Is It This Bad Elsewhere? How Do People Drive Where You Live?

I think the US should require schooling to get a drivers license like several places in Europe. In order to get a license you must demonstrate competency in knowledge and ability. Drivers should have some time and money invested in their privelage.
Many people I know are unaware of the simplest traffic laws. A guy I worked with was fully convinced that if you were turning right at a stop sign you didn't have to stop. Only if a sign said "right turn after stop". He argued until I showed him a state rule book. Then agreed that it was probably actually the law but he wasn't going to do it. Another time recently I went into a store and a young lady was excitedly and loudly telling the store employees that she had just been harrassed by a cop. He pulled her over to explain that when turning, you are supposed to turn into the nearest lane and not cross several to get to your lane of choice. She had never heard of that! He was obviously making something up to pull her over and bother her. Surprisingly the ones she was telling had not heard of it either. One of the group did say, "ya, I think I might have heard once that is what you're really supposed to do...".
I go to a gym where there are several young people who work out too. I constantly hear of these young people going for a drivers license and they say, "ya, I had to take the test three times to get enough right." "Ya, I didn't drive good enough so I have to go back to try again".
They just assume that you don't need to read the book and that it takes several tries to get enough questions correct. They don't even consider reading and studying.
Another guy at the gymn moved here from NYC a couple of years ago. He never had a car or drivers license in NYC because he didn't need a license to get around and owning a car where he lived was expensive. When he moved here he figured out that public transportation is non-existant and he would need a car. He did like the teeneagers and went down to take the test. Failed three times the first day and had to go back a second day to finally pass the written test. Then it took two tries to pass the driving part. He bought himself a car and surprisingly is a horrible driver. He has had at least three wrecks that I know of. One, he ran into the back of an ambulance. He has twin daughters and they are just turning sixteen. Guess who is giving them their driving education!