Do I need to confess how I drive?

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GospelOfMatthew

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Do I need to confess these, not trying to be scrupulous:
  1. Driving over the speed limit by 5-10 mph sometimes
  2. Rev my engine occasionally
  3. Take off from lights quickly
  4. Change the music playing on my phone at traffic lights or when there are no cars near me
    - I don’t text while driving ever but like I said I do change the music playing from my phone at lights or when there aren’t cars near me. The music is always Catholic Church hymns or mass settings lol (it’s all I listen to basically?
  5. Driving with one hand
Reason I ask is, would any of these five be considered not using a car correctly for its intended purpose which is this a sin? Or are any of these actions prideful of me? Or perhaps, am I setting a bad example and others might follow suit because of me?

But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. - 1 Corinthians 8:9
  • Thank you, Matt (my age is 20 if it has any relevance)
 
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GospelOfMatthew said:
Matt (my age is 20 if it has any relevance)
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Very relevant. When I was your age I was similar 😉

I think you’ve covered one point which is important, that you could be a bad example in some of your driving habits. We can evangelise through example after all. And people copy.

Generally speaking we could measure ourselves against the ideal given us by Jesus couldn’t we.

I’m sure a few small deviations from perfect driving is allowed however bearing in mind though that God highly values obedience and driving within the law is an opportunity to practise that virtue.
 
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I don’t think you need to confess that.

I do all those things. Though I don’t ever use my phone to text and my car has an integrated bluetooth system so I don’t have to look at the phone to change the track.

As long as you’re driving carefully it’s fine. I drive with one hand when I’m on the highway. I don’t on country roads because it’d be dangerous.

As long as you don’t drive either like granny or like 18 year old Stan the speed demon it’s grand. There’s a happy medium. Not too fast, not to timid…and sometimes it’s even OK to honk and curse.
 
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GospelOfMatthew said:
Driving over the speed limit by 5-10 mph sometimes
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Everyone is guilty of this from time to time. Try not to obviously but you’re hardly going to be on “CrimeWatch” for this.
GospelOfMatthew said:
  • Rev my engine occasionally
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What’s the point of having a nice car if you don’t feel her roar from time to time!
GospelOfMatthew said:
Take off from lights quickly
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Again, nothing wrong with this unless it’s careless. And again, one of the small pleasures in life is to have a car with the ability to get a good headstart on the slow-pokes.
 
As long as you observe that your driving isn’t reckless or endangering anyone, you’re fine. I drive just like that (though sometimes I confess road rage). If driving like that were sinful, every driver in Chicago and Denver (from what I’ve observed) would be in mortal sin.
 
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GospelOfMatthew said:
Driving over the speed limit by 5-10 mph sometimes
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Catholic Answers apologist Jimmy Akin, back in 2006, had a blog post about “legamorons”: laws that are on the books but that the government has no intention of enforcing rigorously. He gave speed limits as an example of this. Just about everyone on the road violates the speed limit at some point, often deliberately. It’s to the point where it’s almost unsafe, in some cases, to obey the limit (because you will be seen as “impeding traffic” and other drivers will follow too close). In such cases, it’s safer, and probably not a sin, to go with the flow of traffic.

Now, I would say that flagrant violations of the limit - say 20 or more over - are probably grave matter and should be confessed. But if you’re “speeding” to keep up with traffic (and not get run off the road) I would say, don’t worry about it.

Edit: Here’s Jimmy’s blog post: Poker & Legamorons – Jimmy Akin
 
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giuseppe96 said:
As long as you observe that your driving isn’t reckless or endangering anyone, you’re fine. I drive just like that (though sometimes I confess road rage).
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Exactly. And sometimes it’s completely justified! Sometimes other drivers and pedestrians do insanely stupid things and the only response is: WHAT THE HECK!!! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

:roll_eyes:
 
I’d personally confess the speeding as a venial sin. I’d also confess not paying attention (changing music on phone etc) which could be more dangerous than speeding slightly.
 
Brendan_64 said:
I’d personally confess the speeding as a venial sin. I’d also confess not paying attention (changing music on phone etc) which could be more dangerous than speeding slightly.
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In fairness the changing music is neither against the law or particularly careless. Most new cars come with a touchscreen entertainment system that links to the phone. And using a phone itself isn’t illegal in most places if it’s in a cradle.
 
Catechism is so excellent.

2290 The virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess : the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine. 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.
 
GospelOfMatthew said:
Reason I ask is, would any of these five be considered not using a car correctly for its intended purpose which is this a sin?
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I want to insert a clarification here. The sin of what you described would be from breaking a just law.

Natural law is about you choosing to act against your own ends as a human being. If you use a bicycle for a purpose other than locomotion, that’s not breaking the natural law. The bike may be put to different ends than it was designed for, but you’re not necessarily acting against your own ends as a human being.

Another example is the lion that kills the gazelle. The gazelle is being put to the lion’s ends, and the gazelle’s ends are being perverted, but the lion hasn’t done anything against its own nature.
 
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I do want to point out, that traffic laws are just laws, and it is an act of sin to violate just laws. I think, with that being said, what is your culpability on this? I don’t drive very often, so sometimes I find myself speeding two or three miles per hour over the speed limit though, I also try to drive very carefully. It’s hard for me to keep a constant speed.
 
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MrZoom said:
Now, I would say that flagrant violations of the limit - say 20 or more over - are probably grave matter and should be confessed.
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What? Grave matter? I don’t think so, unless it rises to the level of reckless driving endangering lives. The average cruise down the freeway at 20 over doesn’t qualify. On what basis would you call it grave?
 
Since you have been given the virtues, why not come to the conclusion the next time you are driving that, “I’m going to drive virtuously this time that is now.”
You will surprise yourself at how you are helping the other drivers around you with their safety, giving them space and room to merge. It will surprise you that you are not feeling like you are grasping after their space; you will surprise them and yourself by how kind you are.
There is also something strange; you feel like your heart is larger having more room for others.

Imagine on the interstate that you are in Exile in Babylon. Everyone driving around you is trying to escape Babylon. You, however, are going to pay attention to Jeremiah’s word from the Lord and not Escape Babylon, not try to flee, but drive virtuously in that exile on the interstate known as Babylon until the Lord rescues you in 70 years. So you relax and drive virtuously under the laws of that exile, the speed limit.
 
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AdamP88 said:
I don’t think you need to confess that.
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I disagree. I think it is a mortal sin if you are driving to endanger the lives of others. These are innocent people, including children, in other cars on the road, and no one has the moral right to put their lives in danger.
Socrates92 said:
What? Grave matter?
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Of course it is grave matter to endanger the lives of children and others in their cars.
 
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Do you think my actions listed in my question are bad enough that it’s a serious sin putting others in risk? If so I’m going to confession most likely tomorrow anyway, so I can mention these as well
 
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