Driving. Not for the faint of heart

Driving. Not for the faint of heart

I was sitting at a relieving red light on the way home after a stressful and tiresome day of work. I thought to myself, “finally, some silence,” as I waited for the light to shift to green. Content with the moment of relaxation only for it to be interrupted by the screeching of tires on asphalt, the symphony of car horns and the heavy thuds of steel and aluminum colliding. Confused for a moment until I felt a knock on the rear of my car, I looked at my rearview mirror and noticed the car behind me was kissing my rear license plate. That was nothing compared to the horror that awaited me as I stepped outside my vehicle—a 4-car collision. A pickup truck slammed into the back of a small sports car with an elderly lady as the driver. The sports car slammed into the minivan in front of it. Finally, the minivan tapped the back of my car. My car was fine, but both ends of the sports car were folded entirely inwards. I was unsure whether the driver was okay. After a few minutes, the ambulance and police arrived at the scene, and we moved all the impacted cars into a parking lot away from traffic. The lady was taken into the ambulance and the other drivers talking with the police, including myself. All this due to the reckless pickup truck driver who “thought” he could make the red light.

Car accidents highlight why driver education is essential. With the proper knowledge, a driver can avoid unnecessary negative actions that lead to others’ death. There are three vital steps in preventing fatalities and avoiding accidents altogether. Firstly, do not drive with distractions in the vehicle. Some examples would be trying to drive your car with a puppy freely roaming in the car (I see this way too often), driving with the radio too loud, and trying to operate while consuming food or beverages. Secondly, do not pilot the car if you are tired. Even I am guilty of this. Did you know that maneuvering your vehicle when you are tired triples the likelihood of getting involved in an accident, according to the National Safety Council (NSC)? To prevent drowsy driving, pull over and take a quick nap before continuing with the drive or ask someone who is with you to drive for you. These tips will keep you and others around you safe. Finally, the last step to avoid accidents and fatalities on the road is to keep both hands on the steering wheel. No, not just one hand or a hand and a finger, but both hands firm on the wheel. Keeping both hands on the wheel allows you to react more quickly to sudden changes in traffic and encourages drivers to keep their hands off their phones, foods, and other consumables while steering the vehicle.