Driving an automobile is a single routine, which requires massive, profound trust in other fellow drivers. As drivers, we are all bonded with an immense pool of fragile interconnectivities, which affect our very destiny. Race, religion, social background, political affiliation does not break this bond based on self preservation- the master attribute of human beings. Let me illustrate. Driving at 60 MPH on the winding Laguna Beach freeway where the oncoming traffic flies by 3 feet from your car is an act of faith. We blindly trust that the oncoming drivers will keep their directional control in check. Any quarter of an inch steering misjudgment at this speed could result in a fatal head on collision.
What exactly constitute the fabric of this bond? I suggest that it is our humanity…
Let’s contemplate the following fictitious tales.
Elizabeth, a brilliant but novice real estate agent is getting dressed with her finest custom tailored ensemble. The 1.2 million dollars offer by her client has just been accepted. She is finally convinced that her career decision to move away from the law firm was the right one. Her 3 kids will soon be better taking care of because of her flexible schedule. Her pursuit of happiness is starting to feel real as she mentally calculates her commission. She smiles as slips a Hermes Foulard over the delicately brushed hair. It is going to be a wonderful day.
Or would it?
At this very moment, Joey received a call from his pa. “Hey Joey, I need you to come back to the shop. The machinist called in sick again and I need you to finish a piece today. If I loose this account I am finished. I know you worked the graveyard shift but I need you at the shop in 1 hr.”
“Ok Boss. I am extremely exhausted but I’ll do it for you Pa. Ciao.”
Elizabeth and Joey life journeys will cross on the 405 freeway when Joey started to dose off on the way to work.
Elizabeth was driving at 70 mph as she was returning her messages. The blue tooth earpiece was nowhere to be found that morning. From her peripheral vision, she noticed a yellow Nissan Pathfinder crossing the line into her lane and saw a fatigued driver dosing off behind the wheel. Elizabeth blasted her horn. Joey woke up, quickly corrected his steering and returned to his lane properly. He wave thanks as he sigh. She inhales deeply and found the strength to wave back holding her blackberry.
What if a fatality occured?
Our lives are more connected than we admit when we share the road. The decisions we make while we drive affect a pool of lives. Let decide wisely and not fill that pool of the blood of Dads, Moms, Sons, Daughters, Grand sons, Grand daughters whose love ones will despair in mourning for the rest of their lives.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Driving to Heaven
Indian diplomat lost his pregnant wife.
When I was growing up in the coastal town of Dakar, in Senegal - the farthest western country in contiguous Africa – our family had the privilege to have the only functional telephone within a 10 mile radius from the coast near a tumultuous beach named: la plage des Madeleines. We were often called upon to phone emergency services for some traumatizing events. A tourist and his wife drowned, a body found floating to shore, a drunk person passed out on the hard asphalt but the event that marked me the most was when we heard late one evening a squeaking tires squeal from a car whose driver- an Indian diplomat having had too much to drink- drag racing his very pregnant wife back home, and lost control of the vehicle on the sharp curves of the “corniche” behind our house and crashed the passenger side of the car in a solid brick wall shearing the villa of the Dean of the Medical School of the University of Dakar. The Doctor in Chief could have saved two lives that night but the mischance revealed that the Doctor was not home and the paramedics arrived late enough to observe the convulsing body of a bloody pregnant woman fighting for two lives among the screaming of her misguided “Furher” who architected her Holocaust. One the paramedics led the hysterical inebriated husband away from the sight of his wife despite his uncoordinated resistance. The sweet dame drew her last breath surrounded by unknown faces as she was rushed into the ambulance, which came 20 minutes too late.
I was no older than 10 when I witnessed this accident and I wonder if this tragedy gears my destiny towards traffic safety in spite of my actual schooling in civil engineering. Would the knowledge of tire traction relative to cornering speed help in this situation?
Would the knowledge of Blood Alcohol Concentration help?
Would rigorous driver’s training help?
Would developing a better understanding and expertise between the car and self be helpful?
I happen to answer affirmatively to those interrogations.
I rather dream about the mothers that would see their children grow and see their children procreate and live fruitful, happy lives instead of morning the interruption of life due to a preventable car accident.
This thought has validated my calling and hopefully will engage people to see driving from a different light.
When I was growing up in the coastal town of Dakar, in Senegal - the farthest western country in contiguous Africa – our family had the privilege to have the only functional telephone within a 10 mile radius from the coast near a tumultuous beach named: la plage des Madeleines. We were often called upon to phone emergency services for some traumatizing events. A tourist and his wife drowned, a body found floating to shore, a drunk person passed out on the hard asphalt but the event that marked me the most was when we heard late one evening a squeaking tires squeal from a car whose driver- an Indian diplomat having had too much to drink- drag racing his very pregnant wife back home, and lost control of the vehicle on the sharp curves of the “corniche” behind our house and crashed the passenger side of the car in a solid brick wall shearing the villa of the Dean of the Medical School of the University of Dakar. The Doctor in Chief could have saved two lives that night but the mischance revealed that the Doctor was not home and the paramedics arrived late enough to observe the convulsing body of a bloody pregnant woman fighting for two lives among the screaming of her misguided “Furher” who architected her Holocaust. One the paramedics led the hysterical inebriated husband away from the sight of his wife despite his uncoordinated resistance. The sweet dame drew her last breath surrounded by unknown faces as she was rushed into the ambulance, which came 20 minutes too late.
I was no older than 10 when I witnessed this accident and I wonder if this tragedy gears my destiny towards traffic safety in spite of my actual schooling in civil engineering. Would the knowledge of tire traction relative to cornering speed help in this situation?
Would the knowledge of Blood Alcohol Concentration help?
Would rigorous driver’s training help?
