Vatican Issues '10 Commandments' For Motorists

The Vatican has issued a set of "10 commandments" for motorists, it says, to promote safer driving.

The 36-page document called "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" contains 10 Commandments covering everything from road rage, respecting pedestrians, keeping a car in good shape and avoiding rude gestures while behind the wheel.

Thou shalt not drive and drink", "thou shalt not make rude gestures behind the steering wheel" and "help accident victims" are among the 10 recommendations for motorists.

"Cars tend to bring out the 'primitive' side of human beings, thereby producing rather unpleasant results," it reads.

The document's Fifth Commandment reads: "Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin".

Asked at a news conference when a car became an occasion of sin, Cardinal Renato Martino said "when a car is used as a place for sin".

One part of the document, under the section "Vanity and personal glorification", will not go down well with owners of Ferraris in motor-mad Italy. "Cars particularly lend themselves to being used by their owners to show off, and as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy", it said.

It urged readers not to behave in an "unsatisfactory and even barely human manner" when driving and to avoid what it called "unbalanced behaviour ... impoliteness, rude gestures, cursing, blasphemy ..."

And it suggested prayer might come in handy -- making the sign of the cross before starting off and saying the rosary along the way. The rosary was particularly well-suited to recitation by all in the car since its "rhythm and gentle repetition does not distract the driver's attention".

Complete list of drivers' commandments:

1. You shall not kill.2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.4. Be charitable and help your neighbour in need, especially victims of accidents.5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.7. Support the families of accident victims.8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.10. Feel responsible toward others.

UPDATE:

Ferrari doesn't like being used an example in the Italian media "as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy".

So while Ferrari's general manager acknowledges the Vatican's concern that some drivers could use the cars as status symbols, he says most people buy Ferraris for the love of driving.

"Unless having fun has become a sin, I don't believe it to be wrong", says Amedeo Felisa. He says he's convinced that buying a Ferrari was not a sin. "I hope not -- but you should commit at least one from time to time".

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