Traffic Violations

The two most obvious and dangerous infractions (and the only ones that bother me to any great degree) are the disregard for speed limits and people running red lights (by refusing to stop for yellow lights). I am not an unreasonable man, and I understand there are always exceptions and circumstances which explain the action. Sometimes people do not have the time to stop for a yellow light and must go through it, only to find the yellow light was not long enough. Sometimes our diligence with our speed slips and we find we have been accidentally speeding, and we slow down. These cases do not bother me for they are "honest" mistakes, and even I have committed them. What bothers me are those cases when people can prevent it but actively choose not to.

I have seen too many people driving too fast. Most times no harm is done, but occasionally someone does get hurt. What bothers me the most is those people who speed then have to stop at a red light and I end up on their tail. Most of these people only save themselves a few seconds. In the case of residential driving they put lives of little kids in danger, and in the case of freeway travel they run the risk of being unable to avoid hazards and making a bigger mess of things. Regardless of the reasons I cannot understand why someone can look at a speed limit sign and disregard it. I cannot understand why people choose not to live by the law. I guess in one sense those without morality can shrug off the law, but those with a Christian faith ought to know better and submit to their government (Romans 13) and obey the speed limit (how can a Christian partake of communion when he/she routinely breaks the speed limit, thus sinning?).

The other, and even more dangerous, traffic violation that really bothers me are how people seem to ignore the warning message of the yellow light. Instead of thinking "A red light is coming soon, I need to prepare to stop" they act as if the light were saying "Hurry! I'm turning red soon and you might just make it!" It's a rare occasion to have a light turn red and not have someone in the middle of the intersection trying to make it through the yellow light. According to our driving laws your car must be cleared of the other side of the intersection before the light turns red, or you can (and will) be given a ticket for running a red light. This problem has become so bad that our city has started installing cameras at our intersections to catch these people! Still I see it (on those intersections without cameras) and I have seen many near-miss accidents too. There is no need for this!

If people would only exercise a little patience both of these traffic violations would not need to occur. Traffic lights only seem like the last a long time, but it's only a few minutes a most, and that should be worth waiting for. Speeding really only saves you a few seconds, a minute at most, and if that's all you need to be on time I suggest you start leaving earlier. There is no need to put other people's lives and safety in question when following the traffic laws will adequately provide this. Slow down, calm down, and drive sensibly for a change!