My friend sold his car for his 80th birthday. He really likes to drive though. He said that he got behind the wheel for the first time as a soldier and passed his test by playing with the routine he had acquired in the angel skin. In the past 60 years, he has driven everything except goats, he used to say. But he also repeatedly mentions that he feels less and less safe while driving. His hearing is somewhat dulled, his reflexes have slowed down, but with his "re-operated" eyes, he can still distinguish the goose from the egg in the wedge of wild geese in the sky.

   You don't even have a problem with yourself. He worries about the others. And the others claim that the eighty-year-old driver himself is the problem.

According to public opinion, elderly or older drivers are responsible for most traffic accidents. Somehow, it's as if you could hear from the news that pensioners end up in the police station more often than younger people. Even so, official statistics claim that drivers under the age of 25 have a third more accidents than their fellow drivers over 65. But even before I unwittingly stir up tension between age groups, I will quickly note: the combined damage of these two opposing groups is smaller than the number of collisions, running overs, and deaths caused by middle-aged people. Of course, let's add right away that this is the largest community in society. They are between the ages of 35 and 65. With all this, life itself refutes the belief that older drivers are primarily responsible for traffic accidents. If they cause trouble, they sin when turning, when changing direction or by failing to give priority. Right, right, that damned routine! Because who wouldn't remember that you could turn left at this corner? We also turn in, even if a prohibition sign was posted there today, which we did not look for, as we knew that it was certainly not there yesterday. Young people are constantly late. They are afraid of missing out on something. They are in a hurry! Scootering is a good feeling, racing is something that makes peas run down one's spine. The level of adrenaline in our body increases, and our brain is already flooded with a flash of happiness. Until we have to stop unexpectedly. But a little routine from the old people would be nice at this time! But since young people don't necessarily put this in the mother's seat, panic most often hits the brakes. This is enough to drift into a ditch, hit a tree or, in the worst case, cause a frontal collision. So, new cress here, renewed legislation there, I myself am one of those who claim:

it does not improve traffic morale and we will not strive to be more civilized on the roads because pensioners stick stickers on their cars indicating that an elderly person is behind the wheel.

But we still have official or semi-official labels. Most often, I travel with the child, which has an English language version in addition to Hungarian. Graphically, it is as rich as the Spring Exhibition of the National Salon at the time. I remember - when I was teaching my children to drive - we painted an official size letter "T" on a piece of cardboard, but only put it out the back window when they were practicing. When I was driving the family car, I didn't want to deceive those who wanted to help me. Because it is not difficult to be deceived. The other day I was behind a car in rush hour traffic whose best decoration was a pink-based, same-colored "T" set inside a stiletto. So it was clear to me that there was a lady driving in front of me who was just getting to know the science of driving. When I got to it, I was shocked to see that a bearded man was holding on to the steering wheel of the car with one hand because he was clutching a cigarette in the other.

Still, I'm adamant that

let's go along the macadam road of labeling paved by the new KRESZ, once we've stepped on it. Let's spread the sign that helps traffic!

Everyone gets a unique label on their windshield or bumper. Just as you can see on the jars of jam in the pantry, who made it, when and especially from what? But let's not hand out labels, but rather QR codes! If our Japanese friends have gifted us with this symbol that is even more eloquent than the Hungarian national costume. It could be like a customized quick report. From this, everyone would know what to expect from which driver. You can safely ride behind it, because it won't brake unexpectedly, or you can roll continuously in the lane next to it, because it won't cut in front of you without an index, or maybe it's better if you choose a different direction as soon as possible - even at the first branch. But by no means stay on the road on which the driver with the scanned code is driving. Since anyone can create their own graphic with unique content with the QR code generator available on the Internet, all that is needed is a little self-knowledge, and we can immediately get the "quick answer" to the question of who surrounds us. Those who push violently would reveal themselves. Those who don't stop in front of the zebra crossing even when a pedestrian is crossing it, but rarely even when only the red light prohibits movement. They would warn those who cross the limits of all speed limits anywhere, those who change lanes without a direction signal, those who turn, and thus even those in front crossing the closing line. Those who never stand behind you in line, those who cut in front of you at any cost, would get a signal. Those whose driver's license is for the inner lane, or who bought their driver's license for money, and also those who have never tried to get such a thing, because they know that they drive very well even without a driver's license. Before the buzzer sounds, we would know from those who always honk that they press the button instead of using the brake or gas pedal. They do this because they haven't yet experienced that jostling doesn't make their car accelerate, and sure enough, it doesn't stop either. This statement is true even if the bagpipes are accompanied by flashing lights.

My friend has been traveling by tram, trolley or underground since his 80th birthday. If you are traveling further afield, you can take a taxi to the bus, train or even the airport. Don't let anyone mark his car! It would look good if he had to pull over to the very edge of the stop lane, branded, because his tag read:

"Caution! This vehicle is driven by an old man who is a danger to the public and himself. "

I explained to him in vain that the stickering was only a plan and that it was voluntary anyway, and that it would be introduced primarily to protect the elderly. He waved. These violent drivers who run over everything and everyone should not take care of him! Not really, because God help me, he said, that would only make trouble. Because they cannot choose the appropriate speed for the road conditions, the following distance, and most of the time not even the correct direction. In a word: they are unpredictable.

Maybe a single sticker would be enough?

 

Author: NéMA

Cover image: Pixabay