One of my pet peeves is people who don’t use their turn signals. That would seem to be most people. I theorize that this bad habit started becoming more prevalent as cars got easier to drive. In the sixties and early seventies, power steering and air conditioning were still optional items, not to mention power windows. Back then a person really had to be involved in driving a car so using turn signals was just part of the deal. Nowadays our cars are so automated they practically drive themselves.
It almost as if today's drivers are annoyed by the fact that the turn signal function is still basically manual.
I’m not the only one who’s noticed this decline in driver etiquette either. On NPR's Morning Edition today, Steve Inskeep spoke with Ron Sowder. Ron has driven a delivery truck for UPS for over fifty years “without being blamed for an accident.”
“He has managed to stay safe while climbing into the cab more than 12,000 times and traveling more than four million miles.”
He was recently honored by UPS for this extraordinary achievement. In the interview, Steve asks Ron what changes he’s noticed in peoples driving habits over all his years on the road.
“Well, the old saying used to be courtesy is contagious - not so much any more. You let people in, and that's that. Only about one out of 50 can bring themselves to throw their hand up, thanks. And they don't use turn signals. You know, if you hit them, you knock them into next week. But I think some of these people need some additional training or something.”
You tell ‘em Ron!
