Radhika MundraI have been driving myself around since last August, but keeping aside my love for driving, I’m terrified about even the idea of it. Here’s why:
- Last week, I was running late for my tuition that starts at 4. It was already 4:03 when I started my car. I raced towards my tuition as soon as the engine roared to life. As I reached the 12th road circle, the signal was red with a count of 25. To my further annoyance, there was this one guy on a bike who was standing in the middle of the road. I drove past him giving him a look, which he didn’t notice as he was busy talking to his companion. When I was standing a few blocks ahead him, a police car stopped right beside his bike. I looked at them through the center mirror and saw that his hand was pointing at the Zebra Crossing which I had crossed. Although a few people were already standing there but I still got conscious. That’s when it struck me that you are not allowed to cross the zebra crossing or even touch it. That space is for the pedestrians to walk. With a guilty conscience, I vowed to myself that I’ll never make this mistake again!
Here’s a sketch to show how it looked like when it happened:
- A month back, I had an accident. Although I was not at fault, but I still it got me scared as hell. Not about who was at fault, but about I would’ve killed a human. The biker broke the signal and that too in with a high speed. The collision broke my car’s headlight, but the other man’s leg. There was blood on the road and I was petrified. I had no fear of the law since I hadn’t broken any, but for the man, who broke his leg. He must be in his early twenties. The policemen present there had witnessed the whole scene and they got that guy to the hospital and told me to go home. I felt bad, I did, but please do not think that whatever happens, the big vehicle is always at the fault! This is by far, the stupidest argument against accidents.
See the sketch below, for how it happened:
- Have come across these disturbing images lately that convey the message of not talking on the phone while driving (Source: theinspirationroom.com):
Bangalore Traffic Police has been running an outdoor advertising campaign using disturbing photography to shock people out of talking to their friends and families on the phone while they are driving. Men and women are shown grimacing as blood spurts out from their telephones. The tagline: “Don’t talk while he drives”
- Every other day, there is news of a road accident, purely incidental to DRUNK DRIVING. It’s time to stop the violence! Don’t drink and drive! The campaigns by Ecovia, as well as BMW, illustrate it quite appropriately:
(Sources: adsoftheworld.com and psychographism.squarespace.com respectively)
- Several times, I have found myself caught in a situation where the other vehicle could have been crushed due to the high-speed of my vehicle. Moreover, I scream at those people who were about to be turned into jello for their carelessness! Insane, I know.
Once I almost got sandwiched between two trucks while overtaking. That taught me the lesson.The Ecovia ad campaign catches attention here, too along with a picture issued by the French Safety Board, La Sécurité Routière (Source: ericanderson72481.wordpress.com):
Stop the violence. Don’t speed.
Stop the violence. Overtake with care.(Source: adsoftheworld.com)
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| Read: In Town, Car accidents don’t just happen to cars. Slow Down. |
There are several other points to be kept in consideration while driving:
- Wear the seat belt.
- Slow down before entering a turn, go fast while exiting it.
- Look over the shoulder to avoid the blind spot mishaps!
- Don’t drive when you are distracted or tired enough to either forget that you’re driving or sleep.
- Stop the car at a side and attend the phone call.
Remember, either you’ll reach your destination two minutes late or never. The choice is yours!
Hope this post serves the purpose and makes you think twice before doing anything stupid.
Please feel free to suggest anything you think should be added. Share your feedback in the comments! 🙂
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