thing the next morning. So that’s about the not-paying-for-gas thing 😉
Same happened to us in Germany!
Já mám vždycky takovou radost z nových videí. A to ani neřídím, nechci řídit a nezajímá mě doprava. A stejně to bylo skvělý video 😄
😘😘😘
haha, same here, don't drive, not living in Prague, still fun video, excellent work
Jestli máš kolo, koloběžku, stádo zvířat, nebo koně stejně jsi řidič když jsi na cestě 👍
@@mara1982cz Nemám ani jedno, jezdím mhd a na dálku vlaky 😄
@@hikarucz-gw5hb geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh
hele, ale to s těma Lidicema rozhodně NEříkej, až půjdeš na tu zkoušku z češtiny kvůli občanství )))))) nemuseli by to pochopit )))
Nice vid, Jen :-) Keep up good work. I was driving in California and it was my best driving experience in my life. It was such a calm, beauty, sightseeing driving, nobody bothers me, no crazy drivers, truck drivers were using passing lines, sometimes even they slow down to make the passing possible. And I fell in love with automatic transmission.
You forgot to mention than in America you can get driver license from 16 in Czech you have to be 18 and i honestly think 16 is too early.🤔
You can get driver's license in 15. You just have to drive Aixam.
@@dejfcold Or small motorbike (to 125 ccm).
Mandatory all day light. You will appreciate how good is that when you drive in a country where it is not mandatory and you see cars not visible in a tunnel or fog or rain. Or even when you are on intersection and you automatically look around car lights..
I live in the UK and I'm surprised (or even shocked) by the number of cars driving in the city without lights at night. :-0
@@vladimirarnost8020 Few days ago I also came back from Ukraine and agree, it was suprising
IMHO, gas stations want you to visit the shop for the marketing purposes. Because when you visit it and wait in the queue, there is a solid probability that you will buy some of the overprised products, like snacks, souvenirs, coffee, some car accesories etc... Not mentioning the situation when there are kids bored to death in car with you :DD
And every gas station has security cameras, and every car has a front licence plate, so no running off, you would be caught easily.
The real reason is that ppl did not really use cards that much. We always did (and maybe still do) use cash much more. The gas stations are made for paying in cash. There will be these contactless cards-only stations in the future too (or maybe they already are some, they are just not common yet).
@@karelschmidt5195 People who drive from gas station without paying usually have false/stolen plates or stolen car... It does not make sense to do it with your own car.
in the Czech Republic, we also have the give priority sign, but the "crossed out priority road" sign only says that the road has become secondary.
Hi, Jen. I was in the U.S.A. and I had a car with an automatic transmission, but this car did not have a lock for the possibility of engine braking. On the way from Death Valley, the road leads down the hill for about 20 km. We had to stop and wait about 45 minutes for the overheated brakes to cool down ... I really missed the manual transmission here.
"Hi Lidice, bye Lidice"
I am dying 🤣
"Hi Lidice... bye Lidice". - German Army 1942 :D :D You are really almost Czech. This dark humour is our cup of tea :D
No, it is not.Not for all. Just for idiots.
@@jaroslavbenes3963 Yes it is.
8:45, zkus někdy se podívat vedle semaforové lampy, tam by měl být nižší semafór pro nevysoká vozidla.
A pak se vedle tebe vpravo postaví kamión.
@@domikomi4317 Přesně XD.
Oh you are so true on the lights! Thats what i always really liked about intersections in the us when driving.
Love your videos!!!
Isnt it confusing sometimes? Or is every intersection in US shaped exactly like "X" ? I know seweral wierd looking intesections, where you would not know which lights are yours if they were on the other side - you would be able to see several lights next to each other, or none lights at all... intersections can be shaped like "Y" or "K" (or many other shapes which i cant find on the keyboard :D).
