In the past, I have been amazed, no, appalled by some habits, or lack thereof, that some drivers practice. From the vantage point of the passenger’s seat in my friend’s car I watched in horror as the gaping hole in the raod I spotted 50 feet back was on a clear collision course with the right front wheel. The feeling of helplessness was growing as I assumed the driver was just distracted or checking her rear view mirror. But it became clear to me as the horrible sound of the wheel digging deep into the gaping hole in the road resonated through the suspension and then the frame and then into my back, that the driver neither saw the hole nor cared that it was there. Even as the trauma of the collision was still fresh in the air, she seemed oblivious to the whole event as she casually looked in her rear view mirror in as if to say “What was that?”
I believe this behavior to be a common but avoidable mistake and avoiding these sometimes painfully obvious road hazards is something that should not take much consideration. You can do considerable damage to your automobile, which is likely the most expensive item in your possession, while simply driving down the road. Maybe it does take the horrible experience of having to repair broken ball joints or flat tires or getting the front end aligned, again, is what it takes for some folks to pay more attention to the road. I mean, the actual road itself! Hopefully this post will help some of you to realize the importance of this costly mistake that you may have been making since you first sat behind the wheel.
Obviously the driver of any vehicle is constantly on the lookout for other vehicles, pedestrians, dogs, squirrels, armadillos and the ever growing population of bicyclists invading the freeways. To truly practice RideRespect™, you have to watch out for what I like to call “hard” obstacles as well. These hard obstacles consist of, but are not limited to, potholes, sunken manholes, train tracks, construction scars and any other natural obstacles created in storms and floods. I want to state that in the order of importance to practicing safe driving “hard Obstacles” should fall last on the list of priorities when looking out for pedestrians and other live obstacles.
One easily avoidable obstacle is the manhole cover. In some areas, for example, the Northeast US., manhole covers can become sunken over time due to the freezing and thawing of the roads and poor maintenance. Over time, these obstacles can become quite sunken and can cause damage if hit at the right speed and angle. An easy way to avoid these monstrosities is to realize that they are access devices to the structures under the road and follow the length of the road in a relatively straight line. So, if you see one in the middle of your lane, it is very likely that the next one will follow in the same place a little way down the road. So, readjust your position in the lane and keep an eye out for the next one. This will allow you to stay on a steady course in your lane without having to swerve to avoid the next manhole cover.
In the pursuit of practicing and receiving RideRespect™ fully, you must also respect your own personal property so that it will operate safely while giving you years of service. Please pass this post along to anyone you think might need a reminder to look out for the road hazards they take for granted.
Ride respectfully! Admin X
