Dangerous ‘Darth Vader’ drivers shouldn’t be dismissed

QI suggest calling crazy fast drivers Death Vaders. … Since they keep darting across lanes, how about Dart Vaders? … I’ve called them Darth Vaders for years. Not too nasty, but making the point clear about the dangerous way they drive.

— Dan Pitts, Rajiv Bhateja,

Mike Flemming

And mAny others Q I like that you are keeping the Road Boulders name because it is perfect for those types of drivers.

— Ken SchwAb, MorgAn Hill

A

Darth Vaders is the winner of the Roadshow contest to give drivers who veer from lane to lane, tailgate, etc., a fitting nickname. More than 100 suggestions were submitted, and this was the name that most people agreed with. Hopefully, some Darth Vaders now recognize themselves, why the way they drive is so dangerous and begin to drive responsibly.

Q While a column of nicknames for speeders can be fun, doesn’t it allow us to forget who our fellow drivers are and make it easier for us to quickly get angry at or dismiss them? People complain about Donald Trump calling his opponents names. Shouldn’t we do better? I am not hugely religious, but might it be best to turn the other cheek and focus on our own driving.

— Dan Winter, San Jose

A Turning the other cheek is a wise recommendation and a good way to reduce road rage. A Perfect indeed. We now have Darth Vaders, Road Boulders and Dive Bombers in the Roadshow dictionary.

A Yes, indeed.

A Shortcuts often don’t work as well as we hope they will. Q

When I took my driver training class in high school just after the Ice Age, I received not only behind-the-wheel instruction but a repetitive warning that if I did not drive safely I would pay a fine, temporarily or permanently lose my license, have to go through the whole DMV process again or may be arrested with my car impounded.

We don’t need to name a bad driver, we just need to help law enforcement quickly find that bad driver with a license plate/ vehicle description to help them learn how to drive better.

— Andy Maurer, Grass Valley

Q I once tried to beat slow traffic on 19th Avenue in San Francisco by driving parallel to it for 12 blocks. I thought I was doing pretty well but wound up getting back on 19th 15 minutes later behind the very same car as before.

— Bob Wahler, San Jose

Q Regarding bumper stickers, my favorite is on my 1988 Volvo: “I may be slow, but I’m ahead of you.”

— Karen Poret, Santa Cruz

A I like that one, too.