Common Sense Preparedness

“Common sense is not so common.” - Voltaire quotes

Since I’ve started writing this blog, I pay more attention to the things I do. Sometimes I’ll stop and realize that I’m in an unsafe situation and that a small action on my part can make a huge difference towards my well-being:

Examples:

I like to keep my hands in my pockets. This is not a good idea while walking (you want your hands free to break a fall if you trip). It is especially stupid for me to have a hand trapped in a pocket when I go down two flights of stairs after work each day.

I’d like to consider myself a safe driver. But occasionally I realize that I’ve gotten too close to another car’s bumper while on cruise control and need to back off and either pass or slow down the cruise control a bit.

Another time cruise control gets me in trouble is with tight curves in the road. Under normal conditions I can handle the curves no problem at full driving speed. But occasionally I’m surprised by black ice or water on the road from melting ice and belatedly discover that a speed that works for a dry road may cause a skid or some anxious moments keeping the car under control. A few months ago while driving to work I was surprised to come around a curve and find a disabled car parked halfway on the road & shoulder. I had to swing wide onto the opposite shoulder to avoid a collision while struggling to stay on the road.

Another danger while driving is distractions inside the car. I pass the time commuting by listening to educational CDs. When one ends I need to eject the CD, grab the next and plug it in while keeping my eyes on the road. Not always easy but I try to make this less distracting by pulling the next CD out of its case before I start driving so it’s easily available.

Years ago as a teenage driver with my mom in the car, a bee flew in the window. I was freaking out and trying to shoo the bee out of the car while still driving. My mom pointed out how stupid that was. A bee sting would hurt a lot less that a car accident.

Bottom Line

Sometimes all that is required to prepared for the worst case is just common sense. This can mean some very simple things like keeping your hands free while walking and on stairs, maintaining a safe driving speed and distance, and keeping your eyes on the road – always!