Recent news reports have me baffled. In one report, a driver with bad brakes is killed and injures three members of his family, but he is praised for taking the brunt of the impact on the driver’s side to “save his family”. In another report, a driver runs over two pedestrians (they were jay walking at night) and the police discovered the front brakes were not working and he received only FIVE days in jail.

It is clear to see the court of public opinion gives puts more weight on ignorance and not unspoken intent.  In both cases, the drivers ignored their vehicle’s condition to the point where it put everyone’s safety at risk. It was not their intent to injure or kill, it was ignorance and optimism that it would not be them in a crash.

What the media coverage makes clear is that there are no significant penalties for ignorance and indifference for driving an unsafe vehicle. Also, vehicle neglect is not criminal negligence if you can prove you did not know better.

It has gotten so bad that some people cry “brake failure” then admitting they knew their vehicle was unsafe or they were distracted. I call it the “Toyota Syndrome” that allows drivers to blame anything and everything except their own ignorance and incompetence.

Shops have become gun shy about using real fear as a legitimate sales tool due to an over zealous media. The media is in a win/win situation, either they get a story that bleeds actual blood or could bleed money from a wallet.

For far too long the safety message about brakes has taken the backseat to claims of low prices, less noise and cleaner wheels.  Back in the 1940s and 1950s, it was blood and guts where even children were fair game in ads.

While no driver intends to crash, the implicit act of letting a brake noise, grinding or longer than normal stop go unchecked is it criminal. Ignorance is a crime.