The Terrifying Trend

As a runner, bicyclist and mother of a toddler who is prone to darting out into the street without any notice, I am horrified by a new trend I am seeing while driving.  The number of people I see blatantly ignoring traffic laws is absolutely terrifying.  I am not casting aspersions as to why people are doing this - whether it be preoccupation, general hurriedness or just a total disregard for rule.  All I know is that I am seeing it far more than I ever have before.

I've been driving for over a decade now.  I'm 28 and got my learner's permit at 15 and my license at 16.  So it's been 13 years now, almost 14, that I've been behind the wheel and paying attention to other vehicles.  I've never had an accident and never had a speeding ticket, so I like to think I'm a good driver.  No, I don't like to think that, I know that I'm a good driver.  If you looked up my driving record, all you would find is a few parking tickets.  

I'll be sitting at a red light, waiting patiently, and then when it turns green I'll lift my foot off the brake only to slam it back on when a car runs a solid red perpendicular to me.  I get cut off on the freeway on a daily basis.  I've had to screech to a halt in my neighborhood because of cars just backing out blindly right in front of me.  Just yesterday, a gardener truck completely blew a stop sign and almost T-boned me (because I don't have a stop sign going my direction but the opposite direction does) and all I could think was, THANK GOD Mara wasn't in the car with me because if he had hit me, it would have been exactly where her seat is, on the passenger side in the back.  

There was one time I came within inches of someone who blew a stop sign perpendicular to me, and I was going about 40mph.  I will never forget that.  Now, that intersection is totally different and the direction that he was coming from is now blocked.  If I had been even a second faster, I'd be dead.

I'm sure I'm coming off as insensitive but there are stop signs, stop lights, solid lines and traffic laws for a reason!  Now, when I go running, I can't wear earphones and listen to music because I have to be listening for cars coming up behind me.  When I bike, I'm constantly looking over my shoulder.  When my husband bikes anywhere, I make him text me as soon as he arrives and if I don't hear from him in the amount of time I think it should take him to arrive at his destination, I freak out.  I hate that the driving has gotten so scary that I have to worry about these things.

So... for God's sake... please pay attention to the rules of the road.  And if you're a runner, bicyclist or whatever, please take extra care.  You never know who is not going to be paying attention.