Monday, May 16, 2011

highway to heaven

I'm starting to be much more aware of the danger of driving.  Perhaps this is because I'm preggo and about to turn into the protective mother who will risk everything to save her young.  I'm starting to think that instinct is strong. 

One of my friends, who is preggo with her second, was rear ended with her first kiddo in the car.  Nothing major everyone was okay, but she was understandably very shaken.  Fortunately, she was going to the doctor that day anyway so she could get checked out to be sure it didn't have any affect on her pregnancy.  Just yesterday, the hubby and I saw a van veer off the side of the road and run into a pole on Rice campus.  Poor guy destroyed his car (and the pole).  Thank goodness there wasn't a mama taking her babies on a stroll down the sidewalk!  This morning, a woman (with her phone in her hand) came driving the wrong way down a one-way street right toward oncoming traffic.  She probably drove 3 blocks without realizing she was coming straight towards us (maybe she thought we were all in the wrong place, but somehow I think it was because she wasn't paying attention).  It all is making me vividly aware of the danger of the roads.

I know what many of you are thinking: Honey, you are one of the most aggressive drivers I know.  Yeah, yeah.  I know.  I happen to think I'm also a very safe driver because I'm always alert to what other drivers are doing out there.  OK, there's a little bit of rationalizing there, but anyway...  I'm starting to think about the danger of the roads.  What if I get more distracted by 2 little ones in the backseat?  What if I have more things on my mind now and don't react as quickly to a distracted driver veering in the wrong direction? 

So, my preaching for today: remember that you're operating the number one killer of kids under 15 when you get in your car.  Please don't drive distracted.  Do it for the kiddos in your backseat and for the kiddos in the other cars around you.  You (and I) might think you (and I) have everything under control, but looks like we all need to be more careful out there.

You don't want to be this guy:


My apologies for the unfun, preachy post.  It won't happen again...very often.

3 comments:

eyrieowl said...

better to be that guy than the guy that inspired them to install a railing....

it does bear mentioning though, that there are some beautiful young swedish models that are probably safer to ride than cybil... ;)

Brandy Hew said...

That is when you learn to tune them out and pay attention to the road. Trust me mine are 11 & 9 and they are still very loud and fighting in the back seat. I just tune them out!

C said...

eyrieowl - cybil is quite safe, she's a tank! although we are starting to move forward with her replacement... :-/

Brandy - my mom was a master of the tune out. Hopefully that's hereditary.