Hello Jen, I'm totally obsessed with your videos. I love your humour and always have so much fun. Thank you, Jana from Liberec❣️🤗
Jana, so nice to hear! I hope to make it to Liberec soon. :)
@@DreamPrague Let me know when you make it to Liberec! Would love to welcome you in my hometown 💖
"Hi Lidice! Bye Lidice!" ....that's morbid :))))))
This is sooo true!!! About overtaking, about round about, about the gas station.. basically this one is spot on!
You are correct, if you pass your driver test with a car with automatic transmission, there will be a note in your driver's license that permits you to drive only cars with automatic transmissions.
I my case there is no such information on plastic card itself, but I belive, that this information is recorded somewhere within goverment systems.
getting too close to another car and flashing lights on slower drivers is actually considered an aggressive driving and it is a very bad habit. even worse is when they overtake you and then hit the brakes as a petty revenge- vybržďují
Glad to know I was justified in feeling offended!
Tailgating is illegal but also don’t be left lane Richard 😀
@@DreamPrague Basically it's a difficult situation. The law clearly states you are not allowed to stay in the fast lane unless there are special cirumstances, such as a traffic jam, etc.
Many of the czech drivers think, that if they are going the speed limit, they can stay in the fast lane, because obviously noone can go faster than them and overtake them. This is not the case and no matter the speed you are going, you are always supposed to stay as much to the right as possible.
So you have people, who overtake, but overtake a bit slower (kinda ok but little dangerous), you have people who are the white knights of the left lane and they are going 130kmh and keep hoggin the left lane, you have the agressive types who honk and flash their lights at any car in the fast lane thats going slower than their 160kmh, you also have people who will just overtake you on the right, which is illegal, but many times much safer than staying behind an incosiderate or ignorant driver than is staying in the left lane and either doesn't know the rules or goes against them on purpose.
8:50 - Traffic lights placed ahead of the intersection is deliberate. The general idea is that if you can't see the light anymore, you've stopped too late and are now stopped in the pedestrian crossing or the intersection. Ergo, it makes drivers stop early and not inconvenience/endanger (usually) pedestrians.
bout that tailgating, light flashing situation...some people do it all the time, I am usually patient and keep my distance if I see, that the car in front of me is passing someone. BUT if there is like 1km of empty right lane and he still won't move, I flash him, if that doesn't work, I get closer. For me it's all about respect like "okay you're passing, I won't push you, but once you've passed let me pass you.
In Germany tailgating and light flashing is a serious traffic offence, it is considered aggressive driving and heavily punished.
@@karelschmidt5195 as far as I know, in Germany people drive much better on highways. So I get it, because there's no need to flash or tailgate someone.
Getting closer is the stupidest thing you can do. If the driver is slow, driving on the left side without any obvious reason and doesn't see you flashing it probably means he's not very good driver and he most certanly has no clue you're behind him. Drivers like that are unpredictable, so he/she might hit the breaks any time also without an obvious reason and then you're fucked.
Tailgating is a serious criminal offence. Only idiots endanger others on purpose
@@moniqueriddle9339 You're obviously not from around here. I never get too close, and if people obeyed the law, there wouldn't be any need for getting closer, but some people think they are the police and intentionally stay in the left lane to block people from going faster.
you should come visit & drive in Paris sometime. Most of the intersections without lights have a right-hand priority rule and no signs. And, the biggest roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe has no lights, no signs, there's right-hand priority rule, about 10? lanes (unmarked, so it's hard to say) and 12 exits. :)
Also, the thing of generally having 3 main speed limits (in a town/city, outside a town/city on a "normal" road and on a highway) is not a Czech thing, it's a European thing. Whenever you cross borders in Europe, a big board with these three speed limits is the first sign on the road after the border crossing.
The arc de triomphe sounds terrifying!
@@DreamPrague yes - very simple traffic :- ) ua-cam.com/video/p92idY4ZByY/v-deo.html
@@DreamPrague "La Grande Arche" Is much better. Every German turist *rofl*ing before it. Ask Honza why!
