Deer Head On

Interrupting a good night of sleep was my phone beeping loudly. Unlocking my phone in a daze, my heart sank as the screen showed what was the wake-up phone call. 18 missed calls from my husband at 6:10 am. Knowing he should be driving to work, no positive scenarios dominated my thoughts as I dialed to call him back. The words “I got into a car accident.” will haunt me for a few more years. Was he okay? Injured? Did someone else get hurt? Question after question rushed through my mind and I didn’t know where to start.

Moving to a new state and a small town was an adjustment, from speed limits, learning new highway routes, and the unspoken road rules that dominated the pavement here, all of which were easy to learn. But there were a few new downsides that brought on a newfound stress, some of which included the decrease of road light posts and increase in nature, for example, deer. As the sunlight grew shorter in number, the opposite was with deer crossing the highways, and my husband was the victim of an unfortunate untimely crossing.

After the accident, we realized there is more to road education and driving than just stopping at a stop sign, yielding at roundabouts, and using a blinker. Our new home and environment forced us to learn about safety measures around deer, darkness, and isolation. Driver education doesn’t stop at 16 or 18 years old after classes have been taken, or every few years renewing a driver’s license and confirming our eyesight is up to par. As times progress, so do the roads, drivers, and technology around us. The unfortunate part is learning safety after accidents, deaths, or destruction happen.

Prechecking new routes, calculating the best location to rest our body, or researching gadgets and tools to help prevent accidents and deaths are all things that should be done with the best attentiveness, as that can be the difference between hitting a deer, falling asleep on the road, or how the roads merge to prevent hurting ourself, a fellow driver, or vehicles.

We have learned that there are deer horns that go on vehicles, and although that isn’t a foolproof solution, it is one step in helping us during deer season and the dark as the sun sets before 5pm. A few other things we implemented in our driving, especially now that deer season has begun again, is going to bed earlier, since rest is a huge factor in our reaction time to unexpected and unanticipated scenarios. Rotating who is the driver or taking shifts during our longer trips is also helpful, since it gives us a chance to unwind, relax our concentration, and refresh for the next segment of our trip.

Everyone is in a different stage of their life, but one of the most blinding thoughts is that you have learned everything there is to learn, and that there is no room for improvement, growth, or education. Each and every day, we take a small risk walking to our vehicle for another drive. Are we being aware? Physically fit with our rest, sight, and consciousness? Well enough to react quickly? Or do we drive on our phones, high beams blaring into the eyes of an opposing driver? Laws are in place to give us the fundamentals of road driving, but at the end of the day, each and every one of us sit at the wheel of a car and choose how well we want to follow those laws. We each make the decision if we cut someone off out of pettiness and ignorance, or if we all show one another respect on the road. Respect is something that cannot be taught in drivers’ education, or if written into laws not something that can be forced, but instead, each of us choosing to show respect while having driving education can decrease the number of accidents and death. If we use blinkers to make others aware of our next move, help implement the zipper effect on ramps from exits, and learn how to merge in peace at construction road work zones, and understand that a snapchat photo or text message isn’t more important than maneuvering a couple thousand pounds of metal, then there is still hope for us yet.

I know I have caught myself in one of those traps a few times too many, but now being responsible for the lives of two little humans in my vehicle, me being responsible for getting them safely from point A to point B, no amount of road rage, speed, or provocation can push me into risking those lives, and the lives of those drivers surrounding me. You can always apologize to being a few minutes late, but the best apology is getting there safely without compromising your life, and the life of others surrounding you and trusting you behind your wheel.