On the Road in the U.S.
I don't know when it happened, but at some point most people in the United States forgot how to drive courteously. I find it amazing that some people have licenses at all. When did it become optional to use your directional signals when turning or changing lanes? Another one that puzzles me is people who drive without their headlights on when it's dark out. I am one of those people who believe you should have your headlights on whenever it's overcast let alone dark out just to let other drivers see you.
I have heard all these horrible stories about road rage, how some people get so infuriated with bad drivers that they literally endanger their lives and the lives of others to get "even" with them. This seems to stem from a general lack of courtesy in our society today. Bad manners are now pretty much accepted in all facets of life, including driving the nation's roads. I am amazed at the sheer stupidity and thoughtlessness of many people today. Many drivers make up for their lack of driving skills by being very vocal with their horns and with their mouths. The general lack of courtesy and driving skill in our country is such that it is causing more stupid accidents than ever before. Add our national preoccupation with drinking alcohol, doing drugs, and getting behind the wheel, and you have a very dangerous predicament.
Just as dangerous and more numerous is the growing geriatric population on our roads going slower and slower with their big cars hogging up the lanes. A comedian once suggested that we either have a "geriatric lane" or require that they stay off the roads during rush hour. Old people have just as much right to be on the road as the rest of us, but they should be able to keep up with the rest of us, or let those of us who need to get where we are going in a timely manner by. Some old people should have their licenses revoked because they are a danger to themselves and others (of course, there are plenty of people of all ages in this category).
I believe it is time we got tough with reckless drivers. We need to set a proper example of defensive and courteous driving for our young people to follow, or we are going to breed an even more reckless bunch of idiots to inherit our roads. Some things that I think are necessary:
- Require anyone caught speeding or violating traffic laws to take a defensive driving course
- Senior Citizens who consistently cannot keep to the speed limits should be warned and then have their licenses revoked if they cannot keep up to at least the minimum speed limit.
- Revoke the license of anyone found guilty of "road rage" for one year for a first offense. If they kill someone, they get jailtime and they will never have a license again
- Revoke the license of anyone caught drinking/drugging and driving one year (as long as they agree to detox and go to rehab) If they are caught again, they lose their license forevermore. If they injure, maim, or kill someone, they must spend time with the families of their victim(s) and do jail time in addition to the other things mentioned.
- Create auto insurance incentives for everyone to take a defensive driving course every five years.
- Make teenage driving requirements more comprehensive and tougher, require teens to be getting a 2.5 GPA or better and they must not have any criminal violation on their records, (especially drug and alcohol) or they must wait until they are 18 to get their learner's permit. Require teen drivers to pass through several levels of experience:
- Learner- Age 16, 6 months and more than 100 hours with an
adult or driving instructor. Must pass a written test and road exam to advance. Cannot be failing in school, nor have any drug or alcohol violations.
- Novice- 3 months- restricted to daylight only. Must pass a written test and road exam to advance.
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Intermediate- 3 months- daylight and evenings up to 10:00 PM
Must pass a written test and road exam to advance.
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Advanced- Age 17 Unrestricted (with parental permission) 12 months of clean driving record to advance.
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Adult- Age 18 Unrestricted.
Now, if at any stage the young driver gets a ticket or gets into trouble, they must start back at the beginning again until they learn. If their grades slip below a 2.5, they are suspended from proceeding until their grades get back above it. If they cause an accident or get busted for drinking or drugging, they are automatcially banned from driving until they are 18, at which time they must start at the bottom of the scale once more and prove they have learned their lesson before they are given a full adult license. The truth is we're in such a hurry to endulge our children that we are strapping them into a tank with very little instruction and telling them to go out and be careful.
Many adults make poor teachers when they break the "rules of the road" and provide that example for children as passengers, and young drivers who have yet to develop the instincts or reaction time to compensate for idiot drivers.
It is next to impossible to create a world in where people are polite to one another. What we can do is force them to see the error of their ways by making the alternatives to polite, sane, and safe driving so bad that nobody will want to face them. Oh well, I hope you take the time to become a safe and happy driver!
© 1999 J. S. Brown
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