Educated Drivers

Concerning “Commander Gridlock” by Lynn Simross, which appeared in the Dec. 23 issue, Cmdr. Jerry Bova of the LAPD hit the nail on the head when he said, “We need to educate the public.” The public does need to be educated, and about all aspects of driving.

Too many individuals and agencies responsible for public safety and traffic engineering feel that a “mechanical fix” is the solution. There are seat belts, 5 m.p.h. bumpers, third stoplights, air bags, and car pool lanes, just to name a few. Agreed, some of these mechanical fixes are good ideas, but they are no substitute for a well-educated driver. Mechanical fixes tend to make people complacent, not safe and certainly not better drivers.

Once the individual behind the wheel starts thinking for himself instead of having all of his decisions made by a mechanical device, our roads and highways will be safer and the traffic will flow much more smoothly.

ROBERT FRIEND

Garden Grove