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Put your license BACK in the Cracker Jack box and step away from the vehicle.Jul 17 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line "Be alert and be safe. Come home alive and live to drive another day." I think I heard that in a Driver's Ed class once, sounds good to me.
I've been driving since I was 8 years old (farmer's permit, only allowed to drive on the old, country dirt roads, but it was STILL driving) and to this day, I haven't had ONE accident. Well, okay, I had one when I was 16, but it was clearly determined to be the other driver's fault. It had been raining so I was actually driving UNDER the speed limit (had only gotten my license that same year, was TRYING to be a "good" driver). If you ever ride with me NOW and see me do this, better make sure I'm not sleeping, cuz it's NOT normal. Anyway, going down a highway, this woman makes a left turn right in front of me. Not many options available to me. A 6 foot deep culvert to the right, that was lined in cement (improved drainage or some such foo-foo-rah), oncoming traffic to the left and this car showing me its broadside, dead in front of me. In that second and a half or so before I hit her, my mind must have processed about a gazillion different possible outcomes of this scenario and ways to TRY and avoid it. In the end, I just slammed the brakes and hoped for the best. Wet pavement and locked tires + an object in motion tends to stay in motion MEETS slower moving object crossing path in a perpendicular direction = lots of bent metal, busted glass, rapid heartbeats for a couple of teenagers and one scared to death elderly woman (fortunately, she was driving a Volvo station wagon and their reputation for safety proved to be true in this case, she was unharmed). Once the police arrived and took statements from me, the other driver and several witnesses (seemed that just about every other car that was on the road when it happened, stopped to make sure everyone was alright and then they told the police what happened), I was told it was a clear-cut case of it being the other driver's fault and was left to go on my merry way. One tow truck ride, one serious butt chewing (it was my friend's dad's truck we were in, I was driving cuz my friend didn't have a license yet) and almost 20 years later, I find myself often times wondering just HOW some people ended up behind the wheel of a car in the first place. A few years ago, my job required me to attend a class that qualified me as an AAA Driving Improvement Program Instructor. One of the lessons of that class, I have been reminded of time and time again. The instructor advised us that the term "accident" is a misnomer. It leads one to believe that there wasn't any way that the collision (usually) couldn't be avoided. This isn't true. If people practice the defensive driving techniques that are taught in all Driver's Education classes, that are stressed in every driving handbook and that practically everyone has had preached to them at one time or another, there would be NO "accidents". How many times have you heard someone say after a collision, "He/She just came out of nowhere" or "I never even saw him/her"? That's not a case of one person suddenly making an appearance on this mortal plane. That's a case of an inobservant driver behind the wheel of a car. How about, "I just couldn't stop in time" which is sometimes accompanied with something like "It's too wet out" or "I lost traction on the loose gravel/dirt/mud/snow/ice"? This isn't due to a mechanical defect in the vehicles braking system (anti-lock or otherwise) nor can you lay the blame on God for inclement weather. This is a case of not driving at an appropriate speed for the type of driving conditions. One of the most common errors drivers make (and I'm guilty of this one myself) is just plain speeding. However, you can ask any officer (state, local, highway patrol, etc.) how many times have they heard, "But officer, I didn't see the sign" as an excuse and they will probably respond with something akin to, "too many times to count". With the occasional exception on local and rural roads of trees and bushes not being adequately pruned so, in effect, they actually DO prevent you from seeing a sign; this is usually not a valid argument. I've never known of a speed limit sign on a highway, freeway or interstate that wasn't EASILY visible, nor have most police officers. I'm sure that at some point, at least for those who reside on the West coast or in close proximity, you have heard the phrase "California Stop". This is usually in reference to the general slowing down at a posted stop sign or red traffic light, but without actually coming to a stop, then continuing onward. Either making a turn or just continuing straight ahead. To a lot of people, again myself included, there are times and locations where these things can seem to be nothing more than petty nuisances. However, if you were to ever take the time to check local traffic statistics for the area where a traffic light or stop sign are, you would undoubtedly find some pretty strong reasoning behind WHY that light or sign is there. Picture, if you will, a small child being badly injured or perhaps killed because someone decides that their time is too important to devote that extra 5 - 10 seconds to actually STOP at a stop sign, look both ways and then proceed. It's sad that all too often simple things like this don't matter to someone until it's too late. This following point of interest is one of my personal "pet peeves", but it's important nonetheless. There are countless collisions each year caused by people who are actually going too SLOW. I know that some people may actually be thinking, "How can that be true? If you're driving slow, you're not a threat or hazard to anyone." You couldn't be further from the truth. Every year there are thousands of people who are injured or killed in vehicle collisions that are due, in large part, to someone who was driving too slow for the type of road/highway they were on. People changing lanes and merging with traffic on a highway with a posted speed limit of 65 MPH, yet they are only doing 40 MPH is but one example. Doing this is going to require that another driver take some quick, defensive driving action to keep from having a collision. This could mean trying to make an abrupt lane change themselves or slamming on the brakes. Neither option is preferable for the continued safety of all other drivers on that particular stretch of highway. This is an especially common problem at on-ramps and off-ramps to major highway/freeway arteries. One of the purposes for the length of an on-ramp/off-ramp is to afford a driver the necessary space and time to acquire highway speed or to slow down for an exit. Unfortunately, in recent years there have been some changes to on/off-ramp engineering and they are being made with turns that are too tight for building up speed safely or they are "metered" (have a traffic light that actually forces you to stop and wait, then go). These latter are a real detriment to safe highway driving (IMO) because they do not allow enough time and distance for a driver to get anywhere near highway speed, prior to trying to merge with the rest of traffic. This all but ensures an unsafe driving situation and personally, I feel only increases the problem of gridlock. My last point is one that has been of issue quite a bit lately. That is, the use of cellular phones while driving. First of all, I own a cell phone and am very glad of its convenience. I will also admit that I use it, occasionally, while I’m driving. However, I also have a “hands free” kit on my phone, so I’m not holding it when I use it. It uses a small earpiece speaker and a small microphone that is part of the cable that connects to the phone. If you were to pull up alongside me while I’m on the phone, it might look as if I’m talking to myself (this could ALSO be true, depending on the circumstances..hehe). My concern isn’t in the use of a cell phone itself while driving, my concern is when someone is talking on one and holding it in one hand, his or her ability to drive is impaired. There are many arguments about this, but I THINK I can at least reasonably justify my feelings on this. Whether it’s a cell phone, a CD, a cup of coffee or the hand of your significant other, while driving, you leave yourself open to potential problems. If one of your hands is occupied, you only have one hand free to drive with. This doesn’t always lend itself to be the most prudent way to drive. If you have to signal for a lane change or a turn, it’s considerably easier (not to mention safer) to do so with one hand, while you still keep the other on the wheel. The same is true if you have to turn on your windshield wipers due to inclement weather. Also, natural reflexes sometimes take over in certain situations. If you are talking on your cell phone and for ANY reason you drop the phone, for at least the first few seconds all of your attention is on that phone….NOT on the road. Any time you’re behind the wheel of a moving vehicle and your attention is ANYWHERE besides the road, you are a hazard to others as well as yourself. I realize that there are a lot of people that are of the “That’s not me” mindset. That’s your prerogative and nothing I say will change it. However, if you ever find yourself to be the fortunate survivor of an “accident”, but in the unfortunate situation of explaining your actions PRIOR to the “accident”, try to remember what I have said here. In the end, there’s only one person to blame. Thanks for reading and happy epinioning.  |
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