License To Kill: How Poorly Trained and Unfit Drivers Are Being Allowed To Destroy Lives
License To Kill: How Poorly Trained and Unfit Drivers Are Being Allowed To Destroy Lives
by Bill Knell
There was a time when insuring the safety of USA roadways against inexperienced, poorly taught or incapable drivers was a priority. Enter the do-gooders who felt that some drivers were being needlessly excluded from roadways for no good reason other than stereotypes. For example, some States had age limits on operating licenses feeling that Drivers over a certain age would be mentally and physically unable to react fast enough to avoid harm to themselves and others. That changed when most States decided, or were legally compelled, to change or completely abolish age limits as is the case with California. Go here for all age requirements by States.
“I can't walk, so I drive!”
Driving research organizations report that most elderly Drivers operate vehicles for seven to ten years longer than they should, considering their individual physical and mental abilities. Google reports… “On average, about 88 percent of men with a driver's license continue to drive in their early 70s, while that figure drops to 55 percent among men who are 85 or older. Only 70 percent of women in their early 70s continue driving, and that figure drops to just 22 percent once they reach 85.”
One way that some States have created a small loophole where there are no age limits is to make vehicle owners responsible for any damages. This may also legally apply to severe injuries or deaths. That makes children or others that allow an elderly Driver to operate their vehicle equally liable.
Driver's Education classes are imperative if they are done right. On average, most States require thirty hours of classroom instruction by recognized instructors and another six hours of actual driving with instructors. Back in the day instructors taught defensive driving.
Classes included watching films of horrendous accidents caused by simple mistakes, distracted Drivers or bad judgement calls. In most of today's Driver Education classes:
Accident films are not shown
Holding the wheel at certain positions is not taught
Using textbooks that ‘scare’ or ‘upset’ students is not allowed
Parallel parking is not taught or practiced
To make matters worse, Driver's Education classes are being cut from many high school curriculums for financial or liability reasons. In those cases students must choose and pay for their own Driver's Education classes in order to qualify for Driver Permits. Persons eighteen or older can obtain a license by passing State driving tests without any need for a Drivers Ed certificate.
These kind of “politically correct” decisions have produced bad and good results which may or may not have to do with actual Driver's Education classes:
On the bad side:
Traffic accidents have increased by significant numbers over the past forty years
Incidents of “speeding” and “moving violations” have increased and continue to do so at alarming rates
Incidents of impaired driving have substantially increased due to an increase in alcohol and drug use despite stiffer penalties
Incidents of joy riding, vehicles operated by unlicensed drivers and illegal drivers aged ten or younger have increased
Insurance premiums have increased substantially and some Drivers can no longer be legally insured due to bad driving records
Incidents of speeding through road repair zones and past school buses stopped for pickup or drop-off of students have substantially increased as have the casualties from such incidents
On the good side:
There are less traffic deaths due to technological and vehicle safety improvements
Law enforcement agencies report substantial increases in the number of drivers cited for “speeding” and “moving violations” due to improved enforcement methods which are supposed to decrease serious accidents and injuries
More law enforcement and vehicle repair related jobs have been created and many remain unfilled
Some parents no longer feel compelled or qualified to teach their kids how to drive. Instead, they send them to driving schools where proper instruction may be limited by current societal trends. Instructors are told to teach, not upset students. Accidents caused by driver errors that result in fatalities are barely mentioned, if at all. People aren't killed in such incidents, they are “unalived”.
The need for personal responsible and defensive driving have been replaced by ideas like “it is everyone’s responsibility” to keep roadways safe. I guess our Driver philosophy should be, “Can't we all just get along?”
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