A Dangerous World

There used to be a program on television that began with a Sergeant telling his policemen, "Be careful, it's dangerous out there". How true that is today. Every time you leave your driveway you are venturing into a dangerous world where careless drivers operate multi-ton vehicles, or should I say missiles. There are at least three things that make these experiences even more dangerous. First, there is alcohol. It is tragic to read how drunk drivers kill innocent people by driving the wrong way on interstates or by weaving into on coming traffic. My solution? Give an automatic five-year license suspension for a DUI, when there is no accident involved. Give a permanent suspension for a second offense or if an accident is involved. The second dangerous thing is speed, especially by drivers who think they are invincible. Thursday we took a trip to Lewistown and as I drove at the 65 mph limit, I was often passed by cars and trucks moving at least 15 or more miles per hour than I was. It was like driving on a raceway with speeding vehicles weaving in and out of traffic. But it is even worse on our two-lane street that used to be a nice quiet country road. The speed limit is 25 mph but many drivers travel past our house at 40 mph or faster. It is often dangerous just to cross the street to get our mail. And backing out of our driveway is often an adventure because you can't see very far ahead when a speeding driver is approaching. And they don't slow down! I always pray for safety when we leave for a longer trip, but maybe I need to pray before I get my mail or back out of the drive. Then there is the third thing that bothers me about driving – people talking on their handheld cell phones. Yesterday I was backing out of a parking spot at Park City when a speeding driver swerved to miss both me and the cars parked behind me – the driver was chatting on her cell phone. Later that day I was waiting to turn left at an intersection when a driver in her big SUV sped through as the light turned to red, almost taking off my front fender. She was chatting on her cell phone and laughing and never slowed down. At the next traffic light a similar thing happened. This time the driver, an older lady talking on her phone, turned left and again almost took off my bumper as she made the turn and continued to chat. I seldom agree with anything Oprah says, but I certainly support her drive to get folks to take the pledge not to drive while using cell phones. I really believe that many drivers, especially young ones, believe that they are invincible and can multi-task. They don't realize how, in a split second, their life can change and even worse how they can change the lives of innocent others. Accidents can happen to any of us, even if we are careful. But alcohol, speed, and cell phones change the odds. On the way to Lewistown we were slowed down by an accident on route 283. The driver had gone off the road to the right and up a hill. Her car spun around and came back down behind a metal barrier. The cause? I have no idea, but I would guess there is a strong possibility that speed and a cell phone might have been involved. I hope that none of you ever have to experience, as we have, the loss of a loved one in an automobile accident caused by the careless driving of another. And maybe we need to ask the Lord more often for safety on our streets and highways. For it has become a dangerous world out there.