Daylighting is an important safety feature. I think it really helps to make your car visible, especially against the back light, when sun is low. It saves lives no doubt. The only disadvantage to me is that I am so use to it, that I totally ignore those with lights off in the traffic:)
And ignore other objects on road such as pedestrians and cyclists. That is why Austria went back to using lights only in night. Numbers do not lie and their numbers of accidents did not go down using lights during day.
@@ggrandcz bullshit. Car has substantially more momentum than any other object on the road, safe for trams/bigger trucks. A pedestrian is much safer knowing which car can be dangerous and which one is parked in the split second.
3:17 I think it's for safety reasons. Not for your safety but for the safety of others. It works like reflective lights, which you put on yourself during the night and walking close to the road. Some people don't turn the main lights on the car but they turn the fog lights. They aren't that brightly like main lights, but you can still see them. Sometimes at the last minute.
3:28 Světla mají být taky zapnutá aby se poznalo jestli to auto jede a nebo stojí bokem zaparkované
“And you can never see the light” Oh Jen so true in Slovakia the same problem 😂
Roundabouts are amazingly simple and safe but even though they are quite common in Europe not everyone knows how to use them :D I lived several years in Malta where Majority of drivers uses indicators when entering a roundabout but they are not using indicators when leaving 🙈 also If a roundabout has more than 3 lines then the outermost line is occasionally used as a parking space 😂 so, be careful, roundabouts are a big mystery for many drives 😂
Daylights make a whole lot of sense. I realised it myself after having some experience of driving in EU. It improves visibility of a moving vehicle even in daytime, especially when it's cloudy or in the hours after sunrise and before sunset, when the sun is low.
They absolutely make sense, and are life saving when you are travelling on a rural road on a sunny day. When the sun is bright, it is really difficult to see what is in the shadows. There could be oncoming traffic, which you need to yield to when turning or overtaking. Older cars (pre 2008) do turn on the headlights when the engine is started, even if the light switch is in the off position (at least in cars sold in Finland, though I'm not sure if this is the case in Chech Republic).
Hi Jen, Thank you for new word: dingbat. Brilliant :-) BTW Left lane disease is quite common on Czech roads. In general - don't worry about it, if you are aware of that you are slower and act accordingly - try to speed up or wait when there is enough gap in left lane. P.S. - in municipally areas it's allowed to pass on the right. It's called "souběžná jízda". But, common courtesy is still treat left lane as the fast one.
And about the traffic lights in intersections- American system looks good, but I think to change it in whole country would be economical burden, so we have them on our side of intersection :-) But Yea, I'm 195 cm and being first car in the intersection mean I do little stretching exercise. But, whenever it's convenient, they add one more light in about 2 meter height, so it's visible from side window. Also - turning left -> you can enter the intersection on green and the rest is not important to you (meaning if the red is behind you). You have time when the opposing trafic get red light to clear the intersection (there is artificial time pause before other lanes get green) or you have green exit arrow pointing left on the left corner of intersection. My driving teacher called them "vyklízečka" which is nice nickname :-)
One rude joke againts americans: Do you want to have car in america which thief can't steal? Just bought car with manual shifter.
Jako obvykle dobré a zábavné paní Jenn. K tomu dojíždění a blikání na dálnici bych poznamenal, že tohle dělají jen lidé mdlého rozumu. Bohužel i takoví mají řidičský průkaz a ohrožují ostatní. V Americe jsem řídil také a řekl bych že tam naprostá většina lidí bere auto jako dopravní prostředek a ne jako nástroj na dokazování si, že jsem lepší než ostatní, jako je tomu bohužel dost často u nás.
A nemůže to vyblikávání taky znamenat, že tam bylo místo pro zařazení se na několik kamiónů a brzda rychlýho pruhu místo uhnutí stále brzdí levej pruh? Na mě nikdy nikdo neblikal na dálnici, u osobáku mám 3 zpětná zrcátka který často používam (u plachty byly jen 2 a stačilo to) a když vidím, že za mnou jsou rychlejší auta, tak po předjetí uhnu a nepředjíždím ještě auto. co je 500m vpředu....
