A little over a year ago, our daughter Lexi got hit by a car while biking, injuring her knees and laying her up for a while. A little less than a year ago, my wife Allysen got rear-ended in our 2010 Fusion, leaving her unharmed but the Fusion totaled. Yesterday, Lexi got hit again, rear-ended in her Subaru on an on-ramp in Providence. She’s got some whiplash to deal with, and the jury is still out on her home-on-wheels Outback. I’m really grateful she’s alive and relatively uninjured, as auto accidents go. But she’s pretty upset, understandably. We were concerned about her safety in Lebanon (the trip went fine), but forgot to be concerned about her safety here on our own roads.
Can’t we all just drive our cars without hitting people? I hereby vow to increase my own vigilance behind the wheel.
Anonymous
Ugh! Been there, done that, no fun! Mary and Bob
Doranna
Yow! I'm glad it hasn't been worse, but…yow!
Andrew Timson
So far I've been in three accidents (one as a passenger, two as a driver). All three times I was at a complete stop when someone rear-ended me. I think you may be asking too much, alas.
Glad to hear that your daughter's okay,
Jeffrey A. Carver
Thanks, everyone. I haven't been rear-ended personally, but I've been front-ended while at a stop–when someone backed into me. Come to think of it, that happened to Allysen, too–on her moped.
Maybe the secret is to never be at a standstill!
MaryA
Poor Lexi! Hug delivered in this comment. And whiplash, as we all know (… Frank. Sorry, couldn't leave that out; nobody in SF/F could.), is no insignificant trauma. (I know this because I once took a Torts class.)
I just re-watched the first Iron Man movie, and can't help thinking: Why Can't We Have a Superhero Who Keeps bad (or just careless) drivers off the road? Not as glam or Iron-y or Cap, but think of the grateful folks who'd be spared!
MaryA
….er, not as glam AS Iron-y or Cap, she meant….
Christina Godshalk
After fifty-five years of driving, I've learned doing it 'defensively' is the only way.
Recently I was slowed to a crawl at a traffic snarl on the Mass Pike and realized a car some distance behind was approaching at the speed of light. I put on my flashers and he hit his brakes. At the next toll he was in an adjoining lane and rolled down his window to say thanks.
You've got to watch 360.