COLLISION INJURIES PREVENTED BY COURTESY by E. Dennis Brod, Esquire
Can simple courtesy prevent automobile collisions thus saving thousands of lives and preventing the misery, suffering, crippling and maiming of countless others? Well, in terms of automobile safety, there is certainly no substitute for the physical attributes that are helpful to good driving. Excellent vision and hearing, quick reflexes, competency in maneuvering are important, but such a driver impaired by alcohol, fatigued or behaving erratically because of emotions can negate the attributes. So it can be with the absence of courtesy regardless of the age or physical abilities of the operator. Let us think about a few situations with which we are all familiar.
Traffic signal controlled intersection. The light changes from green to yellow. You can stop before it turns to red, but you are in a hurry. You run the red light. Aside from the danger to yourself and others and the risk of being cited for a violation, you have been discourteous. Anyone else controlled by the intersection signal may have to adjust their moves because of you not to mention the anger and resentment felt by seeing someone flagrantly flout the rules of the road and the motoring laws. Further, your actions can produce the angst associated with the thought of what your actions might have caused---injury or death. Reflect…is that how you really want to treat your fellow motorists? They have done nothing to you!
Stop sign. Your obligation is not simply to stop, it is to wait until you can enter the flow of traffic safely. You do not want to wait, so you pull out in front of a car and get the inevitable angry car horn. Why? If you simply exercised some courtesy to the motorist having the right of way, you would have been simultaneously doing the safe thing.
Tailgating. Some drivers may not be as confident or comfortable as you are in operating a car. A vehicle following too closely can put some drivers in a panic. The standard is one car length for every ten miles per hour, but you are doing 30 mph and instead of three car lengths, you are following by less than one. We know, you want the driver in front to go faster, but tailgating is dangerous. You simply will not be able to avoid a collision if there is a mishap with your proximity. If you were merely courteous and considerate of the other driver, you would wait for your safe opportunity to proceed on your way.
Talking on the cell phone or texting. This is the absence of courtesy on steroids. When you are driving, you should pay attention to DRIVING, not holding a phone in one hand, conversing or typing and incidentally operating a motor vehicle. Your inattention can cause grief to everyone around you as well as place everyone in harm’s way. Have you ever seen someone creeping along in the fast lane, holding up a line of cars and then see that they are talking on the phone? Talk about discourteous!!! They do not even have the decency to move to the slow lane to practice their carelessness. Drivers inappropriately in fast lanes cause other drivers to pass on the right anf otherwise take chances endangering themselves, pedestrians, cyclists and other motorists. A little courtesy could eliminate a good deal of the danger.
These are only a few situations where courtesy can help. Are there so few people left who will be courteous just because it is right?
