I really liked your observation about cupholders, consoles, and drive-thrus: “Every flick of the radio dial, every bite of the cheeseburger or sip of the Coke, is a millisecond in which tragedy can strike. In which doing the most mundane thing, in an extremely dangerous machine disguised and softened for its user, can turn you into an accidental killer or victim.” Have we collectively decided that this “living room on wheels” design is an acceptable risk?
In the past 24 hours I have found myself contemplating the ideas of fault, blame, cause & effect, earning, deserving and grace. I find that to function effectively in the world as it is, we need to have a sort of a both/and or all-of-the-above approach. Even when trying to recognize that we live in a state of grace, we need to recognize that there are physical objects in place and in motion.
I have a dear friend who for many years, when things would go wrong in his life, he would fixate on blame, whether blaming himself or blaming another. Trying to locate the blame consumed too much of his mental energy. I felt bad for him, though sometimes it was actually a bit amusing. There was nothing I could do. It seemed even the church could do little for him. Then he got into a kind of self improvement group, which I was initially pretty skeptical about, and over the course of a couple years I saw him letting go more easily and being a more relaxed and more successful person. The group he participates in puts a strong emphasis on seeing things as they are and figuring out how to take responsibility for your future path and making the best decisions for yourself. Perhaps it was my upbringing, perhaps my DNA, but that always came easily to me.
So ... moving through the built environment is full of challenges. Automobiles are very costly to fuel and maintain. Public transit outside of a few of our densest urban areas is often inconvenient and sometimes a bit expensive in the USA. Cycling requires a certain level of skill and fitness (less so now with e-bikes). Walking is slow and really not practical for most people's commutes or shopping trips. Prior to semi-retirement, for me walking was done mostly with dogs over short distances or done on vacation in the woods or in a foreign city. And of course for everyone, whether drivers, cyclists, pedestrians or people waiting for the bus, cars pose a mild threat when even when piloted properly, simply because of mechanical error or momentarily blocked vision. When drivers are incompetent, reckless or impaired, the threat is magnified many fold. I don't have an exact tally, but in my life I think only cancer and heart disease have killed more family, friends and acquaintances that automobile collisions. And then there are the injuries and the financial damage.
In recent years, the post-pandemic era I guess, it seems the frequency of utterly reckless driving has increased immensely. Things I used to find odd, like people exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph or more and people blowing through controlled intersections without even slowing to a crawl, much less stopping, have become commonplace. The more people do it and get away with it, the more common it becomes. Consequences are important to shape behavior. Do we need to throw elderly people in jail? Probably not. Of course much depends upon her repentance. If she will never get behind the wheel again, I think that solves the problem. But more generally, I think law enforcement needs to be a bigger part of the picture. With moving violations, the punishment should fit the crime better. Impoundment of vehicles, temporary or permanent, ought to be a bigger part of the picture than mere fines or even jail sentences. I also think careful choices with language can make a difference over time. Some while ago, I stopped referring to car accidents and switched to the terms crash or collision.
Ultimately, solutions to this deadly problem will be in better transportation planning more so than enforcement though. We need to take individual responsibility to behave in motion as best we can, but also collectively look to improve policy for the future. As much as possible we ought forgive ourselves and others for the past mistakes, but be better going forward.
My sister died in a traffic accident a few years ago. I am extremely cognizant of how dangerous driving really is. I can’t imagine how I will handle the end of my driving in another … 20? … years? Will we have better public transportation by then? I doubt it.
I think that those of us in our 50s and 60s need to plan ahead for not driving. How can we start to move away from car dependency? This may include moving to a walkable area, getting a bike/tricycle, learning to use public transport, etc. These changes are easier to make now than when we are in our 80s or 90s.
Sixty-three here. I sold what was probably my last car about seven years ago. My wife still has one so we are not car free. She still has six or seven years until retirement and with a 35 mile commute, the car is necessary. We will most likely keep a car for 15-18 years after she retires because phase one of us both being retired will mean living in a small rural community without good public transit. Eventually though, probably either when I turn 80 or when she turns 80 or some time in between, we will move to a senior living community, probably in a city, and we will go car free. I remember watching as my mother's car collected more and more dings and scratches as she approached 80. Finally, at 81 she gave it up. The whole family felt great relief.
