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Apparently, some folks who beat on the “law and order” and “back the badge” drums cease proselytizing when they get behind the wheel. In case you haven’t noticed, our roadways are now among the most lawless arenas on the American landscape. Don’t buy it? Just get on an interstate highway, stay in the right lane (you know, the “slower traffic keep right” one), and go the speed limit, or even five miles over, and you’ll witness all sorts of lawbreakers buzzing by, cutting you off or riding your rear bumper. Two lane roadways are no exception except the only way to keep your head down is to pull over and let the speed freaks blast by, often to meet them once again at the next stoplight.
Folks who truly are safe drivers are now persistently harassed, endangered and sometimes assaulted (road rage) for being just that. I’ve been honked at and flipped off for such outrageous behaviors as coming to a full stop at that big red sign we can all see quite clearly, choosing not to blast through a yellow-going-red traffic light, driving at or even slightly over the speed limit ... you get the idea. And speaking of the speed limit, those of us who still obey it are routinely harassed by hurry sick maniacs who think riding our rears will motivate us to step on the gas. This despite many studies showing that, more often than not, speeders arrive about the same time as folks who observe our (that’s “our”) traffic laws.
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Well, I do back the badge, at least when there’s a fair-minded, responsible public servant wearing it, and one way I demonstrate that is by observing the rules of the road they are sworn to enforce. I think that beats putting up a yard sign. You know, actions speak louder than words and all that?
What’s more, some of those who drive lawlessly on our highways kill and maim hundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans annually (over 42,000 driver/passenger deaths in 2020, including 1,600 children, and an additional 6,590 pedestrian fatalities). Add in serious but non-fatal injuries, some of which prove permanently life-altering, and we’re talking 4.8 million of us. If you prefer to think of this tragedy in monetary terms, try $474 billion. The main causes? Speeding, reckless driving, DWI, distracted driving, running red lights, failing to use turn signals (it’s tough lifting that arm six inches), following too closely . . . all those behind-the-wheel behaviors that drivers can control, but, too often, choose not to.
Understaffed, Overwhelmed
As for enforcement, the cops are understaffed and overwhelmed. When asked, law enforcement leaders often say they have other priorities that make large scale policing of our roadways difficult if not impossible. This isn’t 1950 anymore, so there is a fix for this problem. It’s called “artificial intelligence” (AI), and we use it every time we yak at Siri or Alexa. Deploying intelligent traffic speed and red-light cameras would reduce lawlessness on the pavement (think big fines and suspensions), but, when proposed, the don’t-tread-on-me types cry foul, claiming it’s “big brother watching” and an infringement on their “rights.”
What right is that exactly? The right to harass, endanger, injure or kill one’s fellow citizens so one can get from point A to B a few minutes earlier?
When we get behind the wheels of vehicles that often weigh several tons and take to the road, we are steering a potentially lethal weapon. Power should come with responsibility and accountability. Those of us who drive safely, not just to protect ourselves but also others on the road, don’t deserve to be harassed and, sometimes, injured or killed because we’re obeying the law. When it comes to operating a motor vehicle in a safe and lawful manner, it’s beginning to feel like no good deed will go unpunished. It should be the other way around.
For more, visit philipchard.com.