Omg, the lights on the other side of the intersection are super helpful. I hate going back to Czechia and not having those. As a driver or as a cyclist.
What I do like about Prague/Czechia is that we have signs indicating the lanes waaaaay before we hit the intersection. In London they show you the lanes on the ground right before the intersection so you are driving and only notice very last minute you are in a turning lane and you have to indicate you want to change the lane and somebody has to let you in and you are slowing the whole mega city down. Luckily, unlike CZ driver, Londoners don't give you hard time for that but anyway, having signs indicating the lanes is super helpful.
In many ways we have different traffic regulations. None of them is worse. You have to simply learn them if you wanna drive a car.
7:32 that Mattoni eagle totaly killed me :D Nice detail.
Another lovely video, thank you! In my view, a major difference is when people can get a driver's licence in the US vs. Czechia. I recall I found it very strange, that Americans could drive when 16, but buy beer only at 21...
The most dangerous thing what I see here is a lack of the yellow line. In North America the yellow line always divides the opposite traffic. Here the yellow line is just a temporary line in a reconstruction area. This might be very confusing for Americans, since our roads without the yellow lines look like one way highways.
Second problem is the flashing amber traffic light - that means always the right to drive in America - it is saying to you dont worry, you are on the main road. Well that is not so in Europa. This is another big confusion which can be fatal.
Velmi zajímavé video, díky. Nejvíc pobavilo "You have a driver's license?!" a kruhák na Dejvické :D
Trams don't actually have that much priority on roads. As a pedestrian you always give way to a tram, in a car the tram becomes an almost equal road user. If you have priority the tram must yield (like the roundabout at Dejvická, trams must yield to traffic going round, it's just customary to let the tram pass), even on uncontrolled intersections the right hand rule applies. The exception is when you're going parallel to a tram (in the same direction), then you have to yield to it (tram is turning right and you're going straight on a priority road, you still give way)
As a pedestrian, you only give way to tram on a pedestrian crossing when the tram is not turning left or right. In any other case it is like any other car
Hey Jen.
For cases of people running away after filling up at gas station there are few things.
1. They have you and your license plate on camera so you can expect a visit from cops in near future if you run
2. There are a few gas stations where this trick can earn you a complimentary brick trough rear window
In case of US i would imagine that it could earn you a few bulletholes in your car so it's more of a culture thing.
By the way, there is a ticket machine before entering Death Valley. No barrier, no guard, no control. But everyone pays voluntarily. I don't know if it would be possible in the Czech Republic ...
@@VlastikBartos49,
Possible? Yes. Would some people pay? I think many would pay. Some would not.
When reds goes towards green, then red and yellow are on together, but the orher way (from green to red) yellow is on on its own.
In Austria, it's even better. When green is about to finish, it starts to blink first before the yellow is on so that you can estimate whether you went through the intersection.
We have yield signs and stop signs as well. The "end of priority road" is just to remind that you are no longer on priority road and there´s gonna be an intersection, but there should be the yield sign or stop sign.
9:31 It's incorrect. When switching towards green, the red and yellow shine simultaneously so you can distinguish which way the signal is going. To green is red+yellow and solely yellow is towards red.
7:31 In this situation it would be valid to use the signal, if there was a sign, that the smaller road on the left is considered as going straight (from the picture I would almost guess it would be so), even if you stay on the main road.
Ooo please dont. Its so confusing when you start signaling and then continue straight. If you start signaling right at 7:31, anyone behind you will think that you want to stop or turn right...
