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Everyone who sits behind that wheel should do so with a little bit of fear; it helps to make one a more defensive and aware driver. Nobody wants to end up like the man in the article. Drivers who are overconfident in their abilities and assertive are dangerous, mostly because they don't see the road the way a defensive driver does. In my job, I am often tasked with transportation duties for small children. I am always very, very aware of the fact that I am carrying someone else's precious cargo, and drive accordingly. If that means driving like a grandma by someone else's standards, so be it.
I've had one accident that was my fault, though it wasn't caused by a lack of attention, rather I could not see oncoming traffic on the busy road I was trying to cross as well as I should have been able to, due to parked cars. Lesson learned: I no longer use that intersection, and try to avoid others like it in this town, I've also taken to writing emails to the city's code compliance officer to make sure others don't get caught the way I did, be it by a parked car or an overgrown bush. But I am definitely more cautious now.
I don't drive much any more, except for work, mostly because I ride my bicycle everywhere--which is another activity that has made me more aware of how I drive and more cautious when doing so. However, I do wish more people were aware of the rules of the road. I see a number of drivers and bicyclists out there any more with little care for the rules of the road, and it disturbs me, because ignoring those rules leads to accidents, injuries, and death. Some of the violations I see most frequently are people using the bicycle lane as a right turn lane where there is no right turn lane, or nearly hook-turning into a bicyclist (I've had this happen to me, and I've nearly missed being doored), or people going around people making a left by using the shoulder (illegal in Oregon). All of these maneuvers put yourself and other people at risk, yet when I'm out driving, I see at least one of these things every time.
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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