“Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” P.J. O’Rourke

Lane/Tommy: Are the driving habits of citizens changing for the worst? The amount of drivers that we witness disobeying traffic laws, courtesy and common sense is on the increase. Driving is a privilege, not a right and people should obey laws or forfeit their right to drive. Recent legislation like Tina’s Law is a step in the right direction to get habitual offenders off the roads and into the jails. We think this is a good start for the Maine Legislature but more needs to be done.

Lane: In the past week I have had several close calls and nearly forced off of Route 202 by a driver coming out of the Windham High School campus. It just seems ridiculous how many drivers blatantly break the law by running red lights and stop signs, not to mention tailgating and speeding. There is nothing more frustrating than traveling on the interstate highway only to have one car in sight and it is six feet off of your rear bumper at 65 mph. This is, of course, called tailgating, which has become a problem of epidemic proportion. The problem of tailgating is just as bad in other states, so Maine doesn’t stand by itself in this regard.

Tommy: Multitasking is the ability to perform more than one chore or responsibility at a time. Driving requires a person to do multiple tasks because one must steer the vehicle, control the speed with the gas pedal and brakes, shift the transmission if it is manual, use the directional and aware of road conditions and fellow drivers. However, there are some activities that should not be conducted when one is driving and should be against the law. Driver inattention is a major cause of accidents that could have been avoided.

Lane/Tommy: We have seen some really bad examples of driver inattention that surely, if filmed, would be on You Tube or even America’s Funniest Videos. Perhaps the most entertaining but dangerous activity is putting on makeup while driving. All the makeup in the world will not cover up the hundreds of stitches necessary after one goes through a windshield.

Tommy: I believe one of the more grave consequences of driver inattention is the almighty cell phone. It is almost impossible to travel anywhere and not see someone talking on a cell phone. This is such a serious problem that it has become a leading cause of accidents due to drivers neglecting their surroundings. Some states have banned the use of cell phones while driving. There are several proposed pieces of legislation in Augusta that would make talking on a cell phone while driving illegal.

Lane: It appears virtually impossible not to witness a driver running a red light or stop sign at any intersection in any town. It has become an epidemic problem that must be stopped. In Germany, where I was stationed for 10 years, if one ran a red light, they would see a flash in their rearview mirror as a picture was taken of the rear license plate and a ticket would come through the mail. Yes, some would say this would be a loss of freedom, but it would only be for those who continually run red lights and believe it’s not breaking the law. Just think, how would the cost of a camera compare to putting a police officer at every intersection with a traffic light or stop sign? In the end, it would not only save lives, it would also increase revenue that could lower property taxes and free up police officers to focus on more serious crimes.

Lane/Tommy: There are so many more dangerous activities that should be banned while driving that we could go on and on. Eating while driving is another prime example of dangerous activity. Perhaps the best cure that we can think of is returning to that time when driver courtesy was the norm. A smile beats the most popular symbol of road rage. Advertising the fact that you have one friend really shows your intelligence level, or lack thereof.

Lane and Tommy have asked for government funds to open a nonprofit driving school after they get driver’s licenses themselves.