Here in Spain the Departamento General de Trafico sent out an advisory to the public warning that a sustained campaign against driving offences would be conducted along secondary roads over a set period from the 19th October to the 25th October.
It was well publicised, so no-one has any excuse if they were trapped in one of the checks. Half a million checks were made, and 27,370 drivers were reported for a variety of offences. We knew the police would be there, so why on earth did 16,564 drivers still insist on speeding, some by as much as 20 kilometres over the limit?
By now, clicking the seatbelt in place before even starting the car could be expected to be the norm, but no, there are those people who don't think it necessary, even many while transporting children. In fact, 1,349 people were reported for this offence, and another 57 people insisted on riding without wearing a crash helmet. Both of these "offences" will likely result in the death of the offender in the case of a crash. To die because we deliberately ignored these simple safety steps is to die from stupidity. There is no other way I can think of to put it.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a subject on its own. It appalls me that people who belong to special car clubs or motorcycle clubs will meet up for rides or club tours, and when they get to the restaurant or bar of their destination, the wine or beer flows like water. When damages occur to their vehicles because of drunkeness, everybody stands around with mouths wide open, appearing to be in shock. I did belong to one such club but after seeing what was expected of me, I took my polite leave.
Finally, a category of offence that is on the rise is driving without due care and attention. If you said that is because of using smart phones to text while driving, you would be right. I know that the people who do these things surely are aware of the danger of taking one's eyes off the road to text. I refuse to accept that anyone could claim ignorance, but they still do it. These are people who are otherwise intelligent, but they are so addicted to their phones that to seperate them for as long as it takes to complete a journey is just too much.
In spite of flaws that may be possibly inherent in cars that drive themselves using Artifical Intelligence, stupidity or addicition are not likely to be a part of the programme.
Can't wait!
Copyright (c) 2015 Eugene Carmichael
