In the past year, there have been noticeable increases in careless or distracted drivers on the roads. Many drivers are distracted by their technological devices or other adults and children in the car. All of which leads to rules of the road being broken and danger for other drivers.
Moreover, it seems police generally don’t write many tickets for minor or “irritating” driver traffic violations, even though they have every right to write them. The distracted driving epidemic isn’t going to get better unless police start cracking down by forcing drivers to change their behavior.
I have witnessed many bad driving instances in the past month at four-way stops, including: drivers who have run red lights, misunderstood left turn arrow rights-of-way, followed other cars too closely or made improper and dangerous lane changes.
The Utah Driver Handbook states the five leading causes of crashes and deaths are speeding, distraction, following too closely, failing to yield right-of-way and keeping in the proper lane. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a study in 2010 showing more than 3,000 people were killed in distracted driving crashes. More accidents and deaths are caused by people failing to pay attention when they are driving than from DUIs and speeding combined.
Most people assume unless you are speeding or driving under the influence, the police won’t pull you over for minor traffic violations. Careless driving is the result. Our state law bans texting for all drivers and defines careless driving as a moving violation (other than speeding), so drivers are mistaken to underestimate the carelessness of their minor mistakes. The problem is not the law in all cases — it is that the law is not always enforced as it should be enforced.
If the state thinks some changes might be too expensive or take away good revenue, putting a higher price tag on a minor moving violation can make up for the costs and could save more money in the long run by providing a stronger disincentive for potential law-breakers.
A few changes to our current system might help remedy the problem of distracted, bad and dangerous driving. We need to rethink why teenagers under 18 need to have a driver license. This age group is the most distracted, the most dangerous and endures the most fatalities. But if the current law remains as it is, drivers’ education courses need to be more intense — including defensive driving lessons — and the test needs to be harder to pass. Driving is a privilege, not a right.
Additionally, every adult with a valid driver license should be required to take a defensive driver course or pass an online quiz regarding road rules, the law and driving distractions.
We need to be better, smarter drivers to ensure everyone’s safey on the road.