By Ed Fare
In an earlier column I wrote about the values, attitudes and habits of drivers today. The point was old-school driver’s education and the motto “Courtesy is contagious.” Sadly, as all of us see when we drive around during our daily routines, it seems like drivers are actually getting worse.
I guess I can forget about common courtesy, but how about common sense?
Dangerous drivers, as well as dangerous roadways, have received a lot of media attention lately. Traffic studies and traffic engineering practices are there to make roadways as safe as they can be. Sure, there are dangerous and poorly designed roads and intersections, but it’s the operators behind the wheel that account for 100 percent of traffic accidents.
I realize everyone’s in a hurry, but there seems to be no consideration for one another. Obviously, Long Island traffic is extremely unpredictable and annoying. We can alleviate some of the stress by just planning ahead and leaving earlier than we normally would. But it seems that actually focusing and concentrating while operating a motor vehicle is the last thing on drivers’ minds.
Shouldn’t driving be your priority when you’re at the wheel? Why has everything else become more important than the actual job of driving? Talking, texting, emailing, even watching videos and checking social media seem to supersede the act of driving. There are plenty of public service announcements about distracted driving, but clearly they, too, are ignored.
Do you think about driving when you’re relaxing at home? Of course not. So why do so many drivers appear to be thinking about anything but driving?
As a first responder — an emergency vehicle operator — and a driver education instructor, I was always taught that getting a crew to an emergency situation safely was the job. Taking risks and driving recklessly helps no one.
The same applies for getting yourself to work or to a family gathering. Getting to your destination is the job. No one benefits from an accident or wreck.
Are injuries and possibly death worth sacrificing basic driving knowledge and execution?
People seem to forget that they’re driving a 2-ton weapon.
Let me offer a simple scenario. If you trip and fall, it hurts, right? What speed were you traveling at, a mile per hour?
And you weigh 150 pounds? Now take a 3,000-pound car or a 6,000-pound SUV traveling 60 mph. What do you think is going to happen in a crash?
We talk about gun safety, or addiction and drug abuse, as a threat to our livelihoods (which of course, they certainly are). What about motor vehicle operators?
Impaired driving — specifically drunken driving — has decreased, but distracted driving, and driving under the influence of marijuana, are on the rise.
Marijuana and alcohol are legal. That doesn’t mean you can drive under the influence of either. Liquor and cannabis, for those who partake, should be enjoyed when their use doesn’t influence or potentially harm others.
On the road, all of us have smelled weed coming from another car. How does this make any sense? If someone is driving and drinking from a bottle of liquor, they are certainly distracted and most likely impaired. I have spoken to numerous law enforcement officials, and the vast majority report that the first thing a driver says when pulled over in a car filled with marijuana smoke is, “It’s legal to smoke weed.” Yes, it’s legal to smoke, as it is to drink; it’s just not legal to drive while doing either!
Maybe it’s a stretch for me, but are the lawbreakers drunk, high or just inconsiderate and self-centered? You do realize that stopping in that No Stopping zone puts others at risk, right? It’s not there to inconvenience you. It’s there to protect other motorists and pedestrians. Putting on your hazard lights and sitting in the car doesn’t make the traffic flow any easier or safer for others.
Speed limits are not optional suggestions. They exist for the safety of everyone using the roadways. For that matter, are we so tied up in our day-to-day activities that we can’t signal? And what never ceases to amaze me is people who park or maneuver totally illegally when they have any number of legal options.
Once again, I doubt this will change anyone’s mind, but I know that in 2026 I will make an effort to drive better, and treat others on the road with courtesy and respect.
Ed Fare is the mayor of Valley Stream.
