These Terrible Oklahoma Traffic Habits Never Change

If you spend enough time driving around Oklahoma, you start to notice the same little quirks that make you either laugh, sigh, or question how we all passed the same driving test. It does not matter if you have lived here forever or just got here last week. These tiny traffic habits follow you everywhere, and somehow they always show up on the worst possible day.

The Classic Stop Sign Standoff

You roll up at the same time as someone else, you give them the friendly wave to go, and they toss that wave right back at you. Nobody moves. Everybody pretends to be courteous. Meanwhile, the rules are simple. First one there goes first. Second one goes second. If you hit the stop sign together, the driver on the right gets the right of way. It really should not feel like a hostage negotiation.

Cruising In The Fast Lane

Oklahoma has two modes of traffic. You either hit every light and crawl across town, or you magically hit all greens and feel like the road was built just for you. The difference usually comes down to the folks who treat the left lane like a Sunday drive. We all know the right lane is for slower traffic and turning. The left lane is supposed to keep things moving. When somebody camps out under the speed limit up there, everything else falls apart.

Untimed Lights

Oklahoma traffic signals have a special talent for being just slightly out of sync. Pick any city. Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, anywhere. You can count every light between your house and your destination, and it almost feels like they take turns stopping you. Timing probably made sense when they were installed, but time slips, new roads get added, and suddenly you are hitting the same red twice a day, every day.

Red Means Stop

People love running the red to turn left. It's aggravating because you've patiently waited your turn to continue straight, but you have to wait for the whole line of yahoos to stop turning on your green light. It is annoying enough to have those little flare-ups in traffic. People rarely want to crash into anyone though, so when they hesitate, it all turns into gridlock.

Why Do We Even Have Blinkers

Somehow we ended up living in a world where a lot of drivers have simply decided the turn signal is optional. Nothing like following someone who instantly slams the brakes with no warning and dives into a turn like they are in a movie chase scene. Using it is not complicated. It has been around longer than all of us. If you miss your turn, you can always loop around the block. Oklahoma roads connect to everything eventually.

Traffic is never perfect, especially here, but these little habits show up often enough that you almost expect them. They are annoying, sure, but if nothing else, they make every drive a little more interesting.