Just to re-enforce what you are saying Gene, I think that drivers are not imbued with sufficient sense of responsibility. People just don't treat driving as something that could have serious consequences if one does not follow the rules and take care. Instead many users regard the road as their individual property and operate vehicles in a selfish & thoughtless manner e.g. failure to signal, yield, stop, distracted whilst driving etc.

However, unless there is serious pressure brought to bear on this aspect of life (imagine the cost of enforcement..) and bad drivers really begin to catch some grief, nothing can change.

Ed

True, and a large part of the problem is that even when there is pressure to bear on this aspect... that pressure is often deferred by the perception that "you simply must be able to drive... ".

Hence, we see DUI prosecutions where the motorist is still permitted to drive "to and from work" and other cases where motorists are "forgiven" as "their remorse is so great" after killing a pedestrian or cyclist. Indeed drivers rarely catch grief over their transgressions. For cyclists, on the other hand, grief is usually instantaneous... a broken bone, severe lacerations, perhaps even death.

Just to re-enforce what you are saying Gene, I think that drivers are not imbued with sufficient sense of responsibility. People just don't treat driving as something that could have serious consequences if one does not follow the rules and take care. Instead many users regard the road as their individual property and operate vehicles in a selfish & thoughtless manner e.g. failure to signal, yield, stop, distracted whilst driving etc.

However, unless there is serious pressure brought to bear on this aspect of life (imagine the cost of enforcement..) and bad drivers really begin to catch some grief, nothing can change.

Ed

Isn't this a big difference between European and US models? Drivers have to prove that they we not responsible for an accident whereas here police have to demonstrate the a driver was responsible for the accident.

Or something along those lines.

Changing the onus of proof would change US behavior pretty quick in my opinion.

Isn't this a big difference between European and US models? Drivers have to prove that they we not responsible for an accident whereas here police have to demonstrate the a driver was responsible for the accident.

Or something along those lines.

Changing the onus of proof would change US behavior pretty quick in my opinion.

I tend to agree, but this concept would be difficult to pass in our "innocent until proven guilty" system. Although as an example, the "mandatory sentencing laws" and "use a gun go to jail" laws have passed.