by Priscilla Cabral
Intermountain Catholic

SALT LAKE CITY — The Church worries about which road you take in life… and in your car. The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People has created a new decalogue for drivers since “driving a vehicle is basically a way of relating with and getting closer to other people, and of integrating within a community of people;” but it could also be an “occasion of sin.”

According to the document issued by the Vatican called “Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road,” “The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine.” And, “Those incur grave guilt who, by drunkenness or a love of speed, endanger their own and others’ safety on the road, at sea, or in the air.”

The first commandment is “You shall not kill.” The main purpose of the new decalogue is to diminish the number of fatalities on the road. According to the Holy See, there were more than 1,000,000 crash fatalities in 2000, and about 90% of them were caused by human error.

In 2007, there were 299 fatalities on Utah’s roads. Almost 25% of them were caused by people driving tired or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. These statistics show that driving tired is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, said Adan Carrillo, public information officer for the Utah Department of Transportation.

However, the main cause of fatalities was due to improper restraint. The second cause was due to driving over the speed limit.

These causes are inevitable; therefore, the State has a zero fatalities goal. “Some people say this goal is impossible to attain, but then we ask them ‘How many fatalities would you allow in your family?’ The answer is ‘none,’ so this is why zero is our goal,” said Carrillo.

“If we were conscious that we are in danger and if we’d think about others with a prudent attitude, we would avoid a lot of accidents,” said Father Javier Virgen, the episcopal vicar for Hispanic affairs. “This includes checking our car and making sure it is in good condition.”

Fr. Virgen said the 10 commandments for drivers are a practical way to create consciousness and are an indication that the church is concerned for the respect of human life.

He added that an automobile is not only a threat to life, but to the soul as well. “It can affect the morality and spirituality of some who become vain and disdainful…by using it as a means to humiliate others,” he said. “Each one of us is free to do as he or she pleases…but why should you spend money on vain things, without a sense or purpose, if you can spend it on things that will benefit others?”

Another of the commandments is “Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.” Fr. Virgen said this is a very important commandment to be able to “experience the liberation of – very human- feelings of resentment and hate, and then be able to replace them with love and peace.”

Deacon Ricardo Arias agrees with Fr. Virgen. “The most natural reaction is to get mad and start blaming… but it must be a beautiful experience to be able to say ‘Forgive me. It was my mistake.’”

The Vatican also addressed the constant problem of road rage since it can have grave consequences on the well-being of the drivers and it can cause death, as was the case of Michael Rakes in Centerville. Rakes got angry when the woman who was driving in front of him threw a cigarette from the window, and drove to the left turn lane to yell at her. Unfortunately, he lost control of his motorcycle and was not wearing a helmet. He suffered head injuries, while his 10-year-old son suffered minor injuries since he was wearing a helmet. Rakes died a week later.

“We need to… react by appealing to the noble tendencies of the human spirit, to a sense of responsibility and self-control, in order to prevent manifestations of the psychological regression that is often connected to driving a means of transport,” said the document.

To make of our vehicle an instrument of help and not destruction, Fr. Virgen recommends us to make the sign of the cross before we start to drive. “We do (it) to summon the presence, help, and protection of the Holy Trinity. This shows we trust God and that we are conscious we will drive well and that we wield His protection.”

In the document, the Vatican also recommends praying vocally, and taking turns if there are any passengers, as when reciting the Rosary, which because of its repetition and rhythm, does not distract the driver. “It is very pleasant to recite the Rosary, especially when there is a lot of traffic,” said Deacon Arias.

The Vatican envisions these “Ten Commandments for the Good Driver” will be a guide to practice charity and the virtues of prudence, justice, and hope on the road.

Deacon Arias said the decalogue is very helpful, but memorizing it should not be of great concern because, just like the original Decalogue, it can be summarized in two parts: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” “These make us see the other person as an image of God. We don’t need any guidelines if we love her and are concerned about her,” he said.