Like Your Life Depends on It

One millisecond is the difference between life and the next statistic. Lucky for me, that day, my dad’s reactions happened to be just quick enough. As my family was merging onto the exit ramp a car cut us off, and to be honest this happens all too often to all of us. One hurried driver gets caught up in the moment and decides to make a decision that all too easily will be their last. But why do we do it; Everyone knows the rules of the road and remarks they are an “above average” driver however we drive recklessly, all because we are human. We get in a hurry and feel superhuman thinking we won’t be the next statistic. Inside classroom walls, mistakes we scoffed at become second nature behind the wheel.

I believe learning the rules of the road is a two step process: remembering when to signal, when to merge but yet the skill we often gloss over in the heat of traffic: you are not superhuman. Intentional reckless driving despite knowing the rules of the road happens because we get hasty. Behind the wheel, I follow the mantra “better late than dead” I believe driving safely despite an adrenaline rush to hurry on up, coupled with continued driver education will make for a safer country. Countless tragedies have taught us there is a growing disconnect between knowing and applying the rules of the road.

Driving deaths will be reduced once less aggressive driving takes place. The broad generalization of driving aggressively is not the issue however hurried aggressive driving causes an obscene amount of fatalities. Deaths that were milliseconds away from life, all because one of us became too confident behind the wheel.

Each day I buckle up I leave time to get to my destination but that’s not always reality so my challenge to you is next time you get behind the wheel remain an aggressive confident driver but know the double sided sword that comes with confidence in the driver’s seat. We all know the rules but it’s time to act like our lives depend on it.