The Vatican this week issued a highly unusual document, which it says is dedicated to saving lives: "10 Commandments" to keep drivers and passengers safe on the road. The commandments also include warnings that a car can be an "occasion of sin," particularly when making dangerous passing maneuvers or using an automobile as a venue for illicit sex.
The document stresses guidelines for keeping yourself and others safe in a car, noting that the World Health Organization estimates that 1.2 million people are killed on the road each year and as many as 50 million are injured. "This is a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church," said Cardinal Renato Martino at a press conference releasing the "commandments."
Some of the advice is commonsense and right on target: stay awake at the wheel, don't drink and drive, avoid "impoliteness, rude gestures." But there is one horrific omission on the Vatican's auto safety list: the use of seatbelts. How can you advise people on how to be safe in cars without emphasizing that seatbelts save lives? Issuing guidelines on how to prevent injury and death on the road without mentioning seatbelts is like offering advice on how to prevent lung cancer and not mentioning avoidance of cigarette smoking. Let's hope an emphasis on seatbelts makes it into in the second edition of the commandments.
Speaking of smoking, if the Vatican is getting into the business of promoting public health, we would welcome an authoritative statement from Rome on the fact that smoking cigarettes is nothing short of slow-motion suicide.
The Vatican has long resisted making a flat-out statement that smoking is uniquely dangerous or suggesting that smoking clearly has moral implications --although Church documents now hint that a change may be in the works. Meanwhile, anti-smoking policies have eluded the Vatican. Italy, a nation that traditionally has been the domain of heavy smokers, has recently instituted many smoking restrictions, but the Vatican remains tolerant of smokers. According to the National Catholic Reporter: "Stroll into the Vatican City headquarters behind St. Peter's Basilica, for example, and you'll find people coming in and out with lighted cigarettes. Ashtrays line the halls."
If the Vatican really wants to be involved with improving public health, they should consider adding the use of seatbelts and avoidance of smoking to their list of commandments -- these might be even more useful than saying the rosary while driving.
Dr. Elizabeth M. Whelan is president of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org, HealthFactsAndFears.com).
For some other safety tips, check out ACSH's Health and Safety Tips for Your Summer Vacation.
