Why are we, as a society, so cavalier about road safety?

Speeding is a crime. Drink-driving is a crime. Using a mobile phone while behind the wheel is a crime.

Yet, ingrained in our nation's psyche is an attitude that it's OK to push the boundaries - just don't get caught.

How many times have you heard someone cursing the "bloody copper" who nabbed them for going just a couple of Ks over the limit?

These stories usually get a sympathetic ear because most of us will have a so-called "hard luck" story of own.

Very rarely is such a gripe greeted with a simple "sucked in, you were breaking the law and got what you deserved".

Each day I drive 60km to work and 60km back again along the Olympic Highway.

There is a lot to dislike about this commute.

The road is in poor condition. There are no overtaking lanes. It is heavily populated with cars, trucks and slow-moving farm machinery.

But none of these shortcomings are an excuse for the behaviour I witness each day from some of my fellow motorists.

The speeds at which some people travel and the stupidity of some of the overtaking manoeuvres truly leaves me aghast.

I've lost count of the number of business-branded utes and vans I've mentally black-listed from ever engaging their services after seeing them shoot past me at the speed of sound.

The spate of serious crashes in the Riverina in recent weeks including, tragically, several fatalities, has got me thinking hard about road safety.

And I've realised that although I can lay claim to a spotless driving record, I'm still part of the problem.

I have been too forgiving of people who speed just a little, or blow fractionally above .05, or take their eyes off the road for a second to check a text.

Not anymore.

All the best for the week ahead, Ross.