In My Opinion, New York Drivers Should Be Doing This Every Decade
That's it, I've had enough. Driving on the roadways, and highways, in the Capital Region, has officially become a problem.
And no, I'm not talking about the pothole problem.
Look, don't get me wrong, this isn't only a Capital Region thing. I'm from Connecticut, and when I drive on Route 91 through the middle of the Nutmeg State, it can get a little hairy. I travelled down to Long Island a few weekends ago to broadcast the Albany FireWolves' game, too, and that drive was met with its fair share of difficulty.
That said, I am a resident of the Capital Region, and 104.5 The Team is the Capital Region's home for New York sports, so this plea goes out to those in the Greater Albany area and beyond.
It's time to make a major change for drivers around us.
It is my opinion, that drivers in New York state (and the country, let's be honest) should have to take a driver's test every decade during their lives. So, if you take one at 16, you take one at 26, one at 36 and so on.
If that seems to radical, let's space it out a bit. Instead, one can be re-tested at 30, again at 50, and then again at 70. Once we get to 70, maybe the space between tests gets decreased a bit.
This may sound a bit over-the-top, but I can say without a doubt that the quality of driving has taken a nose-dive in recent years.
For some folks, they're not driving as much as they used to, or they're back to commuting to work for the first time in multiple years. Either way, drivers are far less patient, and have much less regard for their fellow drivers as they did previously. When I'm on the road, I'm getting "tail-gated" far more, regardless of the lane I'm in. Drivers are getting cut off far more, and distracted driving continues to be a major issue everywhere.
So, my plea is simple: drivers should be asked to take a short, written exam, which will re-assert that they know the rules of the road. They will go out with a certified instructor, will go through a normal on-road exam, and the status of their license will be evaluated from that point on.
This plan will, hopefully, keep the safe drivers on the road, and allow them to travel without the dangerous or hazardous drivers impacting their ability to continue travelling safely. Along with that, it will help drivers who are reaching an advanced age gauge whether they are still capable of driving safely, and will help the families of older drivers gauge it, as well.
So, what do you think? Am I crazy, or does my idea have some merit to it?
Happy, and safe, driving everyone!