Highway contstruction in the USA is tied to a gasoline tax. That's a good thing, since it's economically efficient and socially appropriate to make the linkage as close as possible between the demand for something and the revenue to pay for it. Probably the gas tax should be significantly higher, in fact, to cover neighborhood effects from our society's heavy reliance on automobiles and other hydrocarbon-based transportation systems.

But a huge problem remains: aggressive driving that endangers the more responsible users of the roads. Higher insurance premiums apply to some bad drivers — but only after they have done their damage to others, and only if they deign to buy insurance. Fines for traffic violations are given out too sporadically and clearly lack enough deterrent effect. Many wild drivers trigger accidents while escaping unscathed; often they don't realize what mayhem they've caused.

How to fix? The Brake Tax: a heavy levy applied to all brake linings, shoes, discs, and drums. Lanechangers and tailgaters who habitually zoom and swerve will get hit where it counts, in their pocketbooks. Gentle drivers will contrariwise be rewarded. Who could object to that?

TopicHumor - TopicSociety - 2003-10-12

(correlates: ShadowCasting, PetroleumPatriotismTax, For Themselves, ...)