I think I need to start a new blog called “On the way to work”. It seems that you can’t go a few miles to work without seeing some kind of craziness. Today I was at Netherland Inn Road and Industry Drive. I was behind some Grandpa doing about 20. Now, I have no problem with Grandpas…I have one….and anyway I was already late for work by nearly an hour, so, why worry?

This guy in a gold car jumped in between us. Never mind that he squeezed in where he did’t fit, or that he ran the stop sign. I was worried about Grandpa. If I’m the one behind him, he won’t be a road rage victim. This fellow seemed to be in a great big hurry, and indeed he tailgated and weaved from side to side.

By this time my writerly imagination had kicked into high gear. I carry a digital camera in the car, so I figured if anything happened I could take a photo or even a short video. I imagined a confrontation, and the crowd that would gather….

Fortunately Grandpa turned off before any harm was done. Mr. Gold Car continued on Netherland Inn Road, nearly touching the bumper of the next car in front of him. When we got to Stone Drive, I was eager to get beside him and have a look.

No road rage here; simply sheer ignorance. He looked quite relaxed. He
was happily driving along, smoking and singing, or something, to himself. And tailgating.

The state of Wisconsin has a good web page about tailgating here . Tailgating ~is~ aggressive driving, even if you aren't feeling particularly aggressive.

Take care, and be careful out there!

Fast and Furious Driving....

Last week, I wrote a column for the Times-News that began with this story:

"You won't believe what just happened," the caller began (I'll call her Anne). Tearfully she recounted her story. She was driving north on Interstate 81 in the inside lane near Greeneville. A maroon pickup truck beside her suddenly swerved over into her lane, forcing her to jerk the wheel to avoid a collision. "Before I realized what happened, I was in the grass median. All I could see was the concrete culvert coming at me at a speed of 80 miles an hour.

"My 10-year-old son was in the passenger seat. I usually have him ride in the back, but he gets carsick, so today I let him ride in the front. So I managed somehow to get back onto the roadway, and when I looked over at the two guys in the truck they were laughing hysterically."

The two men, still laughing, each gave her a thumbs-up and drove off, careful to stay in a position that kept her from reading their tag number. "If I had died, or my son had been killed, would they still be laughing?" she wondered.

Interestingly, I always hear from people who support both sides when I write a story like that. A few callers say, "hear, hear," and appreciate the fact that I'm trying to get drivers to behave themselves. But a few contact me anonymously or in what they think is an anonymous fashion. (note: I'm a pretty good sleuth. )

These shadow contributors want me to know that they believe stories like the one I just told ought to end with the perpetrators receiving an award. Or something of the sort. Apparently, it's very manly to run other drivers off the road, intimidate them into dangerous moves, and so forth. There's always that underlying attitude that "she deserved it." (or he, if it's a male they're bullying.)

What's horrifying to me is that those are the drivers who surround me on my daily commute. While I'm expecting kindness and forgiveness, they're wishing I'd fall off the roadway. The lady in the story was doing 80 miles an hour, certainly more than any Interstate speed limit in Tennessee, but the letters say "good for them, pushing her off the road."

It's a frightening world. Maybe I'll dust off my bicycle.

Teen Driving Improves With Parental Supervision

Car crashes are the leading cause of death in teens. A study by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development shows that teens whose parents set limits on their driving reduce risky behaviors that lead to crashes. You can make a difference in your child's driving habits.

If you're a parent wondering how to help your teen be a safer driver, one of the best training tools is the New Driver Car Control Clinic. Their literature says their graduates have 77% fewer crashes than other teen drivers. You can find the NDCCC at www.carcontrol.com , or at 1-800-862-3277.

Here are some websites that have good information about driving for parents and teens:

Teen Driver Safety Tips from Carfax

Guidelines for parents from Maryland's DMV

A teen driving safety clearinghouse, Drivehomesafe.com

Virginia DMV's student driver safety checklist

Good luck to each and every parent. If you're like me, you hold your breath and pray every time they get in a car! Be careful out there!