Would developing a better understanding and expertise between the car and self be helpful?
I happen to answer affirmatively to those interrogations.
I rather dream about the mothers that would see their children grow and see their children procreate and live fruitful, happy lives instead of morning the interruption of life due to a preventable car accident.
This thought has validated my calling and hopefully will engage people to see driving from a different light.
California DMV written test help: numbers to remember
This is an attempt to help any Californian who struggles to retain the numbers (or confusing concepts based on memorizing) after reading the DMV handbook (who is written for lawyers...)
Enjoy!
About Number of feet
15’: no parking 15ft from a fire hydrant
100’: signal at least 100 ft before turning
200’: it’s allowed to merge into a bike lane without bicycles in it 200 ft before turning right.
300’: dim your high beam lights to low beam lights when approaching a car from behind.
500’ dim your high beam lights to low beam lights when approaching a car coming from the opposite direction.
About Number of Days
5 days – report to DMV the sale of your car.
10 days – report to DMV a change of address.
10 days – report to DMV, if you are involved in an accident with over $ 750 in damage.
About Number of Inches
18” park within 18” from a curb
About Number of Seconds
5 sec. – signal at least 5 seconds before changing lanes on freeway.
8-12 sec. – average time it takes to pass another driver on freeway.
10-15 sec. – look ahead to avoid last minute moves by other drivers.
About Speed limits
15 mph – alleys, parking lots, or if the words “blind” or “can’t see” appear in the questions.
25 mph – school, construction, residential, and business.
65 mph – freeway unless otherwise posted
About Blood Alcohol Concentration
0.01% if the driver is under 21
0.08% if the driver is over 21
About Color Curb Markings
Red: No parking (except for buses)
Green: limited time parking
Yellow: loading or unloading only
Blue: parking for handicapped with plates or placards
White: Pick up’s or drop off’s passengers
Parking On A Hill
When you park headed downhill, turn your front wheels into the curb or toward the side of the road. Set the parking brake.
When you park headed uphill, turn your front wheels away from the curb and let your vehicle roll back a few inches until the rear of one front wheel gently touches the curb. Then set the parking brake.
For either uphill or downhill parking, if there is no curb, turn the wheels toward the side of the road so the car will roll away from the center of the road if the brakes fail.
When you park on a sloping driveway, turn the wheels so that the car will not roll into the street if the brakes fail.
So there is only one situation to remember:
Uphill with a curb, turn the wheels to the Left. For all other cases, turn the wheels to the Right
Enjoy!
About Number of feet
15’: no parking 15ft from a fire hydrant
100’: signal at least 100 ft before turning
200’: it’s allowed to merge into a bike lane without bicycles in it 200 ft before turning right.
300’: dim your high beam lights to low beam lights when approaching a car from behind.
500’ dim your high beam lights to low beam lights when approaching a car coming from the opposite direction.
About Number of Days
5 days – report to DMV the sale of your car.
10 days – report to DMV a change of address.
10 days – report to DMV, if you are involved in an accident with over $ 750 in damage.
About Number of Inches
18” park within 18” from a curb
About Number of Seconds
5 sec. – signal at least 5 seconds before changing lanes on freeway.
8-12 sec. – average time it takes to pass another driver on freeway.
10-15 sec. – look ahead to avoid last minute moves by other drivers.
About Speed limits
15 mph – alleys, parking lots, or if the words “blind” or “can’t see” appear in the questions.
25 mph – school, construction, residential, and business.
65 mph – freeway unless otherwise posted
About Blood Alcohol Concentration
0.01% if the driver is under 21
0.08% if the driver is over 21
About Color Curb Markings
Red: No parking (except for buses)
Green: limited time parking
Yellow: loading or unloading only
Blue: parking for handicapped with plates or placards
White: Pick up’s or drop off’s passengers
Parking On A Hill
When you park headed downhill, turn your front wheels into the curb or toward the side of the road. Set the parking brake.
When you park headed uphill, turn your front wheels away from the curb and let your vehicle roll back a few inches until the rear of one front wheel gently touches the curb. Then set the parking brake.
For either uphill or downhill parking, if there is no curb, turn the wheels toward the side of the road so the car will roll away from the center of the road if the brakes fail.
When you park on a sloping driveway, turn the wheels so that the car will not roll into the street if the brakes fail.
So there is only one situation to remember:
Uphill with a curb, turn the wheels to the Left. For all other cases, turn the wheels to the Right
Friday, June 22, 2007
Let put a face to the blog
"We came from so far baby
Why did you let me be
So distant and somber
And not save me when it was still amber?"
Why did you let me be
So distant and somber
And not save me when it was still amber?"
Extract from a poem I wrote after holding the hand of a driver dying from his wounds caused by a car accident.
The Quest for Driving Mastery: an act of kindness to our civilization
I have been reluctant to write about driving in view of more significantly pressing subjects, which exploration could more urgently contribute to the betterment for mankind. The Israel-Palestine conflict, the dangerous advancement of Islamic radicalism, the global warming phenomenon, the passivity of the majority of moderate thinkers in the world and other crucial subjects, appeared to me more dignified subjects to analyze. This philosophy nullified itself one very early morning on my way to work to San Diego, California. The gigantism of the end of the world reflected upon one human being opened my eyes to the fact that any fatality is as catastrophic for one as an atomic war unleashed on a civilization and reciprocally any act of kindness addressed to one is as powerful as a deluge of benediction unleashed on a civilization. This blog has become my attempt to mirror an act of kindness and has become my atom of benediction to be unleashed on our civilization. But before reflecting on the epiphany of that morning, let me regress to earlier anchoring memories which explain why I choose to create and polish the Art of Driving Mastery by studying the most difficult cases of advanced driver’s education and rehabilitation.
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