It Can Happen

It Can Happen

Safety is taught in Driver’s Education and Traffic Schools. Do we think about it every time we get behind the wheel? Do we buckle up out of habit or so that we won’t be ejected from the car in the event of a collision?

It is absolutely critical for drivers to remember what they learned and actively practice safe driving at ALL Times because It Can Happen. Tragedy can strike at any moment.

Distracted drivers and drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol cause so many deaths. To be responsible for killing another person and having to live the rest of your life with that hanging over you is an unimaginable heavy burden to carry.

We need to all do our part to take necessary steps to avoid traffic related deaths. One big thing that not everyone thinks about it taking unnecessary trips to the store or events that were not necessary. Cutting back on traveling unnecessary by 50% can cut the chances of you being in an accident by 50%.

I have personally been affected by three accidents that stand out in my mind.

The first was losing my Uncle Galen to an accident before I was even born. I will never know him because someone chose to load grain on the highway. He chose to get in a car with a group of friends and the driver chose to drive under the influence of alcohol. When the car rounded a corner it collided with the grain wagon. 3 of the four people died with only the driver surviving and having to carry that heavy burden for the rest of his life. I imagine it still haunts the farmers as well that were there that evening as well.

The second accident was when my mom, Aunt Dianne, grandma, sister and cousin decided we needed to all go Black Friday Shopping together on an icy morning. We did NOT need to go we just thought it would be fun. We shouldn’t have. We should have realized the roads were too slippery. A great Black Friday deal is not worth risking your life sliding on Black Ice. My Aunt was driving. When we hit the ice everything happened so quickly and yet it was like we were in slow motion. Windows shattered and the car was completely totaled when we hit the power pole. By only a miracle and the grace of God all of us survived. We walked away with minor injuries.

The third accident was when we lost Shyann Larson. She was a fellow student at Underwood school. We rode the same bus until we were old enough to drive. Shyann was simply driving to early band practice one morning. Her car went into the ditch and started on fire. Shyann could not get out. She died sadly in that burning car from inhaling the smoke before help could arrive. She was so kind and is missed dearly by so many family members and friends.

The steps to take to reduce the number of deaths start with staying home. Do not take so many unnecessary trips. When you do go, leave your phone in a safe place and do not look at it while driving. Do not eat drink or anything else, just focus on driving. Think about the road conditions. Be a defensive driver and watch out for other drivers that appear to be dangerous. Wear your seat belts every time. Make sure the music isn’t too loud as you need to hear for sirens and other signals. Be sure you are in a good physical condition to be alert and safe. It can happen.