I really liked your observation about cupholders, consoles, and drive-thrus: “Every flick of the radio dial, every bite of the cheeseburger or sip of the Coke, is a millisecond in which tragedy can strike. In which doing the most mundane thing, in an extremely dangerous machine disguised and softened for its user, can turn you into an accidental killer or victim.” Have we collectively decided that this “living room on wheels” design is an acceptable risk?
In the past 24 hours I have found myself contemplating the ideas of fault, blame, cause & effect, earning, deserving and grace. I find that to function effectively in the world as it is, we need to have a sort of a both/and or all-of-the-above approach. Even when trying to recognize that we live in a state of grace, we need to recognize that there are physical objects in place and in motion.
I have a dear friend who for many years, when things would go wrong in his life, he would fixate on blame, whether blaming himself or blaming another. Trying to locate the blame consumed too much of his mental energy. I felt bad for him, though sometimes it was actually a bit amusing. There was nothing I could do. It seemed even the church could do little for him. Then he got into a kind of self improvement group, which I was initially pretty skeptical about, and over the course of a couple years I saw him letting go more easily and being a more relaxed and more successful person. The group he participates in puts a strong emphasis on seeing things as they are and figuring out how to take responsibility for your future path and making the best decisions for yourself. Perhaps it was my upbringing, perhaps my DNA, but that always came easily to me.
So ... moving through the built environment is full of challenges. Automobiles are very costly to fuel and maintain. Public transit outside of a few of our densest urban areas is often inconvenient and sometimes a bit expensive in the USA. Cycling requires a certain level of skill and fitness (less so now with e-bikes). Walking is slow and really not practical for most people's commutes or shopping trips. Prior to semi-retirement, for me walking was done mostly with dogs over short distances or done on vacation in the woods or in a foreign city. And of course for everyone, whether drivers, cyclists, pedestrians or people waiting for the bus, cars pose a mild threat when even when piloted properly, simply because of mechanical error or momentarily blocked vision. When drivers are incompetent, reckless or impaired, the threat is magnified many fold. I don't have an exact tally, but in my life I think only cancer and heart disease have killed more family, friends and acquaintances that automobile collisions. And then there are the injuries and the financial damage.
In recent years, the post-pandemic era I guess, it seems the frequency of utterly reckless driving has increased immensely. Things I used to find odd, like people exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph or more and people blowing through controlled intersections without even slowing to a crawl, much less stopping, have become commonplace. The more people do it and get away with it, the more common it becomes. Consequences are important to shape behavior. Do we need to throw elderly people in jail? Probably not. Of course much depends upon her repentance. If she will never get behind the wheel again, I think that solves the problem. But more generally, I think law enforcement needs to be a bigger part of the picture. With moving violations, the punishment should fit the crime better. Impoundment of vehicles, temporary or permanent, ought to be a bigger part of the picture than mere fines or even jail sentences. I also think careful choices with language can make a difference over time. Some while ago, I stopped referring to car accidents and switched to the terms crash or collision.
Ultimately, solutions to this deadly problem will be in better transportation planning more so than enforcement though. We need to take individual responsibility to behave in motion as best we can, but also collectively look to improve policy for the future. As much as possible we ought forgive ourselves and others for the past mistakes, but be better going forward.
Accidents will happen
We only hit and run
I don't want to hear it
'Cause I know what I done
-Elvis Costello
Great comment, and yes, the insane dangerous stuff should be *really* cracked down on by law enforcement.
My sister died in a traffic accident a few years ago. I am extremely cognizant of how dangerous driving really is. I can’t imagine how I will handle the end of my driving in another … 20? … years? Will we have better public transportation by then? I doubt it.
I think that those of us in our 50s and 60s need to plan ahead for not driving. How can we start to move away from car dependency? This may include moving to a walkable area, getting a bike/tricycle, learning to use public transport, etc. These changes are easier to make now than when we are in our 80s or 90s.
Sixty-three here. I sold what was probably my last car about seven years ago. My wife still has one so we are not car free. She still has six or seven years until retirement and with a 35 mile commute, the car is necessary. We will most likely keep a car for 15-18 years after she retires because phase one of us both being retired will mean living in a small rural community without good public transit. Eventually though, probably either when I turn 80 or when she turns 80 or some time in between, we will move to a senior living community, probably in a city, and we will go car free. I remember watching as my mother's car collected more and more dings and scratches as she approached 80. Finally, at 81 she gave it up. The whole family felt great relief.
If you want to get away with murder, do it with your car.