Situational Driving Rules

I would like to propose an optional and supplemental driving standard, which I call, “Situational Driving Rules” or SDR. The following will provide several examples of how SDR works and how SDR can be incorporated into current regulations. I will also discuss the implementation of Situational Driving Rules.

What are laws? Why do we have them? The concept of laws, and the root guidance for most of them, can be traced back to the 10 commandments; do not murder, do not steal, etc. Laws keep people from hurting each other when they are not able to keep from hurting each other without the laws. Applied to driving, laws do the same thing; they keep people from hurting each other on the road. They regulate traffic flow and ensure safety. This is necessary because many people are not able to drive without these laws and keep from hurting other people.

There exists, however, the possibility to navigate the highways of America without hurting anyone and not obey the letter of the law. How can this be? “Laws are there for a reason!”, some might say. To this I would respond, “that is exactly my point”. Traffic laws are not just a bunch of rules to be followed so that one can play the driving game, each exists for a reason. For my own safety I am glad they are there. It is far too easy to get a driver's license. Therefore, laws have to be dumbed down and written to protect us from the lowest common denominator. But if there were a way for me to prove that I could drive in the spirit and purpose of those laws, why couldn’t I be exempted from strict adherence to them?

This concept that common sense supersedes the law is not new. California Vehicle Code Section 22350 states “No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property”. It is commonly know as the Basic Speed Rule. The only way this can be enforced, or put another way, that the State can find me guilty of breaking this law, is if I am given the responsibility to regulate my speed based on my own common sense assessment of driving conditions. If, then, I am given this responsibility and expected to use my common sense applied to the driving conditions, why can that responsibility not be extended to other areas?

Let me give examples as to why common sense should supersede the law. If I am stopped in a left turn only lane, what are my options? The only thing I am allowed to do by law is turn left. The law also states that I must use my left turn signal. Why? The purpose of the turn signal is to let other drivers know what I am about to do. It should be perfectly obvious to all that I am about to turn left from the left turn only lane. The only reason I should need to use my turn signal is if I am going to do something out of the ordinary, like turn right. If I turn right out of a left turn only, I am breaking the law. Therefore, common sense dictates that a left turn signal in a left turn only lane is redundant and unnecessary. The same applies for using signals in the absence of traffic. If I am turning or changing lanes and there are no other cars, for whom am I signaling?

Did you know that you don’t have to signal every turn and lane change you make? California Vehicle Code Division 11 Section 22107. No person shall turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway until such movement can be made with reasonable safety and then only after the giving of an appropriate signal in the manner provided in this chapter in the event any other vehicle may be affected by the movement. Here is another case where I am given the responsibility to asses the conditions and apply situational awareness to determine whether or not I need to give an appropriate signal.

Stop signs and traffic signals present a different set of common sense issues. Why do stop signs and signal lights exist? The purpose of stop signs and signals are to regulate traffic at intersections. If the purpose is to regulate traffic and there is no traffic, does the sign or signal still have a purpose? Where I live in the desert, there are intersections where you can see traffic coming in all directions for a quarter mile or more. Why do I need to come to a full and complete stop to look for cross traffic? There isn’t any traffic while I am approaching the intersection and there isn’t going to be any when I get there. I am not suggesting barreling through an intersection. But assessing each intersection and determining a safe procedure through should be sufficient.

Another 4-way stop scenario is this. There are multiple lanes in each direction. A vehicle is already stopped in one of them, the other is clear. As I approach the intersection in the clear lane, I time it so that I get to the intersection at the same time the other car proceeds. If it is safe for the other vehicle to proceed, then it is obviously safe for me to proceed without stopping.

What about traffic signals at busy intersections? Great idea and totally necessary – in the middle of the day. If I am on my way to work at 5 AM and no other cars are in sight, what am I waiting at the light for? I should be able to treat that signal as a 4-way stop and not wait for it to change.

As you will notice, the point of this is proposal is not to place certain drivers outside the law. I do not wish to be made exempt from the law, I just don’t want to be limited by it when conditions make adherence to the law silly. This also does not mean that I suggest a state of lawlessness for those allowed to exercise this common sense approach. As in the case of speed according to driving conditions, enforcement is based on the observations and evaluation of law enforcement officers on patrol. If, they observe a driver doing something that they deem unsafe, citations may be issued.

Two special exceptions will exist to all SDR and those are school zones and construction zones. Both of these present unpredictable hazards and cannot be safely navigated under SDR. All school zones and construction zones will require standard driving laws regardless of a driver’s SDR certification status.

This brings me to the question of implementation. Just as all drivers must pass a written and driving test, SDR drivers will as well. SDR would be another class of license, just like truck drivers who have a class A. Candidates must already be licensed drivers with a perfect driving record for a period of five years. The written test will consist of scenarios like the ones presented in this proposal. The driving test would be a computer simulation that would put the driver in the middle of these scenarios. The driver would have to assess each situation and be able to think through it and drive safely. Recertification must be performed annually.

What about enforcement? A one-strike rule will be in effect. If a SDR driver is cited for anything, their SDR certification is revoked. Since SDR certification requires a clean record for 5 years, and citation will revoke privileges for 5 years. Also, since enforcement of SDR and issuing citation is based on the evaluation of law enforcement officers, SDR drivers will need to lean toward safety in all situations.