A Simple Solution for Reckless Idaho and Utah Drivers

Maybe self-driving cars controlled by a somewhat benevolent artificial intelligence is the answer.

I was on the Interstate over the weekend and had the usual NASCAR trainees blowing past me on the highway.  Usually with Utah and Oregon plates.  I was in the small town of Hagerman, as well, and I saw a deputy pull alongside the main drag, and within a couple of minutes, he nailed the first speeder.  The driver looked to be a local.  The out-of-state drivers scoff at our speeding fines.  That’s what law enforcement has told me.

But I’m used to dealing with the speed demons on I-84.  It’s the grannies on local streets that get me boiling.

We had a guy working at the radio station 10 years ago named Peter.  He moved on to another line of work, and I haven’t seen or heard from him since, but he told me everyone in Twin Falls drove 10 miles under the speed limit.  That’s not scientific.  My experience is anywhere from seven to 12 miles per hour under the posted limit.

And the constant tapping of brakes must be some form of Morse code.

Throw in the people who try and make a left turn over a double solid line, and you’ve got gridlock.  Especially when it’s near a busy intersection.  There simply aren’t enough police officers to watch from every corner, and even then, I’m not sure if it would make a difference for someone who believes he must get to the McDonald’s window before everyone else.

The late comedian Gallagher once said he had a solution.  He recommended that all drivers be issued dart guns, with each dart having a warning flag.  When your car accumulates 12 darts stuck to your vehicle, you would lose your driving privileges.

Of course, that wouldn’t be practical.  The look is too much like road rage.