Ten Commandments of Driving
Vatican: "The most important
thing to keep in mind is that the Church is committed to raising awareness
and regaining a sense of responsibility in those who use the road. To
decrease traffic accidents, the contribution of the Christian community is
necessary. But in addition to the Church, schools, families and
institutions must also work to further this cause and work to create
respect for applicable laws."
I. You shall not kill
II. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and
not of mortal harm
III. Courtesy, uprightness, and prudence will help you deal with
unforeseen events
IV. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need especially victims of
accidents
V. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination and
an occasion of sin
VI. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when
they are not in a fitting condition to do so
VII. Support the families of accident victims
VIII. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together at the
appropriate time so that they can undergo the liberating experience of
forgiveness
IX. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party
X. Feel responsible towards others
Cardinal Renato Martino, President of
the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travellers:
Road and rail transport are a good
thing as well as being indispensable requirements of contemporary life.
It is of fundamental importance that the driver behaves
responsibly and with self-control when he drives.
Cardinal Martino points out the
psychology of some drivers with "domination instincts" who see
road signs as limitations:
When driving a car some people start
up the engine to join a race in order to escape from the troubling pace
of everyday life. The pleasure of driving becomes a way of enjoying the
freedom and independence that normally we do not have. The free
availability of speed, being able to accelerate at will, setting out to
conquer time and space, overtaking, and almost subjugating other drivers
turn into sources of satisfaction that derive from domination.
Cars tend to bring out the primitive side of human beings.
Although risks are involved, the Vatican
states that an appropriate outlet for domination instincts are the
"practice of road sports: Cycling, motorcycling and motor racing in a
healthy spirit of competition."
Vatican on cars and egos:
Cars particularly lend themselves to
being used by their owners to show off and as a means of outshining
other people and arousing a feeling of envy. People thus identify
with their cars and project their egos onto them. When we praise our
cars we are, in fact, praising ourselves because they belong to us; and,
above all, we drive them. Many motorists, including the not so
young, boast with great pleasure of records broken and high speeds
achieved, and it is easy to see that they cannot stand being considered
as bad drivers even though they may acknowledge that they are.
The Pontifical Council for Migrants and
Travelers lists four virtues to apply when driving:
Charity
Prudence
Justice
Hope
Vatican's Rules
of the Road are based on the Fifth and Seventh Commandments, Thou
shalt not kill and Thou shalt not steal: "This means
that, beyond the prohibition of directly killing, wounding or maiming, the
Lord's commandments forbid any act that might bring about such harm
indirectly. The same goes for any damage caused to one's neighbor's
goods."
The road shall be a means of communion
between people and not of mortal harm
Cars shall not be an expression of power and domination and an occasion
of sin. Cardinal Martino said an occasion of sin might be
aggressively passing someone on the road. Other occasions of sin
are: Being physically or mentally incapacitated, being under the
influence of alcohol, stimulants, or other drugs, or being in a state of
exhaustion or sleepiness.
Drivers on the road should be fully
aware, without dreading such a situation, that an accident may occur at
any time.
Good drivers courteously give way to
pedestrians, are not offended when overtaken, allow someone who wishes
to drive faster to pass, and do not seek revenge.
The duty to have vehicles serviced
should be respected. Taking care of one's vehicle also means not
expecting more from it than it is able to give.
Driving means coexisting
Driving means controlling oneself
Unbalanced behavior includes
impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy, loss of sense of
responsibility, or deliberate infringement of the highway code
When drivers endanger their own and
other people's lives and the physical and mental well being of persons
as well as considerable material goods, they are guilty of a serious
shortcoming even when such behavior does not cause accidents
Drivers cannot just rely on the rules
of the road but should rather maintain an appropriate margin of safety
if they wish to be free of carelessness and avoid unforeseeable
difficulties
Road users should not drive too fast
and should calculate a wide margin of time which is theoretically and
psychologically necessary to brake. They should not overestimate
their own abilities and quickness and should constantly monitor their
attention and conversation. In this regard, travelling companions
should also be aware of their responsibility.
Road users should provide reparations
for any damage caused to others
Moral law prohibits refusing
assistance to a person in danger
Bring guilty motorists and their
victims together at the appropriate time so that they can undergo the
liberating experience of forgiveness
Hope is a virtue that should
characterize drivers and travellers. Indeed, whoever undertakes a
journey always sets out with the hope of arriving safely at their
destination to carry out business, enjoy the countryside, visit famous
or nostalgic places, or return to the embrace of loved ones. For
believers, the reason for such hope, whilst taking account of the
problems and dangers of the road, lies in the certainty that, in our
journey towards a goal, God accompanies us and keeps us from danger. Due
to God's company, and thanks to the collaboration of other people, we
reach our destination.
The Catholic Church regards as
Protectors of Travellers: Saint Christopher,
the Guardian Angel, and the Archangel Raphael and the importance of the
Sign of the Cross to be made before setting out on a journey. With
this Sign we put ourselves directly under the protection of the Holy
Trinity. The Church encourages praying as we journey particularly while
passing spiritually strategic places, such as shrines, churches, and
chapels.
It is quite common when accidents
occur to blame the state of the road surface, a mechanical problem or
environmental conditions. However, it should be underlined that the vast
majority of car accidents are the result of serious and unwarranted
carelessness, if not downright stupid and arrogant behavior by drivers
or pedestrians, and are therefore due to the human factor.
The Church wishes to arouse a renewed
awareness of obligations concerning the pastoral care of the road
Belgian bishops urge drivers to show:
Proof of courtesy and charity by
giving way with an understanding attitude to the awkward maneuvers of
learner drivers, paying attention to the elderly, children, cyclists and
pedestrians, and controlling themselves in the case of infractions
committed by other people. Christian solidarity encourages all road
users to exercise greater sensitivity and to help the injured and the
elderly with particular care given to children and the disabled. And
attention to the body should also be accompanied by spiritual assistance
which is no less urgent in many cases.
Stuck in traffic? Placed on
hold? Maybe God is calling you to prayer says Sheila Garcia,
Associate Director of the U. S. Bishops’ Secretariat for Laity,
Marriage, Family Life and Youth.
What is Pope Benedict XVI's favorite
automobile? Jeep
