Summer traffic is in full bloom

"Be careful. There's a lot of stupid people out today."

One firefighter advising another to drive carefully on Monday during an emergency call also happened to sum up the summer driving season in a nutshell.

It's true. Warm weather seems to draw out the worst driving habits, though it may be more attributable to ignorance or unfamiliarity on the part of area visitors than stupidity.

Of course people probably aren't any less intelligent during the summer, but they sure seem more prone to be less attentive or in a hurry during the summer months. We'd like to blame our summer visitors for all the careless driving or long delays at intersections, but the truth is that we who live here year-round probably contribute to the traffic problems with our own anxiety and frustration.

Frankly, we're used to having the road all to ourselves and it's frustrating to have to follow someone going 59 mph in a 65 mph zone. And we're used to rubbernecking at all the usual attractions without the worrisome problem of holding up traffic.

And we just aren't comfortable having to wait for two or three cycles of the traffic light to make it through an intersection. It just isn't normal. And, boy, does it frustrate us. The next thing you know, we're darting in and out of traffic and making stupid decisions in our rush to get down the road, just like that dude in the RV that's heading back to Alberta.

We can help offset this seasonal problem with a little planning and patience. Leaving the house a little earlier gets us to work on time and, somewhat amazingly, much less stressed. And remembering our typically courteous Montana driving etiquette will go far in defusing other drivers' frustrations.

Driving smart will make our summer driving experience much more tolerable, but it will also make it safer.

Stay alert, drive carefully and get the heck out of the way. Road construction crews and emergency response personnel will appreciate it. And, if that isn't enough incentive, the law requires it.