Happy Day

First things first! Have you ever driven through Utah? Ha! Every time I leave Oregon to visit my family in Utah, I tell myself, “This is the LAST time I will ever drive through Utah!!!” Talk about road rage! Angry drivers, speeding, almost getting run into semis, aggressive brake checks… WOW, Utah, get it together! I miss Oregon every time I drive through Utah, HA!

I am personally very grateful for driver education. I mean, with it, we still have angry drivers! Can you possibly imagine just how terrifying our roads would be with NO driver’s education?!! I may be biased, but I think there are less deaths related to driving in Oregon, simply because us Oregonians take our drivers education very seriously!

I know I was sure glad for my rigorous drivers ed training while I made it through the slums of Utah highways this week. Their brake checks did not result in any fender benders, or deaths for that matter, because I left plenty of following room. I was also on guard, at all times on the road.

So, you ask, “What steps can be taken to reduce the numbers of deaths related to driving?” Always drive with caution, and know the rules of the road. Do not get in the car if you are having a bad day. We, on the road, do not want your crappy energy please on the road. Energy transfers. IF you are mad, stay home please! Going back to knowing the rules of the road, know them, use them, be considerate, leave plenty of following room, and be on constant watch in case there is a wreck in front of you so you have plenty of reaction time to avoid a pile up.

Luckily, I have never personally been in a car accident. I have, however, personally witnessed my wildland firefighting crew, both texting and driving, as well as look at the screen on their phone to skip to the next atrocious offensive rap song. I have also personally been hit by a 95-year-old man while crossing the crosswalk on my longboard with the walk signal ON.

In regards to the hooligans using their phones and driving at the same time, this didn’t last long. Not on my watch! Neither did my wildland firefighting journey for that matter, I could just not hang with the young hooligans and their immature nature. It would make me so uncomfortable to have the 18-year-olds fresh out of high school assigned to drive us old lads in our late twenties around the fire missions. Every stop light texting their girlfriends and every two and a half minutes looking down at their phone screen to change the song. I cannot guarantee you that they stopped using their phones entirely while driving. I can only guarantee to you, that they sure stopped looking at their phones in the driver seats when I was in the vehicle.

Now, as far as the 95-year-old hitting me goes, this was the first and only time I have ever been hit by a car. I learned the hard way, wait for the police to arrive. Wait. Get the idiots insurance! I was in shock. I was crossing a crosswalk with my walk signal on. Next thing you know, I had been hit by a car and was knocked off my board. The lady who witnessed the event, pulled over and came over to see if I was ok. The old man was out of his car apologizing profusely, saying, “I am so sorry! I did not see you!” In my haze of shock and confusion, I simply got up, grabbed my board, and continued crossing the street! The lady who witnessed this screamed at me, “STOP! You have to get his information!” I was crossing the street to an old folks home right before I had been hit. I had a job interview to be at. With my concussive brain, and shock in my system, I was not able to make a logical decision. All I could think about was not being late to my job interview!

Later I had been seen by a chiropractor, and had it verified that I had a concussion. So, a side note to the elder drivers who claim they cannot see, please stay home too, OK!

So how can I be a safer driver? And how can I influence others to be safer? Think of driving as a form of art. Go at it with ease and patience and confidence. Say positive mantras before, and on the road. And for heavens sake, when you see someone being an idiot on the road, if you have the pleasure of getting to speak calmly with them, please encourage them to step up their driver’s education game!