It’s not that uncommon nowadays for drivers to run red lights, disobey stop signs, drive around stopped school buses, ignore requests from police and show a general disregard for the rules of the road. These actions can have grave consequences for pedestrians and other motorists.
More than 7,500 pedestrians were killed in 2022, a 40-year high, according to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association. Although the number of traffics deaths did decrease by 3.6% last year, they are still significantly higher than pre-pandemic numbers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Just recently, I was sitting in my car and waiting for the red light to change when the driver next to me suddenly took off and ran the light. I wanted to chase down the vehicle and lecture the driver. Of course, I made the wise decision of waiting for the light to change and going about my business. My anger at the driver made me wonder: Am I overreacting? Am I just having a bad day?
The more I talked to others about this experience, the more I realized I wasn’t the only one to witness this kind of brazen and irresponsible behavior on the road.
What is fueling it? When law enforcement makes a request of a motorist, why do some believe they don’t have to acknowledge it? What can be done to curb this bold rejection of authority?
The causes are likely complex, but certainly, mobile devices and social media are involved in some of the irresponsible behavior. After all, more than 70% of adults use social media daily, and drivers can be easily distracted by their phones, whether it’s to use social media, talk with or text others, or take pictures (with social media posts in mind). Distracted driving can be deadly. Nine people die every day from a driver who is distracted on the road, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Then there is the shortage of police, which has accelerated since 2020. In a survey of 200 police agencies by the Police Executive Research Forum, 2022 saw 50% more police officer resignations than 2019. Across the country, officers are either resigning or retiring. In Chicago, in 2022, there were nearly 1,000 police vacancies. Recruiting new officers continues to be a challenge across the country.
With fewer police officers monitoring roads, more people may feel empowered to run red lights or worse. With fewer officers, motorists are getting away with more infractions. Clearly, the undersupply of police officers in this country is more than concerning and speaks to a greater societal issue.
Here are two important questions we as a society must answer: Are we at a crossroads in our nation, in which excuses are being made to not follow the law? And does that indicate a bigger societal concern?
My response is yes to both questions.
We can change this is by enforcing our laws and supporting law enforcement when they do. I often tell students that laws and rules are meant to be followed. If you believe a rule is unfair, there is a process to follow to have it changed. But rules allow us all to live with civility; they help govern our behavior.
So, for the times police make a request, it’s necessary that we tell our youths to follow the rules. Having conversations with our youths about traffic laws and the rules of the road can lead to change. Consider that drivers ages 16 and 17 have the highest rates of crash involvement. Perhaps it’s time to incorporate examples of how to effectively respond to law enforcement in driver’s education classes.
The biggest influence in the lives of our youth are their parents and other adults. How we comport ourselves on the road will influence younger drivers. The person I saw disobeying the red light was not a teenager. It was an adult. If we wonder what is happening to our youths and why they are behaving as they do, we must remember that they are watching what we do.
We are all growing weary of lawlessness — on the road and in our communities. We must expect more from one another and hold each other accountable for our behavior. Ignoring the rules of the road puts us in peril and erodes the fabric of our society.
Jerald McNair, who has a doctorate in education and a graduate degree in public policy, is a school administrator for South Holland School District 151.
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