I’ve spent a little time on this blog discussing Massachusetts drivers, or more specifically how we are not the greatest drivers around. And we all know I’m being very generous in that phrasing.

There doesn’t seem to be much disagreement. People from other parts of the country are horrified by our driving. We, on the other hand, take a perverse pride in that fact.

We’re aggressive, we look at the laws as if they are suggestions, and it appears that many of us are not clear on the laws (suggestions) to begin with.

Clearly there’s no magic bullet that will solve the problem. No piece of legislation will make every driver better. Police can help with enforcement, but that requires funding. The roads could be improved for better safety and efficiency. Driver’s education is obviously an integral element, but how to make that work?

So let’s discuss this idea of education. Recently I asked for the return of “Traffic School” beyond that which is required to first get your license.

Clearly a requirement for driver’s education prior to getting your license is a good one. To get a license in Massachusetts teens must graduate from a state-approved driver education school with at least 30 hours of classroom instruction, six hours behind the wheel, and another six hours of observation from the back seat of the training vehicle.

But what happens after that? But what about people who have had their licenses for 20-30-40 years and may have forgotten those laws (suggestions). I’ve talked to police, to people who run driver education facilities, to transportation professionals of all kinds, and everyone seems to agree that some sort of “refresher course” should be beneficial.

I’m not suggesting that everyone be required take a refresher course, just the bad drivers. You know who you are!!!

If you get a couple of tickets, you go to Traffic School.

Cause an accident; go to Traffic School.

Traffic School doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to lecture time in a classroom. Let’s go right to the source, put an instructor in the car. Let’s create professional backseat drivers. Let’s recreate real-world driving scenarios to learn from.

Nobody thinks they are a bad driver, and yet there are so many out there. How can that be?