Thursday, August 27, 2009
Accidents Don't Just Happen
I've been blogging for a few months now and although I try to keep the subject matter centered around the Town Of Weymouth, I have found myself opining about other subjects as well. The subject of driving a motor vehicle and the surprisingly controversial complications that come with it keeps appearing in the news headlines. Not too long ago, I commented on the issue of driving while using a cell phone and elderly drivers. Now it appears that bad driving habits have struck close to home.
Without sounding too conceited, I consider myself a good driver. I've had much experience with driving all types of vehicles from large trucks to motorcycles and have had some accidents, particularly as a young motorist. I was taught that "accidents happen" and are part of the driving experience. Let's be clear however, an accident, when it comes to driving a motor vehicle, is caused by distraction or lack of training. When you're backing up a vehicle and something distracts you from the task at hand you're likely to not see the tree you hit or if you haven't been properly trained to use all your mirrors, your also not going to see the tree. Using caution and backing up slowly will not cause much damage, even if you hit the tree. That's an accident.
What is not an accident, is distraction combined with recklessness. When you knowingly drive while using a cell phone, drive too fast, drive offensively instead of defensively and when you have no respect for others. When you back up your vehicle too fast and don't care about your surroundings and hit the tree, it's not an accident, it's recklessness.
I spent the past couple of days driving to Washington D.C. and back, approximately 16 hours of drive time. I got to see recklessness behind the wheel all the way. Some people are accidents waiting to happen and good motorists need to be wary of them more and more these days. I'm not sure if it's an overall disrespect for your fellow human or a general lack of education, but there is much danger to watch for on America's roads.
While on my trip I learned that a Corrections Officer from Weymouth and a Weymouth Policeman were killed in senseless traffic accidents. Early this morning, a motorist was killed when he struck a toll booth on the Mass Pike. No matter what the final outcome of investigations into these tragedies decides, the reality is that they were all avoidable. How do you hit a toll booth with such force that it kills you? If you are at all familiar with Weymouth and the locations of each accident then you must ask, "How do you roll over a mail truck on Summer Street unless you're distracted and driving too fast?"; and "how do you not stop at the stop sign and speed through the intersection of Front and West Streets unless you're too old to be driving?"
Such a shame. Be careful out there.
POSTED BY STAN on August 27, 2009
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Comments
Remember Mr Whitmore! Let's bring back the Smith cushion, that great spacial buffer of fluid traffic dynamic civility that allows the room for chance events NOT to devolve into destructive accidents.I can't tell you how many times the Smith cushion has saved me. And even when nothing remarkable happens, the concentration it takes to maintain a healthy Smith cushion requires the kind of awareness of the road conditions that further avoids accidents.
Posted by: Paul Niles | August 29, 2009 10:32 AM
Mr. Whitmore was a great teacher and person. Nothing replaces good training as long as you practice what is taught and learn to use it in everyday life.
Posted by: Keith Spain | August 29, 2009 11:22 AM