A 4,000 Pound Killing Machine

A
4,000 Pound Killing Machine

The
average vehicle today weighs about 4,000 pounds. Do you even think
about that when you get into your vehicle? I think most people don’t
and many take driving for granted. They jump in the car, start it
up, and take off, not realizing that they are essentially controlling
a machine that can literally take someone’s life in an instant. The
reality of the power that is in one’s hands when driving is often
unrecognized. How do we fix this?

Education
is one answer. Young drivers need to understand the serious nature
of driving. It’s not enough to just learn the rules of the road,
although that is an important part of the education. It’s also vital
that all drivers learn the potential for damage from driving
impaired, driving recklessly, and driving while distracted. But
while education is key, accepting personal responsibility for one’s
own action is also important.

Personal
responsibility involves a commitment to following the rules of the
road as well as more intrinsic factors which impact driving, such as:
always paying attention to conditions and being aware of
surroundings; never driving while under the influence of drugs or
alcohol; never driving when overly tired; never driving distracted,
including no texting, no eating, no loud music. Above
all else, drive defensively.
Assume every other driver on the road doesn’t follow these
guidelines. Assume that every driver might be impaired, or
distracted. Assume that another driver might be texting or not paying
attention. Make adjustments to your driving habits based on those
assumptions and do your best to avoid accidents.

I
was a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident. The
driver was paying complete attention and driving safely. However,
the other driver in the accident was driving too fast for conditions
and spun out hitting the car in which I was riding. This accident
did not cause serious injury, but it reminded me of the need to pay
attention to absolutely
everything when
driving. I sometimes see friends and family driving carelessly or
recklessly and I try to remind them of the power they have within
their control.

Having
said all of this, I make a solemn pledge to drive responsibility. I
will give my full attention to the safety of myself and my passengers
and those in other vehicles. I will constantly be aware of driving
conditions and maintain a safe distance between my vehicle and those
ahead of me. I will
not
drive impaired or distracted and I
will
pay close attention to my surroundings and the other vehicles on the
road. I
will not become the driver of a 4,000 pound killing machine.