I just love, that you picked an audi picture, for the tailgating 😂
About the traffic lights, when I moved to Ireland I was amazed because they have both traffic lights there the EU one at your side of the junction and the US one at the other side of the junction, but sadly what this leads to is lots of people ignoring the line where they should stop and they are half-way in the junction usually blocking pedestrians. So for that reason, I actually like the Czech system better as it forces people to actually stop at or before the line so they can see when they are supposed to go. Amazing video as always
There are some lights here that are on the other side too... one used to be (or maybe still is) in Soběslav. First time i was driving there i was so surprised i just drov red (welp, i wanted to stop, but then i realised that im already inside that crossroad, so i had to continue).
Also, Jen suggests that when you are in the intersection, you have no idea what the light situation is - that is not always true. Firstly, only a single car is allowed to drive into the intersection and wait until they can turn left, the second car must stay at the line under the traffic lights. Secondly, at most bigger intersections, you will actually find a "helper arrow light" sort of, which will be clearly visible, when you're standing in the intersection and it will turn on when the opposite direction's traffic lights have turned red (as in youre free to go).
I also do not understand the problem with traffic lights visibility, because if you obey the law and actually stop before the line, you will never have a problem seeing the traffic lights (+ there's usually 2 or even 3 sets of them).
S kruhovým objezdem si zapomněla na případ, kdy při příjezdu na něj nemáš značku dej přednost v jízdě. V takovém případě platí přednost zprava a tudíž auta jedoucí po kruhovém objezdu ti musí dát přednost :-D Ovšem takové kruhové objezdy jsou v celé ČR už asi jen dva nebo tři, ale to pravidlo stále platí ;-)
bože, to byl čí nápad kurva 🤣
9:20 Na semaforu než skočí zelená tak svítí červená a oranžová zároveň, takovej detail :P
Na červenou se u nás odbočovat doprava nesmí to je pravda, ale často je křižovatka doplněna zelenou šipkou doprava, která v podstatě znamená to stejný. Long story short v USA se smí odbočovat pokud to není zakázáno, u nás se nesmí odbočovat pokud to není povoleno :)
Jinak ty značky hlavní silnice jsou většinou opatřeny doplňkovou značkou jak ta křižovatka vypadá, ať člověk ví na čem je :D
👍
In most cases when lights are above your head in Czech republic, there will also be one for the first driver on your right, not so high. The top ones are for drivers at the back so they can (theoretically) start accelerating all in the same time (it works great in the Italy)... :)
Hats off, you have described driving situations in Czech rep. pretty well! :)
One thing though: you don't have to remember, that you are on the main road all the time. With each intersection the previous sign (does not matter if it is only a Main road, might be some speed limit as well, etc) is cancelled. In other words, when you pass the main road sign, you know you have the right of way in THE FIRST intersection you go thru. If there is no other main road sign after this one, you have to give the right of way to cars coming from you right side at the next intersection.
Hope that makes sense and maybe saves you from some accidents! I have a small YT channel and IG about driving tips, but unfortunatelly it is only in czech. If you'd need any advice though, let me know, I am happy to help :) Cheers
I'm American moving from Panama (no rules) to Prague (lots of rules I'm not used to). I am so used to Latin American chaos on the road... I literally just took notes to email to my husband. I also felt my blood pressure go up as I watched this :-D
you dont drive here unless you do the driving school, thank you.
Bye Lidice 😅👋🏻
In case you don't get it, search for the aftermath of operation Anthropoid. This joke is also a great example of Czech dark humour.
6:05 Yes Jen, there is the same rule (right hand rule) also in California. Only there is very little chance to use it, ie 2 cars arrive to a 4 stop intersection at the same moment? But I think even here the eye contact would resolve it before the right hand rule would have to be inforced.
