Dear Dr. Gridlock:
In your Sept. 5 column, you solicited solutions to the problem of tailgaters.
The problem has become so pervasive, along with speeding and swerving across lanes, that there is no solution except to keep to the right, which is always good anyway.
Tailgaters can, and do, rear-end people. The party doing the rear-ending will almost certainly be held responsible and can be charged with reckless driving. That charge carries up to a year in the slammer in Virginia. Wrecking your car, in and of itself, is no picnic, either.
Robert Richardson
Woodbridge
Dear Dr. Gridlock:
One of your readers related a disturbing story about being tailgated and cut off by an aggressive driver. Unfortunately, most of us experience that often in this area. I have been in situations where I feared for my safety.
I do believe that law enforcement agencies are serious about the problem, but I wonder if they are doing anything but ticketing speeders and light runners. To what extent are they really ticketing for tailgating, dangerous maneuvers and cutting off other drivers?
My answer to the problem is to use unmarked police cars with rear- and front-mounted video cameras. These cameras would be set to run continuously. Once an offender exhibits aggressive driving, the cop car would "light up" and pull him over. The driver would be informed that he is on tape and being ticketed for aggressive driving.
That action should also be carried out against aggressive truck drivers. In addition, trucks should be required to have large identification numbers on the side of their cabs, in front and on the trailer. Now, they have one small number way up on the side of the cab, and the trailer license plate is just for the trailer -- not the tractor. That is worthless and provides no deterrent to bad driving.
To be effective, the unmarked cars should be not just police-type sedans, but minivans, sport utes and other vehicles.
Let's stop paying lip service to stopping aggressive driving and do something about it.
Bob Hugman
Woodbridge
Readers tell me they support more law enforcement regarding aggressive drivers, red-light runners, speeders, shoulder drivers and violators of high occupancy vehicle lanes. If cameras are part of the solution, bring 'em on.
