Are we driving ourselves over a cliff?

Almost 50 years ago, I sat my butt on a bench seat in some big contraption where I had to insert a key to make the thing start; hang onto and turn a giant wheel to steer it; work some buttons, levers and pedals to make it do tricks; and pay close attention to where I was taking it in order to not hit anything. Or, worse, anyone. Someone referred to that thing as an "automobile." Funny, I always called them "cars." Strange word...sounds like something they'd say in the '30s or '40s, but it'll do.

Welcome to the wonderful world of driving. Getting the opportunity to take control of a motor vehicle for the first time is the pinnacle of our growing up. Once you can drive, the world is at your doorstep. Or at least at the hood ornament. You can't always tell.

Driving a car is a HUGE responsibility. So huge that I had to bold, italicize, underline, and change the color of the word "huge." Why is that? Because it takes a fair amount of skill, and a lot of common sense to drive a car correctly. "Correctly" meaning avoiding contact with other objects and people, obeying all of the laws in place to regulate traffic, and stepping up to take responsibility when your actions (or misactions) result in a collision or some other situation that causes damage to another person and/or their property. Unfortunately, nowadays, common sense isn't very common.

Sad to say, and well known among drivers, is the fact that there are a lot of people who are out there driving around in two- to ten-ton vehicles who aren't exactly on top of their game. They're distracted by their electronic devices and other things that really should be set aside for the duration of their trip when they're behind the wheel. Laws have been passed regarding using such devices while driving, but many people simply ignore those laws.

Distraction by electronic devices is only part of the problem. I'm not sure if some people simply think that they're the only ones allowed on the road, or that they flat out own the darned thing. Shouting at other drivers. Using obscene hand gestures. Yelling inside their own car: "You're going too slow. Speed up or I'll ride your bumper till you do." "After me, you're first." "The light turned green one whole entire second ago, what are you waiting for?" (followed by a long honk of the horn). "Get out of my way!" "I'm in a hurry!" The list goes on. Impatient, nasty people are nothing new. They've been around since at least the '70s. You just have to deal with them.

Here in California, our law says that we need to renew our drivers license every five years. To renew, we have to pay a fee. For some reason, I seem to recall that we had to take a written exam whenever we renewed our license, but the last few times I went to the DMV, I remember only paying the fee and having a new picture taken.

Not everyone will agree with me, but I think that a license renewal should also include a good, comprehensive behind-the-wheel driving test, even more so than the one we took to get our license in the first place. And this test shouldn't be something ridiculous like "go around the block and come back." Everyone should have to take the same driving exam, regardless whether you're young or a senior citizen. Since we all have to share the road, then we need to follow the same laws and procedures with no exceptions. If, say, an older person can't turn their head and look before safely changing lanes, then we can't just let him pass because, "well, he's old." Doing so would be a recipe for disaster. [ducks prunes and dentures being thrown at him]

Over the years, our cars have gotten safer. All we need now are people who will make the effort to drive with courtesy toward others and safety in mind. I'm sure that everyone would benefit from that.