But Officer, I Really Have to Poop!

But
Officer, I Really Have to Poop!

I
remember taking Drivers ed in 2010 and how much I learned
from my instructors and my dad. I remember driving with three other
students and how the first few times, I was dead afraid and how my
hands hurt from grabbing on to the seat and seat belt because they
were so bad. By the last two weeks of drivers ed, it wasn’t as bad.
The writing portion and the hands-on portion is so important to learn
the laws BEFORE potentially hurting someone and the hands on, at
least it was a controlled environment, for the most part.

The
steps taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, I
believe, is much stricter laws, higher fines and more fear. I
remember growing up and my mother claimed how she knew a guy that was
on his fourth DUI. I asked what happened to him and she said he
spends a lot of money on court fees and spends up to 90 days in jail.
Well, clearly it wasn’t helping. I know our jails are already
overcrowded, but really? It’s just a matter of time before he kills
himself or someone else. Maybe set up camps for bad drivers that
break the law? Like a summer camp for adults to relearn.

I
was in an accident in 2019. I was rear-ended while driving my Ford
Focus and was hit by a Ford F250 truck carrying a full-sized cargo
trailer full of landscaping tools. I was at a complete stop, waiting
for the car in front of me to turn during rush hour traffic. The Ford
pickup was going between 35-40 MPH. I saw the truck approaching and
making no attempts at stopping. I was able to start inching forward
before impact and mostly took impact on my right rear bumper. I had a
passenger with me and neither of us were extremely injured but I did
have to take a week off of work due to extreme pain and a concussion.
My car was totaled, my passenger was injured and I felt terrible. If
it weren’t for my father and driving instructors teaching me about
defensive driving, I believe our injuries would have been a lot
worse.

I
try to be a safe driver each and every time. I have continued to
practice safe and defensive driving by keeping several car lengths in
front of me and the next car, leaving plenty early before an event so
I don’t have to stress about being on time and I attempt to drive
at “low” traffic times. I try not to react to the “idiot”
driving like a madman and practically push me off the road. I have
said it before, and I will continue to say, I believe that retesting
needs to be done with EVERYONE at least every five years. This would,
not only create more jobs for instructors to do a ride along with us,
but also potentially keep the unsafe drivers off the road. I think
every five years at the time of registration renewal or driver
license renewal (whatever comes first), this may help us. If a driver
fails the physical driving test, their license is suspended and they
need to retake a drivers ed course.

Asa
prior law enforcement officer, I have helped at multiple traffic
accidents and being in an accident myself, I believe something needs
to be done. People are in too much of a hurry and have WAY too many
distractions. Phones, car stereos, touch screens, eating, drinking,
reading, putting on makeup, smoking dope, and the list continues.
This needs to stop.