Tim Wiederaenders: Don’t be a ‘zombie’ behind the wheel – Today’s News-Herald

Ever drive somewhere and wonder how you got there? Really, I know its not as brainless as forgetting that you were in a car. Its more about not remembering that certain intersection, that particular stop sign, or that colorful house you always notice on your regular route.

You arrive at your destination often its your driveway without any memory of the trip; I call it zombie driving. In the spring of my freshman year in college I did just that.

It was a Sunday afternoon and I was going home from a day of studying at the library. Unfortunately, this time, I did not make it home. I do not remember leaving campus and do not recall looking at the traffic lights. I believe I merely followed the vehicle ahead of me through one of the intersections. The bad news was the light was yellow for him and red for me.

The T-bone accident on the drivers side of my little truck nearly killed me.

I walked away from the hospital with four bruised ribs, one broken rib, a bruised sternum, and I had cuts on the left side of my face from flying glass.

The good news was I was alive. In my adrenaline rush at the scene, when I realized what had happened, I crawled out of the wreckage and excitedly asked the other driver in a full-size van why he hit me. His wifes response was: You ran the red light.

That hit me like a ton of bricks.

All I remember of the scene after that was seeing the dash in front of her caked with a tray of deviled eggs she had been holding. Besides the realization that had my left arm been low, on my leg, I would have lost or severely hurt the arm, what troubles me is many people perform this same zombie form of driving every day.

Please, pay attention to the speed limit, your vehicles stopping ability, the conditions, how close youre following other cars, your turning, the lights and rules of the road ... every thing you do and see.

Dont be a zombie. It could kill you.

Tim Wiederaenders is an editor for the Prescott Daily Courier and a former resident of Lake Havasu City.

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Tim Wiederaenders: Don't be a 'zombie' behind the wheel - Today's News-Herald

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