Five Ways to Make Driving Safer

1) Drive Defensively. Although "defensive driving" has fallen out of favor with some experts, it's still the best way to stay accident free and alive on the road.

2) Encourage the police to enforce traffic laws, especially speed limits. Most major police departments abandoned consistent traffic law enforcement a long time ago. Yet, as far as the tremendous toll of lives lost, injuries, and property damage, traffic accidents have almost no equal.

3) Install Red Light cameras at dangerous intersections. This one is controversial, with opponents calling it yet another manifestation of "Big Brother." We will answer this charge in an upcoming column, also giving examples of where Red Light cameras are working to save lives by stopping the epidemic of red light running. And, it's a way for us to be able to accomplish goal number 2 above.

4) Have vehicle safety inspections annually. When I was young and drove old junk boxes, I hated safety inspections. Before my car ever made it into the inspection bay, inspectors would shake their heads, telling me not to even bother coming in. Yet, it's the best way to ensure that people are not driving around on bald tires, with cars or trucks ready to fall apart as they speed down the highway. Surprisingly, not all states require these inspections. More about this in a future update.

5) Make it safer for pedestrians. Try to cross the street at a major intersection. It's time consuming and dangerous. And, be on the lookout for red light runners. Your life could depend on it. If crossing the street could be made safer, it could help create a more civilized and tolerant traffic environment. All of us, drivers and pedestrians alike, will benefit.

These five steps could make our roads much safer and driving more pleasurable. To accomplish them, we will need to let our local and state representatives know that this is an important, life and death issue. The best roads and highways in the world do not guarantee traffic safety. Only driver behavior can do that. And, only rational and consistent enforcement will be able to convince many motorists to drive responsibly.

- Ken West, Editor of Roadbrains

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