I drive for work every day, and I inevitably encounter at least one car with bad driving manners, which leaves me feeling very annoyed.
In my everyday life, such as at work or in my workplace, there aren't many strange people around me.
However, on public roads, everyone is on equal footing.
Whether someone has good manners or bad manners, whether rich or poor, we're all on the same path, so we can't help but interact with each other.
Therefore, there's no point in getting irritated by people like that.
I've been thinking about all sorts of ways to get everyone to improve their manners on their own initiative.
I think some things are possible, while others are not.
This time, I'll be writing about my own random thoughts and fantasies.
table of contents
① Mandatory installation of dashcams in all vehicles.
② Mandatory display of driver's name
③ Reward system for reporting vehicles that violate the Road Traffic Act
④ Driver version "Like!" point display
⑤ Summary
① Mandatory installation of dashcams in all vehicles.
This is the first idea that seems most likely to be realized.
Currently, installing a dashcam is not mandatory.
However, I believe that making this mandatory could lead to improved manners on the road.
The important thing about dashcams is that they "constantly monitor your driving."
When people don't think they're being watched, they tend to let their guard down or be tempted to do something wrong.
Whether someone has good manners even when not being watched, or bad manners even when being watched, the presence or absence of a dashcam probably won't make much difference.
However, the vast majority of drivers fall somewhere in the middle.
I think that if those people started driving a little more carefully, traffic accidents would decrease.
If dashcams are mandated for all vehicles, even in the case of accidents where the details are unclear, objective investigations can be conducted using footage from surrounding vehicles.
Will anyone be inconvenienced by implementing this?
I don't think there are many downsides.
Since it might actually become mandatory in the future, it might be a good idea to buy shares in dashcam manufacturers now.
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② Mandatory display of driver's name
I think this might be difficult to implement due to privacy concerns and other factors.
This system involves creating a slit on the vehicle's exterior where the driver's license can be inserted, and requiring the driver to attach their license there before driving on public roads.
It's sufficient to create a design where only the face photo and name are visible, and personal information such as address and date of birth is not visible.
As mentioned earlier, the more anonymity a person has, the lower their morals tend to be.
However, I think that if your name and face are clearly visible when you make your public appearance, most people would exercise self-control.
In fact, trucks belonging to transportation companies clearly display the driver's name.
The problem is that it would be difficult to equip all vehicles with a mechanism to attach a driver's license, and even if one were attached, it would likely be too small to be seen.
③ Reward system for reporting vehicles that violate the Road Traffic Act
This could lead to a surveillance society and a more restrictive world.
In other words, if you are caught in a traffic violation using video evidence such as a dashcam, you can get a refund on your fine by taking that video to the police.
Since the dashcam footage will be used directly as evidence, the recorder must be one that has been certified by the police.
Furthermore, for the footage to be usable as solid evidence, the driver's face and license plate must be clearly visible.
If you meet those criteria, for example, if you commit a violation that would incur a 5,000 yen fine, 20% of that, or 1,000 yen, will be refunded.
This would allow all certified vehicles to be converted into police vehicles, enabling the police to increase arrest rates at a reduced cost.
This could potentially lead to the emergence of something akin to private bounty hunters, who might be called "violator hunters."
The desire for video evidence might actually lead to an increase in dangerous driving.
Furthermore, new types of crimes are likely to increase, such as deliberately inducing violations to be captured on video.
However, I also feel that we are entering an era where such measures are becoming necessary.
④ Driver version "Like!" point display
This rule might appeal to the desires of people who crave "likes" on social media.
If you receive a kind and courteous act on the road, you will add "like" points to the vehicle with that license plate number.
For example, the system could be limited to only numbers registered online.AR technology, like the kind used in Pokémon GO, might be a good option.
The displayed car body will show things like "245 Likes," making it immediately clear whether the car is highly rated or not.
Having a high number of "likes" doesn't directly translate to any benefit, but many people likely feel a sense of superiority from having more likes than others.
In a system where points are deducted for poor manners, it's possible that people might use it to harass others by deducting points out of personal grudges.
Therefore, I think a system that gives extra points to people with good manners would be ideal.
However, it cannot distinguish between drivers; it simply recognizes the numbers on the license plate.
Therefore, it's possible that highly-rated numbers might fetch higher prices when being bought and sold.
⑤ Summary
I've written a lot, but aside from making dashcams mandatory, it's all just wishful thinking.
But I think it would be kind of interesting if it existed.
I'm thinking of carefully considering the setting and trying to write a short story.