HE art of driving safely appears to be a skill mastered by far too few of our residents. Judging by my observances, traffic signs serve as no more than mere road-side decorations, stop lights as pointed suggestions, and indicators unnecessary accoutrements to vehicles.

Just recently, while driving along Harbour Road, I was confronted by an idiot on a motorbike. Convinced ? I can only presume ? of his superior riding skills, he'd decided to overtake three cars at once on a blind corner.

The move, which demanded he cross the centre line, wasn't well thought out. Either he was too stupid to realise Harbour Road allows for two-way traffic, or he placed so little value on his life that he didn't care.

Whichever it was, the thought that a car might be travelling in the opposite direction obviously didn't factor in his decision. In my moment of panic, I noted he did slow down for half a second ? whether he later made a second attempt at overtaking, I don't know.

I have a big car. He should thank his lucky stars I wasn't an older person with slower instincts. Considering the speed at which he was travelling and the likelihood that an accident would have resulted in a head-on collision, he was lucky that I was paying complete attention to the road. I was completely sober with both hands on the wheel. My cell phone was turned off, I hadn't been drinking, I wasn't even speeding.

However, the incident reduced me to a quivering mess for the remaining portion of my drive ? I had anticipated the impact and could truly imagine the force behind it and my subsequent nightmares because some idiot had decided to smash his brain all over the side of my car.

Once I reached my destination however, I became angry.

Why should be forced to brake in order to spare the life of a careless driver?

Someone whose reckless behaviour puts my life and the lives of other Highway Code-adhering drivers at risk. While I'm sure my Harbour Road motorcyclist was frightened by the experience, he didn't stop and thank me for being considerate enough to spare his life. Apparently unfazed by the episode, he continued along his way.

Poor driving habits are a problem for all of us on this 21-square-mile island populated with far too many vehicles.

The road rage many of us experience isn't limited to the extreme incidents ? drivers considerate enough to provide music for all of our enjoyment probably don't consider they're breaking any real laws. Those with heavily-tinted windows are likely to share that same belief. However, and I have spent some time pondering this question, how do they feel comfortable driving if they can't properly see and hear the traffic?

A few years ago while I was driving down Spurling Hill, a young motorcycle rider scraped the side of my car, looked back, and kept on moving. I took down his number and called the Police but was told that with only my word to go on, I didn't have a case.

But it isn't just the younger members of our population who seem to have missed out on Road Safety & Consideration 101.

Only last year, while sitting in my parked car in a grocery lot, an elderly woman struck my car. She couldn't see to safely ease her way out of the parking spot next to mine and, instead of using such basic skills as looking in her rear and side-view mirrors to ensure a clean exit, she decided to just go for it.

This woman hit my car ? only slightly I admit, but I did incur a bill in excess of $200 for repairs ? and then refused to pay.

Worse, she hurled all sorts of racially-based, hate-filled comments at me and dared suggest that I'd hit the car myself and jumped at the opportunity to have someone else pay for the repairs.

I didn't bother to take the nasty piece of work to court. Her bank account was bigger than mine and I was hopeful that anyone so bitter about life would have had to have taken several ? well-placed, in my opinion ? lumps along the way.

Aside from the vast number of cars on the island and the discourteous drivers behind their wheels, there's also the problem of vehicle size. I was attempting to manoeuvre my way into the parking lot at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess recently.

The only available spot had just been vacated by a woman driving an obviously brand new SUV. The limited space for movement had truly left her clueless as to how to get her car out of the parking lot and allow me to occupy her now vacant space. I imagined her barrelling along Bermuda's narrow roads and was truly filled with fear.