Final answer:
Rules of the road consist of government-enacted laws, cultural morals, and actual enforced practices, which are essential to maintain orderly and safe transportation. They range from de jure laws to de facto practices and are grounded in the principle of the rule of law.
Step-by-step explanation:
Rules of the road are comprised of laws, regulations, and practices that are designed to ensure safe and orderly vehicle movement on roadways. These rules are a combination of formal laws enacted and enforced by the government, such as speed limits and laws against cellphone use while driving, and informal or de facto rules, which may dictate how these laws are actually applied in practice. For instance, even though the formal speed limit might be 55 miles per hour, a common de facto rule could be that law enforcement does not issue tickets unless speeds exceed 65 miles per hour.
The importance of these rules can be highlighted by considering a scenario without them: there would be chaos and transportation would be inefficient and dangerous. Society recognizes the necessity of these rules through various forms, including moral and cultural expectations, religious beliefs, and the legal hierarchy that exists within the United States, which places the Constitution at the top, followed by Acts of Congress, state constitutions, state laws, and local ordinances.
The foundation of these rules is the rule of law, which ensures that laws are clear, public, fair, enforced, and equally applicable to all members of society. This concept is essential not only for traffic regulation but for maintaining order and protecting the rights within any social system, including international law that governs states' interactions.