In an earlier blog, plenty of ranting was had about the new "cell phone use while driving law" coming into effect in California on 7/1/2008. But this author wonders if the ranting was even necessary or applicable to the myriad of problems on the road.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), vehicle-related fatalities have remained constant for nearly a decade at about 40,000 deaths per year. Sure, new automotive electronic technology, including traction control , stability control, forward collision warning, predictive braking and lane departure warning, have improved safety on the road, but one fact remains clear - the quality of drivers on the road has not improved. And I am willing to bet that the number of fatalities has remained steady because of these aids, not because drivers have become… better drivers.

In an earlier post, I discussed how the US automotive aftermarket has turned into a cesspool , filled with substandard, untested products that come from unknown origins. A quick visit to any national automotive parts chain or even a local tuning shop will provide ample evidence to this effect. In the same spirit, the roads are filled with the same cesspool mess:

* Vehicles in disrepair that obviously aren’t road-worthy
* Vehicles with expired tags
* Drivers without licenses
* Drivers without insurance
* Drivers reading something while driving
* Drivers distracted playing with radio controls
* Drivers putting on make up, clothes and the like
* And so on…

I once witnessed an accident on a local freeway here in Southern California. The vehicle that caused the pileup was formerly a taxi, with the telltale yellow paint. Rather than sticking around for law enforcement to arrive, this driver takes off and runs up the freeway embankment. Care to guess why he ran off?

Driver’s licenses are far too easy to acquire in the US. In Asia and Europe, driver’s licenses are not only more difficult to acquire, they are far more expensive. Frankly, Americans are spoiled. The right to drive is viewed upon as exactly that, the RIGHT to drive. Everywhere else in the world, it’s looked upon as a privilege.

And cars are REQUIRED to possess a certain level of maintenance or they aren’t allowed on the road. In the UK, for example, older vehicles are required to pass an inspection as a government run facility before they are deemed road-worthy. The US has no such law or regulation. As the Brits would say, "Bollocks!"

Let’s face it. Americans are spoiled. And we’re completely indifferent. I maintain that the DOT, NHTSA and state department of motor vehicles need to create a universal standard on who gets to drive and what skills drivers need to possess to take a vehicle onto the road. And law enforcement needs to focus on laws that matter and enforce them, instead of hassling automotive enthusiasts with "loud" exhaust systems.