Yes, the roads are crowded. Yes, there鈥檚 a lot more traffic than during the height of the pandemic. And yes, you may be finding drivers less cooperative than they were before the world shut down in March 2020.
None of these statements should come as a great surprise, save perhaps the last one. But, as traffic volumes increase, drivers need to use equal parts caution, courtesy and patience as we all squeeze back onto the open roads.
Traffic volumes plunged during the pandemic. But, while there were fewer cars on the road, the severity of the crashes we reported on in the 草莓传媒 Traffic Center was far greater. (鈥淰icious鈥� would not be a misplaced descriptor.) Last summer鈥檚 slow thaw brought more people back onto the roads, but that was nothing like this summer.
This summer, it鈥檚 been 鈥淔ull steam ahead,鈥� 鈥淟et鈥檚 go,鈥� 鈥淟et鈥檚 move,鈥� 鈥淟et鈥檚 get going,鈥� 鈥淟et鈥檚 go somewhere!鈥� That morphed into 鈥淐鈥檓on! Will you move?鈥� or 鈥淒id you see how fast/slow/impatient/reckless that person up there is?鈥� That is generally followed by coarser language and gestures that good taste don鈥檛 permit us to pursue here.
When we were spending all our time at home, we didn鈥檛 have to wait on strangers moving to their own, seemingly arcane, beat. Our pace was our own, and no one would 鈥� or could 鈥� have a problem with that. Our view of the practical world didn鈥檛 get past the end of the driveway, and sometimes not even past the end of our noses.
Now take that particular attitude and multiply it by however many drivers we have in the D.C. area. Then let that attitude steep over however many months many weren鈥檛 driving much farther than to the store. Then 鈥� as if someone said 鈥渙ne, two, three, GO鈥� 鈥� put all those people back behind the wheel and turn 鈥榚m loose. Then mix those with others who have been driving this entire time and have seen commute times balloon from pleasant to manageable to 鈥渨here-did-these-other-cars-come-from?鈥� to 鈥淚鈥檓-gonna-be-late-now-and-IT鈥橲-ALL-YOUR-FAULT.鈥�
It鈥檚 like we forgot others would be on the road. It鈥檚 like we didn鈥檛 realize they鈥檇 been as shut in and moving to their own beat as we once were. 鈥淭hey鈥� didn鈥檛 exist. There was only 鈥渦s,鈥� or in many cases, 鈥渕e.鈥�
It鈥檚 as if we became so siloed and so myopic during the pandemic that we forgot how to work, play and drive well with others.
Many have had their otherwise good driving habits fall into some pretty bad manners that might embarrass both parents and long-forgotten high school driving instructors. This runs the gamut from unsafe lane changes to tailgating, to the ever-popular going way too fast, to drivers distracted by their phones, their coffee, or whatever. I鈥檝e seen it more than I care to. You鈥檝e seen it, and it鈥檚 probably made you see red a time or two already.
Basic rules apply here: We鈥檙e all in this together. We鈥檙e all trying to get someplace. We all want to do it in the most expedient manner possible, because it鈥檚 hot, or it鈥檚 late, or it鈥檚 too early, or it鈥檚 my first day back in the office in 15 months, or whatever.
Treat other drivers the way you鈥檇 like to be treated. Cut others some slack, and they鈥檒l probably cut you some. Moreover, most of the traffic laws you dealt with pre-shutdown are still in force. Good sense, good graces and good driving habits aren鈥檛 just a good idea; they鈥檙e also still the law.
The few who still insist on being unsafe and unpleasant were probably going to be that way anyway, because some people just are. They were there before the pandemic. They were there during the pandemic. They鈥檒l be there long after this pandemic.
We still have to remember that drivers are human, and that humans are imperfect. Even the best of us has our moments. We hope that people will forgive us for being a momentary moron, as we should be affording them that same understanding.
We in the 草莓传媒 Traffic Center love what we do, and we work very hard to make sure the information we give you is accurate, timely, and useful, so you can get on your way safely. It鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here. And when there are crashes, you give us great information that鈥檚 timely, useful and of great value to us and the other drivers on the road at that time. What we鈥檙e hoping for is more road kindness, which may lead to fewer road incidents to report.
Because, let鈥檚 face it: We鈥檙e all trying to get somewhere.
Have a tip for the traffic center? Report a traffic problem by calling 202-895-5047 or submitting it through this form on 草莓传媒.com. You can follow 草莓传媒 Traffic Center and too.