One of the main reasons that the 00 alcohol level wouldn’t work here in the states is because the lack of adequate public transport. For example in Prague, the tram and metro work beautifully. I’m in central jersey and there’s one bus but don’t ask me where it stops/goes. It doesn’t stop remotely close to my home or even a feasible walking distance
In California as a Czech I could not figure out the way you are supposed to approach the gas station pumps. It seemed completely random to me, people entering the station and stopping in either direction without any order. So once in a relatively crowded station I did just that and ended up being yelled at by a local in a big truck what an a*hole I was. No idea what kind of unwritten rule I broke back then :-)
The thing with paying up front is also funny if you want to pay cash. So, elsewhere, I went inside and got asked how much I wanted to pay. What? I want to fill it up, how am I supposed to know how much? Took some further time until I realized I would get the rest back afterwards :-)
And last but not least, the gas prices may be worth mentioning too.
Vidím, že černý humor už jsi pochopila, i když tenhle byl takový drsnější :D
Myslím,že ani nevěděla,že ho řekla.
@@martinoliva1142 Tak to by byla kurva náhoda, že si zrovna vybrala Lidice z tolika měst.
@@procprotoc Uvidíme co nám řekne,ale myslím,že to už dnes nikoho nezajímá.
@@procprotoc Mám pocit, že ty Lidice jsou v nějaké učebnici pro autoškoly, odkud Jen vzala obrázek.
The priority roads work a bit differently than you think (or at least differently than you described in the video). You don't have to remember whether you are on a priority road or not (even though it's better if you do). Every road leading to the marked intersection has a sign describing to you if it's a priority one or not, together with additional sign with approximate shape of the intersection. The other sign you described, 'end of priority road' is used mainly between two close intersections where your road had priority for the first one, but not for the second one.
The yellow light between the red and the green is used in some European cities to indicate to "Start your engine". If you are 1st or 2nd car at the light, you can leave your engine on. For the 3rd car or behind, you must turn off your engine at the red light. The yellow light gives you time to turn it on again.
As for roundabouts - google for "roundabout from hell" or "Swindon magic roundabout". One big central roundabout, with five smaller ones attached to it. To make it even more confusing, remember, that the British drive on the left, so the cars go in the opposite direction than in the mainland Europe. :-)
and we brits indicate at roundabouts as well, something my czech girlfriend laughs at me for when im at a roundabout here
@@skinniestfatman5641 Well, we used to do it too, I got my driving licence in mid-90's and the old rule was still in effect. Now we are not allowed to when entering, but required to when leaving.
Hi Jen, I learned to drive in Czechoslovakia, so stick shift and even double-clutch are a second nature to me. I've driven all over the world, on both sides of the road, no problem Clearly, the Czech driving school prepared me well.
A friend from NJ visited me in Stockholm once and asked to use my car. He came back some 20 minutes later and asked me to be his driver. The first roundabout was what changed his mind!
You be sure to pay extra attention next time you visit San Diego. They started putting roundabouts in neighborhoods here as well, those with a concrete pie in the middle to really make sure you don't blast thru the intersection, which you could do when there's a stop sign. I guess that's why they started to with these.
One big difference between California and Czechia is a "T" intersection. In Czechia, the right hand rule applies, while in California, the road that dead ends yields to both directions. Unless of course the driver is past his legal limit in blood alcohol level, in speed, or both. Then, the outcome has multiple choices!
Drive safely!
everyone is screaming when they make roundabout in his village, but it's really faster and more safe, even when you are on bicycle
@@Pidalin I totally agree. Stop signs are ignored, twice so at night, when cyclists are hardly visible and most exposed. Cruising slowly thru a roundabout is also better for the driver as well as for pollution and noise.
Regarding "honor system" on pumping stations: there are videocameras. If you don't pay, you get a visit from the police with a hefty fine. And most europeans are not so adventurous as to play hot pursuits or shootings with the police.
As for the daylights: it really helps a lot with the visibility. Also helps to diferentiate which cars are "alive" and which just parked.
The shapes of "priority road", "yield" and "stop" traffic signs are important also if you are looking at them from the other side of sideways.
😱79 years back "Bye Lidice" would have totally different meaning.
