I drive in my town every day to visit my dear bride, who now resides in an assisted living home. I make this trip every day, rain or shine, and miss doing this only with rare exceptions.

Driving in this current hurricane, my attention is drawn to the mindless violations of the law committed by so many. The first concerns driving without concern for other drivers on the road. I refer to headlights. The law in North Carolina is clear and should be easy to understand. It states: “Turn on your headlights, as required by North Carolina law, while using your windshield wipers – regardless of the time of day.”

Pretty straightforward. If you turn on your wipers, turn on your headlights. Simple. Why do so many drivers ignore this law? It’s a smart idea. Rain and cloudy skies act to reduce  what we can see clearly. Your vehicle becomes a gray blob in the distance, but with its headlights on, it comes into clearer focus.

I get it. You don’t bother with your headlights because you can see just fine. To hell with other drivers. If they can’t see you, that’s tough. Just obey the law. If you turn on your wipers and fail to turn on your headlights, you’re breaking the law.

My other issue with the way scofflaws deal with inclement weather is the way they disrespect the American flag. There’s a segment of our society that makes much of respect for the flag. I want to honor it, too, and wish all Americans would educate themselves on the proper way to display it.

The United States Flag Code is quite specific on what to do in the case of rain: Title 36, Chapter 20 of the U.S. Flag Code states: “The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all-weather flag is displayed.” Show of hands. Who among us owns an all-weather flag? I thought so. If you are such a patriot, why are you willing to disrespect the flag by flying it in bad weather?

The laws apply to you, too. Just saying.