ALT-1 How Experiences with Bad Drivers can Affect your Driving
Three weeks ago I was struck by another driver who ran a red light and broadsided my car. This was the first serious accident I'd had in 33 years of driving. I had the unique experiences of being released from my car by firemen, treated by paramedics, and driven to the hospital in an ambulance. I suffered cuts, bruises, a burn, and bruised and fractured ribs.
As I recover, I am most surprised at the effect the accident has had on MY driving. Before, I wasn't afraid of anything. Now, I creep forward when the light turns green, go out of my way to avoid making left turns, and openly flinch when a car approaches me from either side.
I used to assume that other drivers would do what they were supposed to do-stop at red lights, for example. I don't do that any more. As I observe more and more people talking on their cells, holding them up to their ears, no less, I become more and more wary of my fellow travelers.
I decided long before the accident that I would not date a man whose driving makes me uncomfortable. I've noticed that too many men drive fast and/or aggressively. They have nothing to prove to me by their driving; they don't have the right to endanger my life. It might seem an odd criterion to use for establishing or passing on a relationship, but to me, bad driving is just a symptom of a larger problem.
Sometimes I feel like teaching a bad driver a lesson. When one tailgates me, I slow down. It seems ridiculous that some people would rather intimidate a driver ahead of them into changing lanes to let them pass when the passing lane sits unoccupied to their left, but they do it. I refuse to reward bad behavior!
I hope that as time passes I will overcome my lingering fear of having a collision. Over-caution can be just as dangerous in some situations as overconfidence.I would hate to think that one bad driver has the power to change me forever. It's just not right to give anyone that much power. Yet, as we've often been told, we must "Watch out for the other guy!"
