As the New Year starts, I’ve been thinking about driving. I’ve been contemplating that I need to resolve to watch my speed better and to improve my driving manners.

Many of you have heard that the Utah Highway Patrol has decided that they’re going to crack down on speeding. It’s kind of been an unwritten understanding that if a driver went 5 miles over the posted speed limit that there was very little chance that there would be a traffic stop or a citation issued for speeding.

Many people have routinely set their cruise controls at a few miles over the limit knowing that there was no danger of being pulled over. Now: Not so fast all of you Utah “Mario Andretti’s” out there. (Yours truly included.)

The UHP has announced that the speed limit as posted is, in fact, the speed limit. And furthermore, that speed limit is intended for perfect, sunny day, blue birds singing, and driving conditions. So when the sign says 80 MPH on I-15, it means just what it says.

I had my cruise control set at 82 the other night coming back to Sanpete, a car passed me. It wasn’t going significantly faster than me – maybe 85? Within two minutes, a UHP cruiser, lights blazing, passed me and stopped the vehicle. By that experience, I’m guessing that the Highway Patrol’s “bite is going to be as bad as the bark.” So, therefore, my New Year’s driving resolution.

Remember when driving into Utah and Salt Lake counties was a pretty calm, no hassle excursion? Me neither. Well, I do have some vague memories of how it used to be. There was a time when you could change lanes and not feel like you were risking your life every time you did it. Traffic is crazy up there.

Like most of you, I have occasion to drive “up North” semi-regularly. Evidently there are some Sanpeters who are driving up there every workday. It’s been a while since I saw the statistics, but I believe there are between 200 and 300 workers in Sanpete County who commute to work into Salt Lake County.

Unless things have changed, I gather that our own Spencer Cox, Lt. Governor of the state is one of the Sanpete commuters. Davis County has the most workers commuting to Salt Lake with 44,000+ and Utah County has nearly 32,000.

Of course this is only relating to people who are going to Salt Lake County for work, and doesn’t count those going to Utah County or other areas. Most of these people are driving, so you can see why there is so much traffic on the freeways up there.

When I drive anywhere, I notice that there are two kinds of drivers out there — everyone else and me. That’s one easy categorization.

My late father-in-law put all drivers into two categories: Morons and Idiots. Anyone driving slower than him was a moron. Anyone driving faster than him was an idiot. “What does this moron think he’s doing poking along like a turtle? Look at that idiot! Where’s the fire?”

In reality, one of the best ways of characterizing drivers is in these two groups: Courteous and Non-courteous. We all have lots of experience with both of those groups.

Utah drivers seem to have a reputation pinned on them by “out-of-staters” as being bad, discourteous drivers. Some people move here and say that they’ve never seen such lousy, impolite drivers.

I personally believe that there are bad, discourteous drivers everywhere. I’ve done some driving in places like Boston, Massachusetts and that was pretty wild.

I’ve been stalled in a VW Campmobile near the IRS building in Washington D.C. during rush hour at the end of a work week prior to a holiday weekend. That wasn’t a picnic. Every metro area in the country has its share of wacky drivers.

In my experience, driving abroad is interesting too. Here are two examples:

Traffic lights are just suggestions in places like Naples, Italy. People think you’re discourteous and crazy if you actually stop and wait at a red light.

In Poland, on narrow, two-way highways with two lanes, it may seem impolite to begin passing a car in your lane when another car is oncoming in the other lane. But regardless of the rules, it’s culturally acceptable and everyone makes room for the seemingly suicidal driver of the passing car. I got used to it. And despite heart rates elevating with my passengers, and me, I even pulled out and made passes that way.

The phrase “road rage” has become a normal part of our language. When people get so frustrated with road conditions, other drivers, or their own personal psychosis otherwise – they snap.

These drivers then do something violent or socially offensive. Behaviors range from giving fellow travelers the famous one digit salute to pulling a gun and blasting away at their next lane neighbor. Some people will tailgate with their bright lights on to punish another driver who they believe did them wrong.

Road rage in Sanpete takes on its own, more mild, form. We get hopping made if we can’t make a left turn onto Highway 89 within 15 seconds of stopping. We want to choke the farmer who never signals when he slows and turns down a lane. (“Everyone knows that’s where I turn. I go there all the time every day!”)

We are annoyed when we hit the red light at one of the two traffic lights in the county. At one time I heard that UDOT was considering another light in Gunnison. Oh my! Potentially three lights in the county? We’re turning into Los Angeles!

Some things about driving never change. Young people think that older people are awful drivers and older folks wonder if young people will ever slow down and learn to drive. Both, I suppose, are at least partially right.

The State of Utah continues to remind us that driving is a privilege and not a right. I hope that we here in Sanpete will continue to enjoy our driving privileges without the hassles of our “up north” neighbors.

Honk if you see me on Highway 89. I’ll squint and wonder who you are. Some people recognize everyone by their vehicles. I’m not one of those people. But, I do wave and nod to about everyone, regardless of whether they’re idiots or morons.