WHAT'S YOUR DEFENSE?

As a safety professional for many years, I admit I pound the drum for doing things in a manner that doesn't essentially kill people, often.  I will also admit that I was not an early proponent of seat belts and defensive driving until I actually took a course.  That of course, coupled with investigating accidents where injury could have been avoided with the use of both.

However, I have to admit that the hair on the back of my neck and other places tends to stay erect just driving around on daily errands and road trips.  My imaginary brake (as a passenger) and both feet as a driver are engaged more frequently these days.  Of course, we can blame technology such as cell phones, bad roads and more inexperienced drivers for the vehicular mayhem we enjoy today. I also did a large amount of driving in my job that allowed me to make observations. But let me just point out a couple of minor changes in behavior we can all can engage in that would lead to a safer roadway.

1) STAY OFF THE DANG PHONE!  That goes for applying makeup, reading, gawking at interesting sights along the way, driving sleep-deprived or under the influence, engaging too frequently with passengers who say "look at this". 
2) When observing someone entering the freeway - give them some room. The rules say the entering driver needs to adjust their speed to safely enter, but some self-absorbed road hogs figure "I got here first, so too bad".  Drivers aren't sitting in that narrow strip on the side because they wanted a new lane.
3) Assume the person entering the freeway does not see you over in the left lane politely giving them room to enter.  I can't count the number of times I have had someone entering and upon seeing a slow moving vehicle in the right lane continue to cross over into the left lane.  There are the rules of absolute that state two objects cannot exist in the same space. Really.
4) Do not wait until the last possible moment to move over to take an exit or make a turn, effectively cutting off anyone already in the lane.  If you did not preplan the maneuver or belatedly realized this was your turn don't jam in front of another vehicle (especially trucks who contrary to popular conception cannot stop on a dime).  Go around or take the next exit. I would have been slaughtered in actually busy areas such as Chicago or Detroit if I tried darting across multiple lanes to make my turn at the last second.
5) One does not actually accumulate points driving faster and more recklessly than other drivers and extending a particular digit does not derive any significant changes in other drivers' behaviors as well. Though I will admit I have engaged the sideways phone hold option to hopefully scare an erratic driver to exit earlier rather than later. 
6) Realize there are other people using the same road!  Slow down or stop to mitigate a potential accident. Show patience in a busy situation or bubble wrap your steering wheel to keep your mind and hands busy and amuse yourself when you have to wait for traffic to clear. There is such a thing as being right and being "dead right". 
7) Give motorcycles and pedestrians a wide berth. They sometimes disappear from view, stop suddenly or make unexpected turns and movements.  Pedestrians especially know they have the right of way and doggone it, they're going to use it. Ahhh people pancake-very messy.

In a recent conversation with a State Police officer who performs accident re-constructions his statement was "Sometimes "0" miles an hour is the correct speed.  Accident caused by inclement weather or inconsiderate other drivers is never an excuse for not driving safely and drivers will be cited.  In the 194 car accident on I-94 that he investigated he showed a picture of a beautiful Porsche that managed to safely stop in the midst of the mayhem without sustaining a scratch. 

I will happily bear the title of "old lady driver" if that is how you view me but the vehicle repair bills not realized or the injury or death I did not become a part of is fine with me. Something to think about.  Respect for others is the key to, well most things in life.