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

Let us know what you think. Your ideas, questions, and constructive comments are welcome and appreciated.

Blowing the Whistle

Imagine you’re at a skating rink. Lots of people skate around the rink having a good time. Two skate guards (like referees at a hockey game) make sure that no one skates recklessly. Suddenly, some new skaters enter the rink, weaving in and out among the crowd at high rates of speed. People start to scatter. It’s becoming a dangerous situation.

Skate guards blow their whistles, motioning the speeders to slow down. They get up close to the offenders and warn them to skate responsibly or get off the ice. The speeders obey grudgingly. You and the rest of the skaters get back to the joy of skating. The skate guards (or referees) help prevent accidents, allowing people to skate safely and enjoy skating.

Now, let’s take it out to the highway. This time, you’re driving, not skating. Imagine being able to drive from point A to point B without having tailgaters, speeders, and reckless drivers turning your commute into a stressful game of life and death. Driving today is dangerous. There’s little room for error. One false turn could ruin your day or kill you.

The police, who are responsible for maintaining law and order on the roads, are seldom around. They show up in large numbers after an accident. They should also be acting as referees. They need to be visible. What would have happened at the skating rink if there had been no skate guards?

When’s the last time that you sat in an endless traffic jam waiting for an accident scene to be cleared away? Ever wonder why the speeding and weaving outlaws on the highways are multiplying? Do you worry about your loved ones driving? Talk to those who have survived serious accidents. Ask them how long it takes to heal—if ever. It’s time, money, energy, and lives wasted forever.

So, what can we do? We can demand that local and state police enforce traffic laws. Lots of phone calls, e-mails, and letters will get the attention of politicians and police. We’re not asking for a police state, only a proper balance of law and order. The death defying mayhem that exists on the roads today is unacceptable. Simply stated, we need more referees—police or their representatives—on our roads and highways. Otherwise, driving will remain a deadly game, one that we can’t afford to lose.

Drivers will always test the limits of appropriate speed and driving behavior. The representatives of the law must blow the whistle and tell them to drive responsibly or get off the road. What do you think?

Ken West, Editor of Roadbrains