My philosophy on life has always been “get where you’re going but enjoy the ride.” And if you’re like me, you feel spring in the air and you want to roll the windows down, find a south-bound road, and just drive. Good music and my Mazda3 have always done wonders for my mood. I think there is a part of the soul of the American driver that has always connected with the Sunday drive – not needing to be anywhere in particular except for THIS tree-lined road dappled by a mid-afternoon sun. Maybe, in such a time, you share my reluctance with having to share the road with anyone else. Maybe you’re guilty, like I sometimes am, of taking that turn just a little more quickly, or of rushing to find the left lane and the empty space ahead of you with a smile and the radio turned up.
After becoming part of the Car Accident Attorneys at Rutter Mills, I was more than a little surprised to discover how quickly my defensive driving increased. My day revolves around the stories of perfectly responsible people injured because someone else failed to exercise reasonable care. After a while you begin to see that failure everywhere.
But this story is not all doom and gloom – I choose to see it as a reaffirmation of a simpler motto. Be practical! It’s easier to avoid irresponsible people if you’re doing the speed limit. Put your iPod on shuffle and don’t mess with it; you won’t take your eyes off the road and you’ll find yourself singing along to songs you forgot you owned. Put down your phone and stop being so instantly accessible to everyone. You’ll be a safer driver and you might just learn to enjoy some solitude.
You may be the safest driver on the road but remember this – Twitter now has 200 million subscribers averaging 1,600 posts every second. With the smart phone industry wrecking havoc on our driving records, eyes on the road please! Get where you’re going, but enjoy the ride.
