Noticing Driver's Behavior

Having recently acquired my permit (yes, I ‘only’ have my permit) I may be judged premature in offering my two-fifths of a nickel’s market value, however I have noticed patterns in my own and others’ driving behaviors. Being a product of a schola aptly named ‘Defensive Driving school’ people may become peeved with my well intentioned, and frankly safer than their own, driving habits. I absolutely positively do NOT engage in any maneuvers I am uncomfortable with. Some may be annoyed with it, but as the great Thomas Nolan once said, “don’t ever hurry somewhere like I am now. Unsafely, we hurry to nowhere. And one day, like most good Americans, we’ll die hurrying to nowhere…”
Unfortunately, not all good Americans seem to realize the dangers of the stereotypes made of American driving (having only driven in America, I feel it prudent to discuss only American driving styles). Going too fast or too slow are the norms, in the lovely county of Ocean. “Speed limit? What the hell’s a spee…. Oh god! I have crashed into another car while wondering what those signs posted on the side of the road mean, and have promptly been made dead!” That may not have actually been a real quote, but there is not a doubt in my mind that similar scenes have played out here, far too often for my liking. Is it any wonder that Ocean County has the highest teen death rate due to car accidents every year in the entire freaking nation! (whoo! First place!)
This takes no mention of illegal intoxicants consumed by the people whom drive around me. Or the absolute incompetence to exercise control of self some people show. And the inability of some to grasp that a cell phone is not an MVC approved driving aid. Or any of a thousand other things I could generalize about. These people aren’t necessarily bad drivers, but they have bad habits that endanger their safety and my own. And if you haven’t picked up on it yet, That makes me severely unhappy…
And speaking of feelings, let’s discuss personality (no that wasn’t supposed to make sense). Peoples’ personalities are undoubtedly changed when they get behind the wheel of a car. Any ordinary civilian can get in the driver’s seat and change. It’s no hard feat to become a raging bumper-car pilot when you think that the four feet of car around you is keeping you safe (it isn’t). But that’s not the full extent of the problem. There is an inherent need to rush in our culture, at the most basic level of society, ingrained into our subconscious (which I alluded to previously) that well and truly puts everyone on the path to nowhere when they share the roads with the stupid…