Just in case you were living under the illusion that traffic laws are set by trained professionals (traffic engineers) and not politicians, here comes a story from TheNewspaper.com that is sure to change your mind:

Just one day after Kentucky’s new Secretary of Transportation, Joe Prather, assumed control of traffic issues in the state, the process began to install signals that had previously been deemed unnecessary. Specifically, $5450 worth of left-turn arrows happened to be set up at an intersection making it easier for Prather to turn into his subdivision. The Lexington Herald-Leader obtained transportation cabinet documents dated January 8, 2008 that showed that the intersection of Ring Road and Pear Orchard Road had one-half the traffic volume it would need to justify the engineering change.

In a not-so-shocking twist, Prather insists that he did not order the left-turn arrows to be installed.

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