Concernin the trafic lights... Yes, we have them on "your" side of the intersection. And we have two sets of trafic lights. One set is above the road, the other set is on your rights side, where is the column of the trafic lights. This second set is much lower so you can see it. There is always this double-set. And the reason why the lights are on that side of intersections is simple. They are on the same line the red light tells you you should stop. And we know the upper light is becoming unvisible, when you are in the first row. We have it covered with the second set of the lights :-)
As for the yellow light, your animation of switching lights is cool, but you made a little mistake. When it goes from green, there is a short time when only yellow light is on. To let you know it is going to be red. But when it goes from red, both lights, red and yellow, are on. To make a different signal. To let you know you stil need to stop, but get ready, its going to be green. When only yellows light is on, it is always a sign its going to be red soon, not the other way. A simple trick how to give four different messages with three lights :-) And it is not only for giving you time to get ready. It is also helpful when you are approaching the intersection and you see the red and yellow lights on. And you know what it is going to be there, so you can just slow down and give it a time to switch the green and you may pass smoothly throug without stopping even if there was a red light when you were approaching. With US system you would see only red to the last second and that would force you to stop, because you wouldn't know its going to be green again soon. A minor detail but kind of helpfull I guess.
The gass stations are not just about the trust. When someone tries to fill without paying, security system records the person, the car, the registry-plate of the car, so it is very shortsight decision to try that :-D I am not saying it never happened, but it is almost self-solving crime :-D
And yes, I watched a number of your videos and I always like them :-) You are cool ;-)
Hi, Jen, if you drive inside the signed village or the city, you can drive in every lane you want. The rule "no passing on the right" is valid only outside the villages and cities. Doesn't matter, if you are on the highway or not. It depends on the signs with the village name - like "LIDICE" or " ̶L̶I̶D̶I̶C̶E̶".
I totally agree with you that we should put another traffic lights after intersections. I live in UK now and love it when I don't have to put my head in awkward positions just to see the lights
Yes there are some schools that offers automatic only driving licence but I think it's worthless and I don't know anybody personally who has it
I have it because I'm handicapped on my left leg. Fortunately it made my relatives see the convenience of automatic transmissions too and now we all use automatics :D
@@jandolejsi8122 taky mám rád řízení automatu, ale může se vyskytnout situace, kdy potřebuju řídit manuál. Například v práci kvůli mě nebudou měnit auta atd. Souhlas, že například pro vás je to jediná možnost jak řídit. To je možná i důvod existence těchto autoškol
@@lisak4349 automat je vyhodou hlavne v traffic v Praze by so to asi vyplatilo ja osobne znam dost lidi co prechazi na automat
@@GregoryDanese taky znám hodně lidí co přesedli do automatu a pro mě je to také příjemnější řídit, ale jak říkám všichni tihle co znám mají normální řidičák protože nikdy nevíte kdy budete nuceni řídit manuál.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but my friends in the USA also told me that the police can't do random checks for alcohol. It is against the law. Here you can be stopped by the police anytime for no reason.
That is true, because USA is free country. I would compare it to that in the Czech Republic (and most European countries) you have identity card in addition to passport and drivers license while in USA you have just the two. It is because identity cards are mainly used to monitor movement of the country citizens. In the USA such behaviour is seen as interference with people's freedom and therefore non-existing, but of course it has its flaws, because of the federal government in the USA criminals can move throughout the country without being arrested for years. There are even some people that are able to live new life without ever being arrested.
Interesting diffs. One small additional thing in CA regarding running lights/headlights is that they are to be on if there is enough rain falling to require windshield wipers to be operating. I'm glad that I don't need to drive L.A. traffic these days. Thanks for the heads up before I hopefully come over.
On the "kulaťák" (Dejvice), the trams give way so you don't have to "watch out", but people usually let them go - being polite.
On Kulaťák, quite uncommon, trams give priority. However Kulaťák is quite often blocked by cars, so it is good habit to stop and let tram pass.
