Because I have the ability to work out where it doesn’t matter and will make no difference to the reader.

Quite simple. I subconsciously use whatever is required.

So, you are always able to “work it out” subconsciously. If you say so.

Because I have the ability to work out where it doesn’t matter and will make no difference to the reader.

So say you. Every time I see it when it’s wrong, a piece of me dies. And when people dismiss it as being grammar naziism or pedantry and other piece dies.
Why should I have to read poor English because you think you know better? If you know better, you should be helping those who aren’t as smart as you and not perpetuating was is clearly wrong.
As the OP questioned “Are standards slipping?” Be proud of your contribution to this slide.

I hope you don’t have any aspirations of emigrating to either Australia or Canada. Your cavalier attitude to the language might come back and bit you. 😆

roffle
at least grammar and spelling are 2 different topics on the curriculum

Less/fewer isn’t a grammar rule. They are different words that mean different things. So the only rule you are breaking is using a word for its correct meaning.

There are prescriptive uses and common uses less cars (prescriptively) is technically incorrect, however it’s common use and makes sense. Same with: “he can run 100 metres in fewer than 10 seconds” prescriptively correct, but sounds crap!

10 is uncountable, so less is correct.
Seconds are countable so fewer would be correct.

There’s fewer flour in the bag

There’s less flour in the bag.

When you try to set hard and fast rules like this, you’re pretty much bound to come up against instances where it just doesn’t work, hence my example of “fewer seconds” (prescriptively correct, not in common use)

Less cars on the road, or fewer cars on the road is just such an example, one will work just as well as the other.

Flour is uncountable so less is correct.

I can’t see the third example that you mention unless it’s the car thing. I imagine that the acceptance is because it sounds familiar, which is probably due to people accepting the wrongness of it for so long. Much like the addition of actual and literal into the modern language. Unnecessary and wrong (in most cases).

@perchypanther

LOL!

Is there only one grocer doing that then?

What’s with using “and” rather than “an” as seen in “Can I send and invoice to a private parking firm”?

There’s a few instances of this in various threads.