Fatal crash brings reminder of driving tip
Reports of a recent fatal crash on Route 32 in Howard County reminded Matilda Falck of Pikesville of something she learned in her 55 Alive defensive driving course at her senior center.
"When attempting a left turn, never turn your front wheels (until you are ready to make the turn). Always keep them straight, so that if you are rear-ended, your car will not go into the oncoming traffic."
There's no way to be sure that advice would have made a difference in the outcome of this month's Howard County crash, which did involve the rear-ending of a motorist attempting to make a left turn, but it's a good practice anyway.
Falck said that even though she has been driving a long time, that tip was news to her. Nor was it covered in my late-1960s driver's ed class.
Maybe we could all use a refresher course.
Comments
I think you need to be over 50 to have heard the tip - and it's a good one.
80% percent of all rear end collisions (the most frequent vehicle accident) are caused by driver inattention, following too closely, external distraction (talking on cell phones, shaving, applying makeup, fiddling with the radio or CD player, kids, texting, etc.) and poor judgement.
It's almost impossible to avoid a rear end collision so I went out and got one of these sparebumper.com
Posted by: Krystal Kid | September 28, 2009 10:43 AM
I also didn't learn this in driver's ed.
Instead, I learned it from John Irving's novel A Widow for One Year.
In it, the main character's two brothers die in a car crash. All through her life, her father reminds her to never turn the wheels.
I read the book 10 years ago and I still think about it every single time I make a left turn.
Posted by: AlisaBS | September 28, 2009 10:44 AM