Bye Lidice! 🤣🤣🤣 Today's coffee was extra dark Jen eh? 😁😁😁
Hi, first time driving an automatic was when I was at university in Oregon. First time I approach traffic lights I put both feet on the brake pedal, pressing hard on what I expected to be the clutch pedal. The car about did a forward roll 😁😁. The right turn in red rule was confusing as it can change from state to state so I always stopped, much to the annoyance of anyone behind me. Myself and the other students from the U.K. used to entertain ourselves by sitting on a bench watching the drivers of Corvallis trying to navigate the only roundabout in the town 😂.
You are supposed to stop at red before turning right. That's what everyone told me
@@DesperoroIt was the fact that you could turn at all on red that initially through me for a loop but to then drive out of state and find out you are not allowed to turn on red that really confused me. Being in the same country and having the driving rules change from state to state was mind boggling.
I love your videos I am so in love with Czech Republic 🇨🇿
jenny could do videos about any topics and it still will be a great one.Jenn,you are predestinated to be in front of camera, to explain us any topic,to entertain us etc. ,cause you can do it so nicely and entertaining!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻You are so talented,I could be watching your videos for hours.Jenny thank you🙏✌🏻tom
7:29 - why is at that picture "hidden" Mattoni eagle?
"Lidice" is the famous sledding area?
I would like to give a tip for the car lights. Whenever we buy a new car in my family we tell the people in the car shop to adjust the switch so that the moment you pull out your car key from the keyhole the lights swith off automaticaly :) So you just keep them "swithed on" all the time - meaning when you start the car the lights go on and when you turn off your car the lights go off. It is a small adjustment that you can ask for in the car repair shop and it is very affordable (I think it is about 500,- Kc). And it can be done on the older cars as well :) (I had a 2006 opel corsa with it). The only disadvantage of this is when I am about to drive my friends car that don't have this and I forget about the lights :D
Jen the most dangerous car ride I ever had was in the Czech Republic. It was 2005, and I was traveling with a Czech Puppet troupe from Hradec Kralove to Prague. Absolutely anarchic passing. One guy pass three cars behind us on a narrow road and then five more in front of us with a semi tractor trailer coming straight at him. He only pushed his way into the front of the line at the last second forcing the truck to swerve. I was panicked though I didn't react outwardly much. But the Czech puppeteers? Didn't even flinch.
14:53 Jsou zde benzínky, kdy zaplatíš takovou čásku, kolik chceš natankovat.
Hi, great video. You reminded me one important thing with the first aid kit, which can be surprising to Americans. There is a legal obligation in Czechia to provide first aid to a stranger, if you don't, you can be sentenced to probation or even jail.
Interesting! Good Samaritan law?
@@DreamPrague sort of. Let's keep it simple. If you witness a serious injury or heart attack etc. you must call 155 and follow instructions of the dispatcher. As long as you do that, you are clear. You also DON'T have to provide the first aid, if you have reasonable concerns about your own safety.
@@amurape5497 To make it more clear, this is the order:
1) Be safe yourself, a dead helper is no helper, so you need to be safe - get out of the falling building/oncoming traffic/put on a saftey vest, safty triangle nd stuff like that
2) Call help. That is either fire-fighters(150), ambulance(155) or the genneral number(112)
3) If it is safe, and you can help, you should help - put the phone on speaker and do as the instructor says (or what you have learned in a 1. aid course)
@@mikitenhusty5039 Thx, nice summary. I was speaking more legally, because from the US law perspective, this obligation seems absurd...
It is only a legal obligation to call the emergency services. Everything else is voluntary
A bit late but I'll mention that in most cases there's a smaller traffic light on the low right, (or left in certain lines) usually the same pole that main lights are.
You're supposed to look at that one when first in line if you can't see the main lights.
for crossroads without trafic lights ... if you are turning left, the one opposite to you going straight has the advantage, you have to let him them go first.