Driving Lessons

Driving Lesson #1:

I stopped in my little Honda Civic Hybrid in a gas station driveway. I looked left. Then right. Then left again. No one was coming either way. I pulled out. Suddenly, to my left appeared a fast-moving Chevy Blazer. I slowed. The driver, Mr. Smith, didn't react. I hit the gas to try to get past him. He still didn't react. His big Blazer t-boned my little Honda and pushed my car 110 feet in his direction.

Mr. Smith and I were both taken by ambulance to the regional trauma center. As far as I can learn, we're both (miraculously) fine. My car died that day. I don't know about his.

Though Mr. Smith was almost certainly speeding and not paying attention, I got the ticket. He hit me in his lane, after all. Police budgets are tight. There was no real investigation. I don't know how all of this will come out, but I know now that I can be following all of the rules and driving carefully, and I can get in a bad accident and be legally at fault. That's my first driving lesson.

Driving Lesson #2:

The same accident would have been much worse for me if alcohol had been involved. It wasn't.

Driving Lesson #3:

I don't know if Mr. Smith is having relationship problems, but a friend's therapist told her that 90 percent of people going through a divorce get in a car accident. (Just to be clear, I'm not getting divorced.)

Please be careful. Don't drive fast. Don't drink and drive. Be especially careful if you're going through a divorce.