Is it time to renew your driver’s license? Have you checked? Like many things it is easy to overlook. I recently renewed mine, and I’m both amazed and dismayed by the relative ease of obtaining a privilege that a great many people abuse to such a staggering degree.
It’s so easy. Go to the BMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles), surrender your old license, take a cursory eye exam, check the accuracy of the information, sit for your photo, fork over the money, and you’re out the door. That’s it.
No written test. Not even a driving test. Unless you have never had a license, have been without a license for an extended period of time, or you are applying in another state, there is no demand that you back up your claim of being able to safely operate your own car. That’s right, even if the last driving test you took was back at the beginning of the last century. That’s frightening.
So, for $24 every four years, you have the privilege of driving your car almost anywhere your heart desires. (And, if you ask nicely, the folks at the BMV will gladly give you, free of charge, a booklet of motor vehicle laws.) That’s quite a small price for such freedom, don’t you think?
Unfortunately, there are far too many people who think that for such a meager sum, they possess the right to drive in any manner they please, regardless of the law. What could possibly make them think that way?Are you one of these drivers? Odds are, more than likely, yes.
I know you’ll disagree, most people do. Ask anyone you know and you’re sure to get much the same answer. “Yeah, I’m a good driver!” “Oh yes, I’m a much better driver than other people I see.”
Now, ask yourself, and your friends and family, if they are familiar with and obey the traffic laws. Motor vehicle laws vary little, if any, from state to state, so, here’s a little pop quiz created from real life examples. See if your driving is reflected here.
True or false. If a school bus is stopped on a street or road, which has four or more lanes, all traffic must stop at least ten feet from the front and rear of the bus.
True or false. When making a left hand turn in which no opposing vehicles are present, cutting through the stop line and part of the opposing lane is allowed.
True or false. A right turn on red is allowed after coming to a complete stop, even if a no turn on red sign is present.
True or false. When approaching an intersection in which the traffic light has clearly turned from yellow to red, proceeding through the red light is allowed because this driver obviously has more important things to do than worry about the safety of others. Besides, the drivers with the green light still haven’t accelerated into the intersection.
True or false. Pedestrians are allowed to walk on roadways, even if usable walkways or pathways are evident, only if they walk facing oncoming traffic.
So, how well did you do? Are you sure your answers are correct? If you aren’t sure (and if you don’t score 100%), it is time to get the booklet
Do I care? Yes. Should you care? Absolutely. I care because I log close to three hundred miles a week and ignorance of traffic laws increases my chances of being a victim of someone else’s irresponsibility.
I also care because bad drivers can, and do, cause stress and panic in other drivers, which leads to crashes. As a result, insurance rates increase and more stress, burdens, and grief are placed on families and businesses, and everyone pays for it. This is especially infuriating for responsible drivers.
On the other hand, I don’t care because I know that eventually the bad driver will experience his or her own substantive justice. Unfortunately, this vehicular Karma is not always swift.
Of course, the word accident is inappropriately used for motor vehicle crashes. They are not accidents. They are driver errors. More specifically, they are deliberate, bad choices. Irresponsible drivers choose to run red lights, tailgate, weave in and out of traffic at high speeds, and blithely chat away on cell phones, oblivious to the problems their bad choices are causing.
With all the driving I have to do, chances are I have probably seen, or will see, any one of you display your bad choices – if not the aftermath of them.
Quite frankly, I’ve had my fill of drivers that are charter members of the “White-Knuckle Driving Club,” idiots who have watched The Fast and the Furious too many times and consider it, and its sequel, to be video driving manuals, and the ubiquitous self-important drivers who think that the automobile and the road were created solely for them.
Gone are the days of the easily identifiable bad driver. Does anyone remember the oh-so-clever, “How’s my driving, call 1-800-EAT****” bumper sticker? Well, those stickers, and their ilk, have been replaced by NASCAR stickers, plastered on the vehicles of the developmentally challenged who labor under the delusion that the highways and byways are one big stock-car race.
They’ve been replaced by American flag stickers and “Proud to be an American” stickers, slapped onto the high-priced cars and suburban assault vehicles of the vainglorious as they rocket down the road.
These folks might just as well yell out their window, “Look how rich and important I am. Look how patriotic I am. Now get the hell out of my way, loser!”
And don’t even get me started on the big-rig drivers and their self-proclamation of being the safest drivers on the road. Their ability to create causeway carnage is mind-boggling.
Bad drivers are an ongoing problem in society, and the problem is getting worse. A person’s behavior speaks volumes about their character. If you drive irresponsibly, how do you justify imperiling others? If you are, indeed, a responsible driver, how much longer are you going to allow the bad choices of others to jeopardize your safety and well-being?
Operating a motor vehicle is one the few things in life that we can exert some control over. So, you can either be a responsible driver, or a statistic. The choice is yours.
Friday, July 4, 2025