Terrorism and the Driving Public

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Sep 15, 2001

Unless you live under a rock you have no doubt heard about the terrorist attacks earlier this week. America has been attacked by crazed fanatics bent on destroyiing our way of life. But even just a few days later things seem to be getting back to normal. Airports are open, people are returning to work and school, Americans are showing more patriotism and eventhough most of the weekend sporting events have been postponed television seems to be getting back to normal.

So what does all this mean to you, the driving public? Several things could happen that will change our driving habits in the near future. Of course gas prices will probably rise, especially if America goes to war or the oil producing nations of the Mid-East raise prices or cut production in support of Afghanistan. This will of course raise prices of almost everything. After all it takes fuel to deliver products to market and increased shipping prices will mean increased product prices.

Also, traffic on the nation's highways will no doubt increase because of peoples fears of flying brought on by the hijackings. More traffic means more wear on cars, more pollution and more traffic delays. Because people will be driving more maintaining their automobiles will be more necessary than ever to prevent breakdown.

A more serious scenario is government restriction of travel. If these types of attacks continue the federal or state governmants could institute a national identification system and call for the issue of restricted travel especially between states. Imagine having to go to a government office and get a special permit to travel to Grandma's house in a neighboring state. Or being stopped at checkpoints and having to show your ID and travel documents. Some people may think that this sounds like a good idea now in light of what has happened. I assure you that it's not. This is not the American way. Ben Franklin once said that anyone willing to give up a little liberty in exchange for a little security deserves neither. I don't think that most Americans would stand for this and those that would should think about Mr. Franklin's words.

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