Pay attention; it's your responsibility

(My Eastern New Mexico News column for January 19, 2022)

There's almost no one more dangerous than a driver who refuses to yield because they have the right-of-way. I've known people who got into accidents because the other person was supposed to move over or slow down, and didn't, and they weren't going to let the other guy "win".

When two drivers of this sort encounter one another, have your camera recording.

Personally, I think it's more important to avoid an accident than to be "in the right".

I've tried to teach my kids that their safety is always their responsibility. Responsibility isn't fun. It means you must pay attention and do what others won't.

When I'm walking or on my bike, I watch out for cars. I assume they don't see me, and I expect them to do their best to run over me. I'm grateful when they don't but I always make it my responsibility to avoid being hit.

When I'm driving, I still take the responsibility to avoid hitting anyone or anything and to avoid being hit by other cars. One trick I use is pretending that every vehicle I see is driverless, moving at random without anyone behind the wheel to control it. This usually works out well for me.

The responsibility is always one-hundred percent mine, whether I'm driving or navigating the world of cars. That can get tiresome, and I'm not claiming I pull it off perfectly. I have been in accidents when I failed to do what I know it is my responsibility to do.

Sure, the other people are also one-hundred percent responsible, but how are you going to make them accept it? Can you make them pay attention? You can only control yourself, no one else-- regardless of what politicians might believe. So which way will have better results for you?

It's also possible for a car to do something completely unexpected and hit you no matter how closely you're paying attention. Sometimes you just can't move fast enough, in the right direction, to get out of the way. Accidents will never be eliminated, but they can be minimized if you don't wait for other people to save you.

I don't care what traffic "law" dictates you to do; get out of the way even if you have the right-of-way if that's what it takes to avoid an accident. Always pay attention to your surroundings. Your life depends on it.

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