The most Selfish Act

My job requires that I spend a fair amount of time on the road. It has become apparent to me that there are many lousy drivers on the road. Maybe they aren't lousy drivers but they are certainly reckless drivers. They drive well over the speed limit, they weave in and out of highway traffic, and they follow way too close to the driver in front of them. I don't care how good your reflexes are, if you are travelling at 75 mph and less than ten feet off the bumper of the car in front of you...your are creating a dangerous situation for yourself and everyone else on the road, which gets to my point.

Reckless driving, speeding well in excess of the posted limit is one of the most selfish acts I see in our society today. I really do not care if someone wants to drive in a reckless manner. If you want to drive in a way that makes it likely you will drive off a cliff or slam into a tree at 70 mph, it's not my business. I think it is sad that someone does not value their life and their relationships enough to ensure that they do not kill themselves on the nations highways, but if driver chooses to endanger their own lives through reckless and careless driving there is little I can do about it. If the only ones potentially hurt by such poor driving decisions were the drivers themselves I would have no issue. However, their driving decisions endanger me, my family, and my friends. On a crowded highway with heavy traffic, a single reckless driver can take out a lot of people who are driving responsibly and minding their own business. This is why I think that the reckless driving I see everyday I am on the highways is one of the most selfish acts in modern society. If you want to drive in a manner that puts your life at risk, go ahead. If you want to drive too fast around a curve and fly off the road down a cliff, then you alone have to live with your poor judgement. When you drive in a manner that not only endangers your life but mine, am outraged and find such decisions to be from people of the lowest character.

BTW, while I have not kept an official tally, I think the casualty insurance companies have it right when they make young male drivers pay more for their car insurance. When I see truly reckless driving practices, the odds are 80% or greater that the person behind the wheel is under 30 and male.