Even in the best of years, Tampa Bay is a risky place to drive. The last 12 months, though, have seen an epidemic of the most puzzling and preventable accidents possible: those caused by people driving the wrong way against traffic, whether it’s on an urban one-way, up an exit ramp or down a freeway entrance. A lot of these drivers are drunk, sure, but not all of ’em, and more than anything, it’s a frightening indicator of how much damage somebody who’s just not alert or focused or competent enough to be behind the wheel can do. More signage probably won’t fix the problem, either — but a different sort of driver’s ed, one that buries the American automotive fantasy of total independence and emphasizes that the road is a community, just might.
