You know, reading this, Russia doesn't seem all that different from America.

Russian drivers don't like DPS policemen. If they noticed a post as they drove by (which is a skill in itself, given how DPS policemen are allowed to hide themselves in bushes and the like to monitor the road), they'd often notify drivers going the opposite way by "blinking" them with the headlights twice or thrice. It's a code that people learn from observation or by being told by the more experienced drivers; it's not written down in any documents or driving instructions.

It's a thing here in The States too. It's actually to say "Slow down and pay attention," because it's used for many situations. Cops checking for speeders, an accident or other hazardous conditions ahead, bikers or pedestrians on the side of the road, etc.

It doesn't mean that Russians like to break laws - it mostly means that they don't mind them as long as nobody's there to point it out to them. It means speeding on highways beyond the speed limit (and buying the speedometer detectors, which are legal in Russia), crossing the road where there's no pedestrian crossing, finding ways to not pay for public transportation ticket ("What do you mean it's not the X route?") and not paying taxes for some sorts of work, among other things I'm not familiar with.

Yeah. It seems the world over people try to shirk what laws they can, provided the risks and consequences are minimal.

I think a lot of cultures have a draw to romantic images of dangerous criminal types, whether they be gangsters such as the Mafia or Yakuza, Pirates, Hackers, Mercenaries, what have you. There are probably a lot of reasons, but I think two of the biggest ones would be that rebels are often viewed as brave and daring, which are admirable traits even for scoundrels. Also, people the world over often feel that laws are restricting and sometimes even oppressive, even when they're logical or just. We all have a desire in ourselves to do whatever we want, whenever we want, and deep down we know it's not in our best interests to actually behave that way. So when we see other people do it, even in fiction, we find it compelling.

* Don't call a Russian policeman "officer". They aren't associated with the military in the country, despite having the same rank system.

Here, you don't call a police officer "Deputy" and you don't call a sheriff's deputy "Officer." When in doubt, just use "sir."