Did you ever hear the story about the man who was driving his car down the road and as he approached a bend, a car came speeding by him with the window down, and the lady driver yelled at the man “Cow!”
The man, becoming upset, thought “crazy woman” and yelled back at her “you pig,” and then promptly went around the bend and hit a cow standing in middle of the road totaling his vehicle.
Drivers can sometimes be humorous, helpful and respectable, but they also can be dangerous, inconsiderate, drunk, inattentive, unpolite, uninsured and travel the roads without a license or insurance.
Have you ever heard of the basic safety principles of driving? They are called the “Three C’s of Driving” ~ Care, Caution, and Courtesy.
What sort of driver are you?
Me, you ask? I’ve learned some valuable lessons over the years because I am not a “flawless” driver either, and as I age, I’m still trying to learn some patience and things not to do.
Amy, my daughter and a good driver, reminds me of my shortcomings sometimes.
Additionally, many daily thoughts of the other driver are also important as we travel those highways of a “maddening” world.
May I share an example with you?
A few months ago, I was on my way home from Hagerstown and had arrived at the “winding double-lined bend” heading into Sharpsburg across from the Battlefield Visitor Center.
Four cars were headed toward Hagerstown on this curvy turn, and suddenly I saw this old black model car trying to pass them all on a double line and headed straight for me.
This car was half on the road and half off the road; I tried my best to take my vehicle to the side of the road and avoid a head on collision.
The black, “speeding” vehicle was now directly in my path and no way could I avoid being hit. I thought, “I lived a full life, but, on this day, I was going to die” soon.
I was off the road as far as I could go and awaited the head on collision. Suddenly, about 10 yards in front of me, the car made a sharp right turn back onto the highway and somehow just missed hitting my car.
I sat there in my vehicle for a minute and concluded it was not my day to make the obituary column.
The other driver?
I’m thinking that driver was singing that “Highway to Hell” lyric by the band AC/DC as they passed. I hope this driver doesn’t hit someone and kill them; this driver was most reckless.
Safe driving involves good ‘vision’, cognition and physical ability. Some 242 million people drive in the U.S.
Some interesting facts provided by the International Auto Source includes:
*80 percent of car accidents are caused by a driver being distracted; 2 percent are the result of eating or drinking; driving attention decreases to 40 percent if you listen to music or podcasts.
*Using a cell phone while driving increases the risk of having an accident to 400 percent; 6 out of every 10 ‘moderate to severe’ car accidents are the result of a distracted driver.
*An estimated 70 percent of drivers use their smartphones while behind the wheel.
*Texting and driving are actually banned in 48 states and the District of Columbia. This is a problem with both adults and teens.
*Texting and driving are 6 times more likely to get you into an accident than drinking and driving. Ninety percent of teens expect a reply to a text within 5 minutes; pressure to reply quickly leads to distractions.
Have you ever noticed how many cars these days drive close to the rear end of your car? I wonder what’s their hurry? You can usually catch up with them at the stop light; go figure!
Are only “slow thinking” drivers in an unnecessary hurry to pass other cars?
And here’s an ode to the driver who almost hit me from the Traveler’s Insurance Company (1935):
‘He drives like a demon, even though
He hasn’t a single place to go.
He cuts around when chances are slim—
Danger to others means naught to him.’
Be safe, drive with Care, Caution and Courtesy.
P.S. And be on the alert for those ‘demons’ above….
