Many of us have had firsthand experience of the troubles and annoyances of traffic jams. Personally, as a long-time NYC TLC driver, I have had many. In my years of experience, I have come to know that traffic accidents and road work are not the only causes of traffic, but the reckless and careless behavior of drivers also contributes to this issue. I believe that a wide distribution of educational material that teaches drivers how to maneuver everyday situations will lead to fewer traffic jams and help us become a more efficient, faster-moving city. I have taken the time to write out a pamphlet of scenarios, which I believe could help keep this city moving.
The most basic example that comes to mind is the elevator. Imagine yourself standing outside an elevator with a small group of 4-5 people. When the elevator arrives, do you all get in simultaneously? Your answer is probably no. This is a courteous gesture many of us have acquired because getting on an elevator as a big group makes it an uncomfortable situation. This same logic can be applied to the road. For some reason, when you have to merge into one lane, many try to go first, thus creating an uncomfortable situation as well as traffic. Such an issue can be avoided by simply allowing each other to go in one by one as we do with an elevator.
This pamphlet is intended to create a cultural shift within the road and apply the same manners we display to each other in our daily interactions to our driving interactions as well. By following the few tips included, we all create less traffic and live our lives less stress-free. Building a city that keeps everyone in mind will benefit us all. A simple way to remember this is the saying, “respect is when a car stops to let a pedestrian pass through, and when a pedestrian speeds up so as to not hold up the car.”
With a strong focus on respect and the application of common manners in our everyday life to the road, we can implement road manners into our daily living as well. With a broad educational push through the distribution of my pamphlet, we can provide New Yorkers with a new outlook on driving, thereby reducing the traffic in our city as well as alleviating the many stresses of the road.