Driver Rights

Your rights as a driver are not based on the rights you have as an American and protected by the Constitution. No, your rights as a driver are based on the 'right of way' as defined by the rules of the road. As such, your individual rights are determined, to a great extent, by your individual choices.

For an example of how right of way and driver rights interact - see my other post on 'Slower Traffic Keep Right' http://driveriq.blogspot.com/2007/01/slower-traffic-keep-right.html

So how do your decisions affect your right of way? Vehicle selection is a big one. I choose my vehicles with extra performance. Performance generally means you have to sacrifice things like, practicality, cargo and passenger space, ride comfort, etc. Now of course, there are some vehicles like the Porsche Cayenne that bridge the gap, but this is beyond the price range of most people.

I can choose to be impractical because I don't have kids. I don't have to haul people around. I don't have to haul cargo. My car is fast and nimble. Therefore, I can do things with my car that soccer mom cannot do in her Suburban. That's just how it is.

It is also true, that when it comes to right of way, I have more "rights" than soccer mom in her Suburban. And it's all based on individual choices. Soccer mom chose to have kids. That and budget factored into the decision to buy the Suburban. Those decisions obligated her to get out of my way!

Sorry soccer mom. See you in the fast lane (for a moment).