Despite strict vehicle and traffic laws, they fail tokeep pace withphone addiction andspeedingon the road. There are various reasons for thisenforcement gap, but effectivecountermeasurescould be implemented before things get worse.

Notably, behind therampant violationlies socialnormalizationof drivingdemeanor. For many drivers,abiding bythe posted speed limitbreedsa sense of frustration, while exceeding by 10 km/ h breeds noguilt; similarly, being totally unaware ofdigital notificationis a difficultfeatin this age of smartphones and social media. Therefore, road safety laws are leftstubbornly floutedby those who justify their risky driving as usual and safe. Theunintentionalhabit is not a sole reason for aggressive driving, butfluke mentalitywill make itexceptionallyhard for some drivers to escape road accidents. Overestimating one’s driving performance, some risky drivers perceive that they will notbe caughtif braking at the lights location, furtheraugmentingthe vicious cycle.

Toreversetheperpetuatingignorance of thedraconiantraffic laws, many societies have carried out a series of external measures, includingvisible increases inAI-poweredsurveillance cameras, speed cameras andpolice patrol, all of which contribute to highercertaintyof punishments. But few of themhold a candle topublic campaigns aimed atraising the public awarenessabout the risks of distracted driving; Australia, for example, launched TV ads andbillboardsto highlight that illegal use of phones while driving can be caught anywhere, which ultimately results in a notable drop inphone-relatedcar accidents. Extending this message to virtual world could also allow drivers to be reconsider their seeminglyhabitualdriving practices, which, in turn, lowers the odds of road accidents and injuries.

To sum up, the reasons why existing traffic laws fail todeterrisky driving can be primarily explained bysocial normsand fluke minds; accordingly,equal emphasisshould be placed on both technological and legal solutions.

❖ rampant adj. 泛滥的，猖獗的

❖ violation n. 违规，违反

❖ normalization n. 常态化，正常化

❖ demeanor n. 行为，举止，态度

❖ abide by phr. 遵守，遵从

❖ breed v. 滋生，导致，孕育

❖ guilt n. 内疚，负罪感

❖ digital notification phr. 数字通知（如短信、App提醒等）

❖ feat n. 功绩，壮举，技艺

❖ stubbornly adv. 顽固地，固执地

❖ flout v. 无视，藐视（规则、法律）

❖ unintentional adj. 无意的，非故意的

❖ fluke mentality phr. 侥幸心理

❖ exceptionally adv. 异常地，极其，特别地

❖ be caught phr. 被抓住，被查获

❖ augment v. 增加，增强，扩充

❖ reverse v. 扭转，彻底改变

❖ perpetuating v. 使持续，使长存（尤指负面事物）

❖ draconian adj. 严厉的，严酷的（指法律或措施）

❖ visible increases in phr. 在……方面的显著增加

❖ surveillance cameras phr. 监控摄像头

❖ police patrol phr. 警察巡逻

❖ certainty n. 必然性，确定性（指违规后必定被查的概率）

❖ hold a candle to phr. 与……相提并论，比得上（常用于否定句）

❖ raising the public awareness phr. 提高公众意识

❖ billboards n. 广告牌，户外大屏

❖ habitual adj. 习惯性的，积习难改的

❖ deter v. 威慑，阻止（使人不敢做某事）

❖ social norms phr. 社会规范，行为准则

❖ equal emphasis phr. 并重，同等重视