Whether one views careless driving as the softest infraction of all, one must be herewith reminded that this sometimes extends far beyond oneself.
It is a timely reminder that driving a vehicle is a duty not just toward oneself but toward the lives and well-being of many others.
The key to creating a culture of safe roads is to understand who pays the price for these impacts.
Careless driving in Ontario, as it is defined in most jurisdictions, is the driving of a motor vehicle without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons using the highway.
This definition covers a range of negligent behaviors, from distracted driving and failing to yield to improper lane changes and following too close.
Careless driving isn’t classified as a criminal offense the way dangerous driving is, but the fallout from it could still be terrible and quite extensive.
Oftentimes, the immediate and most drastic cost of careless driving affects victims of collisions.
These injuries may range from relatively minor whiplash to serious, life-altering disabilities.
The pain, suffering, and emotional trauma of accident victims tend to have life-long consequences affecting their ability to work, carry out daily activities, and enjoy their lives.
Beyond the physical toll, there may be costly financial burdens as additional expenses in medical bills, rehabilitation costs, lost days of work, and perhaps requiring long-term care.
But of course, heavy folly risks are borne by the family of the victim.
The most painful part of this tragedy is seeing a loved one suffer, or worse, lose them entirely due to a preventable blunder.
This compound, not only with the financial burden of taking care of a family member, but having to cope with the loss of a primary breadwinner, accommodates much more sorrow into their lives.
This ripple effect extends for generations, leaving an irreparable void behind.
But the careless driver does not remain unscathed either.
Although usually, their physical injuries from collisions are minimal, they usually contend with legal penalties, including hefty fines, demerit points from their driving records, and potential license suspensions.
Punishment is even more severe when careless driving results in grievous injury or death: hefty fines, even imprisonment.
Then again, perhaps in all likelihood, the driver would also have to put up with guilt and remorse, burdening her conscience with the damage her actions have done to others.
Their insurance costs will rise tremendously, thus making it an expensive affair for many years to come.
Careless driving costs the entire society.
The empresses, the policemen, and the firefighters strain their services into precious resources that could have been used for other purposes to attend to road accidents.
Finally, all of the economic costs associated with collisions, such as property damages, maximum insurance payouts to victims of road crashes, and healthcare costs for the victims themselves, are shared by society through taxes and increased insurance premiums for all.
Optimally, the increased occurrence of careless driving creates a general sense of insecurity and fear among pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users, affecting their willingness to partake in active modes of transport and possibly leading to unwholesome community well-being.
Even the slightest careless driving – checking a phone at a red light for a few seconds or driving over the speed limit – helps to build a culture of dangerous driving.
The normalization of bad behavior allows many more serious events to take place.
Every small act of careless driving tells the community-this is okay and slowly eats away at our collective commitment to safety on the roads.
Careless driving is very far from being a victimless crime.
It will send ripples deep into the lives of accident victims, their relatives, the drivers responsible, and indeed the much wider community.
Transformational costs that fall into categories of physical, emotional, and monetary ravage all potential victims and future generations: alone or lived through loss from car accidents, by missed opportunities created by such accidents, and by what careless driving leaves solemn realization of the extent to which these small moments of inattention or poor judgment can go on to affect lives.
In the end, it is too expensive for all of us.
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