After reaching home I realised how wrong I was and how badly this could have ended.
BHPian FalconRed recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
I have a confession to make… Today I drove pretty rashly and could have caused an accident.
My kid is sick for almost a week and suddenly today morning her condition got worse. Called up the hospital to get an appointment and got to know that the doctor is available only for the next 30 mins (maybe because of the Ugadi festival)
Drove to the hospital quite fast, my wife was already asking me to slow down and was about to jump a signal as it was turning red, and I was almost halfway through the junction the other side vehicles started moving. Somehow got back to my senses and stopped and slowly took the car in reverse.
After reaching home I realised how wrong I was and how badly this could have ended. If not for this particular doctor I could have got another doctor from some other hospital. But my actions could have caused great damage to me or my family or to a fellow road user.
Query: How do other BHPians handle this type of situation?
Because normally I drive in a sane manner.
Here’s what BHPian Street_Smart had to say on the matter:
Yes, it is natural to rush at times out of anxiety! But what we need to remember is the 90/10 rule, which says 90% of things that happens around us are not in our control. All that is at our disposal is the remaining 10%, which we have to exercise judiciously so as to minimize the impact of the 90% that was not under our control. An example could be, what if you brushed against another vehicle and end up wasting those precious hours in unwarranted arguments and remorse? Instead, a little patience could lead you to the destination safely, if not on time.
Every time I hop into the driver seat, I remind myself of the responsibility trusted in my hands, the lives of my co-passengers, the lives on the road and the safety of the machine. I also have cultivated a habit of not actively listening to the conversations of the co-passengers, all my senses were directed onto the road on my front, at my rear and on my sides, until the trip ends. Having said that, in my 12 years of LMV driving experience, predominantly highway rides, I do have a minor accident under my belt and a handful of near misses, too.
Here’s what BHPian Small Bot had to say on the matter:
The first step taken towards correcting any bad behaviour is probably to accept that your behaviour was bad in the first place. This is what I’d suggest in such situations (purely from my own experience though – I’m no expert at such advice):
- Never drive yourself when you are conscious that you’re not in the right frame of mind. Get a family member/neighbour/call driver to drive, catch an auto or cab, or just anything that keeps you away from the steering wheel.
- Always try to have somebody beside you in such situations, so that they can be the voice of reason. Just don’t make their lives miserable by snapping at them too frequently.
- Always take a quick pause to evaluate your options – is this the only course of action available to me or could I do something easier / better?
- If you have No Choice but to drive by yourself in a panicky situation, Always take a few quick deep breaths, clear your mind and focus only on the road and traffic, and nowhere else until you reach your destination.
- Probably stock up on glucose chewable or take a few full water bottles to help you relax and literally chill down, whenever you get some downtime – like at traffic signals.
Here’s what BHPian Thad E Ginathom had to say on the matter:
There are ways of making the journey a little bit quicker without making it dangerous or risky.
One very simple way, which I try to practice every day, without any emergency, is to read the road ahead. Notice what is happening ahead: make good lane changes ahead of time. The impatient guy who rushes past you may appear to be going faster until he gets stuck behind the traffic waiting to take a right turn as you pass by in the lane that is still moving!
Keyword: Drove rashly to get my daughter to hospital; regretting it now