What’s Yer Hurry?

Are the headlamps on the car behind you so close that you can't see them in the rear-view? Don't feel badly, you' re far from alone.

My work takes me on some of the most crowded routes in the Garden State every day, and one constant remains - traveling the speed limit and staying to the right is the lawful thing to do, but that doesn't mean it isn't risky.

Fact of the matter is, we're all trying to get someplace in a hurry, and that's one of the best arguments for the constant parade of road-safety initiatives and sobriety checkpoints conducted by New Jersey State Troopers and local police, and subsidized by the state Division of Highway Traffic Safety. Right now it's Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. State police are launching their own bid to raise visibility of the Move Over Law, aimed at keeping police as well as drivers safe from being mowed down during roadside stops.

Still, it's interesting to watch people routinely widen the boundaries of clearly-understood concepts. "Speed Limit 55" is actually the law, not a suggestion, or a base-level launch point. The left lane is for passing, not for permanent possession. Passing on the right, where many autos and trucks have big blind spots, is asking for trouble. Brights are for dimly-lit roads and sorely test the eyes of any oncoming driver. Crowding and weaving are not advisable tactics.

State and local police can't watch everyone at the same time. We're more or less trusted to do that ourselves. I absolutely welcome your cooperation on this, before we meet under very unpleasant circumstances that involve crunching metal, shards of glass and insurance papers.