The Roving Reporter

A stranger behind the wheel

Posted by: Amy Reiter

Monday, March 17, 2008 6:43 PM

For several months now, I've been slowly getting madder and madder about the situation on the streets. And I mean the literal streets - where drivers and pedestrians and walkers vie for space and speed. I see cars routinely drive right through crosswalks where people are obviously waiting (and lately, waiting in rain, snow and sleet). I've seen people driving who can't seem to see the white lines separating lanes.

And then there are the people who drive me the craziest - like the one I saw last week, weaving and bobbing his SUV between cars, with little reaction space, and what appeared to me from my smaller car to be a kid in the passenger seat. A kid!

I'm not a patient person, and I'm not a perfect driver, but I believe we can all bring a little kindness into the car with us. If "kind person" doesn't do it for you, then remember that windows go both ways, and licenses are really easy for a passenger to write down.

Here are my rules of the road - and I'm going to try to follow them, too.

-Slow down (or speed up, if you're one of those drivers who likes to cruise University at 20 mph, talking on the phone the whole time).

-Respect pedestrians and cyclists (they're colder outside than you are, and unprotected by thousands of pounds to vehicle) and heed crosswalks.

-Walkers and cyclists - do not walk/bike down the middle of the street. It makes it very difficult for cars to avoid you without swerving into another lane.

-Cyclists - do not wear only dark clothes at night with no lights on your bike. Though people should always be looking for driving obstacles, they're a lot easier to see at night if they're bright. And, cyclists, wear a helmet. While cycling, I've almost been hit by cars twice in Urbana - once by an older woman who blew a red light far after it was yellow and once by a younger woman talking on her phone while making a left turn. It's scary.

-Be aware of when you can and can't drive. I'm not just talking about drinking and driving, though I'm talking about that too. Loss of vision and reflexes can be serious in quick-reaction winter and high-traffic road conditions. If you can't drive with traffic, you might be better off on the bus or sharing someone else's ride.

-At the same time, just because you have quick reflexes doesn't mean you should tailgate and go as fast as possible. You shouldn't. Personal space is important for vehicles as well as people.

-The guiding rule: Don't be a person in the car you wouldn't be outside the car. And don't drive like a madman with a kid in the car - that's just wrong on every level.

What's the worst driving offense you've seen (or committed)? What do you think should be rules of the road?

As a said, I'm not a perfect driver. I've sailed through yellows and sped angrily past slow drivers. I've taken and made phone calls - though many less than before I wrote an article on distracted driving last year. But I know I'm not the only one who can stand some improvement.

So let's try to be better people on the roads. Who's with me?

Amy

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