Patience an important aspect of safe driving

The phrase "It could have been me" is something people throw around a little too often nowadays, but last night on Culver Street I witnessed a car accident that, had I been impatient, would have landed me in the repair shop, if not the hospital.

I was leaving the gas station and there was a truck also turning left from the side street onto Culver. There were cars coming from both directions and I knew that I would have to punch the accelerator just to make it to the median before waiting to actually get onto the street, so I decided to wait patiently. The truck next to me decided to go for it at the exact time that a car was entering median to make a left turn towards the church and the two met with immense force. The wreck did not stop there; the car that struck the truck then rolled out into traffic coming the opposite direction and was hit again. Now I don't know if the car failed to signal but it was definitely going over the posted speed limit of 35 miles per hour and so was the car coming from the opposite direction.

I'm not trying to place blame on anyone involved; that is for the insurance company to do, but I am saying that a little more patience on all parties involved would have lessened the severity of the accident if not avoided it altogether.

This time of year, with inclement weather right around the corner, it is extremely important for drivers to have more patience in their driving. Saving a couple minutes is not worth the risk. When we are on the road we need to realize that we are driving several thousand pounds of metal, glass, and combustible fluids at terrifying speeds. I am not immune to the rush of everyday life pressuring me to just speed a little or pass the car going just under the speed limit, but I have also heard hundreds of horror stories from my veteran Dallas firefighter father.

Patience is something that must be learned with age, like wisdom. In our youths we rush and rush to do everything because we have the notion that it will save valuable seconds that we can put toward something more important than waiting. Have you ever wondered why old people move at a glacial pace? It is because they have finally realized that saving seconds or even minutes account for more stress, and more stress leads to errors and accidents.

This winter please slow down, wait a little longer and focus on driving when you are in the car. As the weather worsens, remember that Texas drivers are notorious for freaking out over an inch of snow and that, while you may be Mario Andretti, we are surrounded by morons hell-bent on changing lanes without looking or signaling, cutting you off, speeding and pulling out in front of you.