May 21, 2013 (Tuesday)
Leave sooner, drive slower, live longer. ~Author Unknown
On this day in 1901, Connecticut became the first state to pass a law regulating motor vehicles, limiting their speed to 12 mph in cities and 15 mph on country roads. In addition, drivers were required to slow down or stop for horses that were pulling wagons, etc.
Before the days of motor vehicles, in 1652, New Amsterdam (now New York) issued a decree regulating the speed of wagons, carts and sleighs. The speed that was prohibited was “a gallop.”
In 1899, a cab driver in New York City broke the law by driving his taxi at 12 mph.
Things are different now. Some roads I traveled during the weekend allowed 75 mph limits. There is a stretch of road in Central Texas where you can legally drive 85. When I was in Houston in recent years, I discovered that the unwritten acceptable speed by freeway drivers is 85. Every once in a while a group of cars racing each other at over 100 mph zoomed through the slow pokes going only 85. Quite a difference from the 12 mph limit of 1899.
Devotional Thought: Occasionally I see people driving cars with religious messages on bumper stickers breaking the law and being very discourteous to other drivers. The hypocrisy of that situation is self- evident. I should obey the laws and be a courteous driver just because I am a responsible person. My faith in the Lord and commitment to Him intensifies the desire to do the right thing. If I am a Christian, I want to be led of the Lord in what I do, even if I am driving a car. God wants me to obey the laws and be considerate of other drivers on the road.