The way you drive, how did you ever get that license?

I know how to put the pedal to the metal when I am behind the wheel of a car — but it has become apparent to me that that is all many drivers on the road know how to do.

My readers know I am a big proponent of public transportation, despite its numerous problems. But since becoming a statewide columnist, I have had to get behind the wheel a lot more often.

And I can sum up what it is like driving on the roads these days in one word: stressful.

Accidents happen, but I can’t get over the number of accidents that are due not to the “unexpected,” but to bad driving. And while I am using the word “accident” throughout this column, what I am really referring to is man-made mayhem.

And whether I am driving locally or on the highways, I am beginning to wonder: Whatever happened to road etiquette and sensible driving, and where in the world did some of these people get their license?

Twenty minutes into my trip to New Jersey on May 18, I rolled up the windows, turned on the airconditioning and sat in my rental car fuming as I inched my way along the crowded highway.

I was on Interstate 95 and the mapping system had just informed me there was going to be a nineminute slowdown due to an accident.

I had barely started the trip in terms of miles and it was the second such alert I had received within that 20-minute period.

And it would not be the last slowdown alert that turned a 70-mile jaunt into two hours and 15 minutes of frustration.

Whether it was I-95, the New England Thruway, the George Washington Bridge or the Garden State Parkway, there was a slowdown due to an accident.

We have long been aware of the need to slow down the drivers we see in the rearview mirror barreling down the road weaving in and out of traffic — many with the Grim Reaper on their tail.

But that is not the majority of drivers on the road.

So why have the roads become so treacherous with so many accidents? Enter the idiots.

During the Memorial Day holiday, Connecticut State Police had 6,283 calls for help; responded to 280 accidents — 43 that had injuries; issued 529 citations for speeding; and handed out 37 citations for distracted driving. They also had to arrest people for DUI and failure to wear a seatbelt, which at this stage of the game should warrant fines that seriously put a beating on the wallet.

State police could not comment on the personal driving habits of individuals or whether those habits result in accidents.

But they did provide a snapshot along with stats on what they encounter daily as they cover the state’s roadways.

I won’t go into the stats, because whether it happened once or 100 times, stats are meaningless to the family or loved ones who have experienced a fatality, life-changing accident or financial hardship due to an accident.

But drivers are ignoring road markings and traffic signs; failing to stay in the proper lane and failing to yield the right-of-way to other drivers. They are following too closely to others; making improper turns; running stop signs; backing up improperly or operating vehicles in an aggressive and reckless way.

Some of them are going the wrong way or driving on the wrong side of the road.

That is what is happening nationwide, folks, not just here in Connecticut. The highways are turning into raceways and danger zones — and not just for motorists.

So far this year, 21 first responders — including 10 police officers — have been killed due to distracted driving. Last year, 40 were killed, including 14 officers.

The reason? In this age of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, people want to share.

The National Safety Council found 71 percent of drivers admit taking photos and texting while driving by an accident; 60 percent say they post to social media and two-thirds send out emails showing what they see as they drive by an accident.

Think that’s bad? Under normal driving conditions, 24 percent said they take photos or video while driving, 29 percent use social media and another 24 percent send email.

What is wrong with these people and where are their brains? And what is this freakish need to see people hurt and crying or cars mangled to the point you slow down on a highway to take pictures to share?

It doesn’t take a genius to understand why there are so many accidents: People really don’t grasp that driving is about more than just turning the key in the ignition.

Some of these problems can be associated with people unfamiliar with the laws of the roads — such as new teen drivers or recent immigrants.

But much of it is people thumbing their nose at the laws designed to protect all drivers.

The Department of Motor Vehicles needs to get rid of the old guidelines and institute a stronger road test. Forget parallel parking — more time on the highway is sorely needed.

When I took the road

test to get my license, I was not taken on a highway; I was not taught how to accelerate into traffic or move over to allow other motorists in. I was not taught the left lane goes fast and slower drivers should remain in the right lane.

And if polls carry any meaning, the written test must be updated, as 24 percent of respondents said they did not know there is a “Move Over Law” that requires they move over when they see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road.

State police patrol more than 7,000 miles of roadway in Connecticut. That is a lot of miles to cover.

The roads remain the most economical way to travel for most people, but

not everyone is getting home or to their destination.

People are distracted by everything from accidents on the road to screaming children in the backseat to the touchscreen media center — and are forgetting the roads are only as safe as we make them.

I guess it is time for us to admit the days of the leisurely Sunday afternoon drive are over.

But that should not mean taking a drive on Sunday means taking your life in your hands.

DMV? A stronger road test is needed. James Walker is the New Haven Register’s senior editor and a statewide columnist for Hearst Connecticut newspapers. He can be reached at 203-680-9389 or james.walker@hearstmediact. com. @thelieonroars on Twitter.