Fun fact: The first six months after getting a license are
the most dangerous
times for any driver.
times for any driver.
I can definitely attest to that statement. I have been a
licensed driver for five years now and the only accident I have ever been in
was within four months of passing the test. Not all car crashes can be
prevented but mine could have been easily avoided. Being a new driver, I
overlooked a simple step that would have saved me some money and embarrassment.
Here’s the story:
My high school had a one mile driveway that connected to the
main road. At this time I drove a car that lacked cup holders and while going
around the one curve my breakfast shake fell under my feet. I was extremely
anxious because I was afraid the can would get stuck under my brake pedal and
put me in a dangerous situation so, when the light turned red, I reached under
the steering column to pick it up. While I was bending down my foot came off of
the brake and I felt the car start to creep forward. I slammed on the brake
pedal and almost immediately collided into the vehicle in front of me. I was
still under the steering wheel so I had no idea if I had been hit or hit
someone else. Apparently when I tried to brake I slammed on the gas instead!
The light had turned green which put some distance between me and the car in
front of me so I had reached a decent speed before the collision which dented
both of our bumpers.
How could I have avoided this accident you ask? All I had to
do was shift my car into neutral or park. After the accident, several of my
friends had shared their own stories about their foot coming off of the brakes
when they reached for something. Although we all had great driving instructors
there was still a lot we needed to learn that only experience could teach us.
So learn from my mistake and hopefully you won’t repeat it.
Tell all of the new drivers you know how important it is to put your car in park or neutral when reaching for something in the vehicle.
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