Now that all the political bumper stickers of the last year are beside the point, my eye keeps being drawn to one about world peace. Actually, it's not about world peace, it expressly says Never Mind World Peace: Visualize Using Your Turn Signal.

Well, this is right up my alley. I am famously short-tempered to begin with, and driving behind some nitwit who veers left unexpectedly, not to mention those delightful people who turn at intersections you're trying to cross — nearly smacking your front bumper with their unlit red plastic signal covers — causes long strings of inventive profanity in several languages to unspool off my tongue.

When I was a kid in California, driving behavior was legendarily civilized. Children were safe in crosswalks from Mexico to Oregon, and people whose turn signal bulbs had burned out opened their windows even in the rain to use their hands. My relatives in Massachusetts talked about this with awe.

Unfortunately, those courtesies have gone the way of the triceratops. Most drivers are still able to make themselves wait their turn at four-way stops in my rural county, but in cities...forget about it. And you take your life in your hands today crossing any California street.

The funny thing is, I think this has everything to do with world peace. I think world peace could be achieved by more people using their turn signals. Think about it: what are signals for? They're a way to communicate with your fellow drivers, to say "This is where I'm going," and "Look out, I'm turning left here," and "Slow down, don't get hurt, I'm changing lanes." What is this, if not concern for each other, the very bedrock of world peace?

And the converse, of course, is also true: when you don't signal, the message rings clearly: "I am alone on the road," or "This street is mine, too bad for you," or "It's not my fault you hit that tree because you couldn't tell I was turning." Not using your turn signal is base self-absorption — a denial of community in the most immediate way.

Now before we go any further, let me add that I too sometimes forget to signal — we all have occasional lapses or get distracted, and nobody's perfect. But when you've let yourself really get out of the habit altogether, it's worth considering why. As my old therapist used to ask me, "Who are you mad at?" An annoying but useful question. I'll stop preaching now, at least for the moment.

But the next time you're zipping along in the fast lane at 75 miles an hour and remember you're supposed to take this exit, do me a favor and flick that little lever. In 30 years, children all over the world will thank you.