Today's blog post is the first of a two-part post that considers the quintessential "bad driver" who other motorists are acutely aware of and literally try to steer clear of on state roads and highways. Today we look at the common American response to deficient and otherwise reckless driving, i.e., the prototypical Gwinnett County, Georgia and national reaction. In the follow-up post, we examine an altogether different philosophy that is rapidly gaining ground in China, where bad driving and fatal accidents are a near national obsession. We hope readers find the contrast interesting.
Good drivers can usually spot bad drivers immediately when they see them -- constant speeding up and slowing down, without apparent reason; inability to stay in the center of a lane; obvious distractions going on inside the vehicle; inappropriate use of turn signals; and so forth.
The obvious response: Back away and give that motorist room. But perhaps the more fundamental question is this: How do you keep that person off the road to begin with, or at least curb some of those behaviors?
In Gwinnett County and elsewhere throughout the country, traffic police are the most obvious answer to that. See legally impermissible driving behavior, stop and potentially issue a ticket or make an arrest. Sufficient recurrences of that can result in loss of a license or even jail time.
But that official response occurs after the already "bad driver" has demonstrated in one important instance sufficient driving skill and restraint: He or she has managed to drive well enough for a short period of time and with a licensing official in the car to obtain a license that allows for the subsequent unleashing of all those erratic and dangerous driving habits on state roads and in the proximity of other motorists.
An idea gaining strong momentum in China stresses the identification of bad-driving traits in a person before he or she is ever allowed to turn the ignition key. Subpar driving is literally considered as a disease, with demonstrable symptoms and perhaps even a genetic predisposition.
Some authorities think that a "cure" can be had in most cases. We will look into that in our next post.
Related Resource: Bloomberg, "Chinese doctor sets out to 'cure' bad driving" July 15, 2011
