Scofflaws defy rules that help keep us all safe

I too often observe others and myself breaking the law. There are an abundance of examples. What is going on? Is there a lack of respect for the law or a lack of enforcement? If you are reading this, I wonder what is running through your mind.

Let us site a specific example from the mix. The vast number of folks do not stop at stop signs.

This is a common issue with the established laws of the road. I feel that it is a precursor to abundance of non-compliance in general to most of the laws of the road.

Everybody is in a hurry, late or simply used to bending the established safety guidance on our roads. I can anticipate the inappropriate arguments about these accusations; i.e., everybody does it, I was late, it's no big deal, you're allowed 7-10 mph over the speed limit and no body's going to do anything about it, etc.

Which takes us back to enforcement. I have talked to police officers about this, and they understandably have said that there is just too much of it to handle. Kind of a scary realization but easily believable.

This example is a perfect lead in to the discussion as to all noncompliance with the law. It is not at all a lack of awareness, which could be slightly applicable, but in general, I feel that most feel the law is something to strategically ignore.

You can ignore a full stop at a stop sign, but you know the answer to that. The full stop allowing a pause to visually check for traffic is especially essential for older drivers.

There is a purpose in law. There are no guarantees, but they were created to increase our survival rate.

Bruce Allen Hendricks

Bartlett