Attention Winter Drivers
It is my job – and passion – to be concerned about occupational health and safety. But today I'm speaking out about your personal safety on the highways this holiday season. It's true, my cause and effect analysis skills may be viewed by some as extreme paranoia, but in some instances extreme paranoia may be warranted.
Years ago, I worked as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher. One of my first calls was in response to a car vs. tractor trailer collision on an extremely cold morning, before the sun came up, and in a raging snow storm. The driver of the car, in a rush to get to work, pulled on to the highway from a grid road and was struck by an oncoming tractor-trailer. Neither saw it coming – visibility was zero. I dispatched emergency responders – police, fire and ambulance. These dedicated people worked tirelessly and without complaint in the freezing temperatures to rescue the driver from the wreckage. One responder sat with the man while attempting to treat his catastrophic injuries. The responder, and most likely the driver, knew that chances for survival were slim. You see, upon extrication, it is common for people with crush injuries to succumb to death within minutes. The responder listened to the man's final words – regrets, his plans for the Christmas season, messages of love…
Christmas is one week from today, and I've heard too many people saying that they have to travel on the highways – they have to get the perfect gift, they have to get to the party, people are expecting them. Do you really have to put yourself and others at risk on the highways when driving conditions are poor?
Last March I arrived at the airport in time for my flight but was informed that it was delayed and possibly cancelled. It was no surprise to me as I quite literally could not see the runway from the airport. People were upset – everyone had somewhere they had to be. Did the pilots decide that they had to fly in those conditions because people had places to be? NO! Why? Because the reward is not worth the risk.
Pilots perform a risk analysis to determine if the flight should proceed as planned taking into account conditions such as fatigue, visibility, wind velocity, and temperature. If the result identifies that the risk is too great, they do not fly. We, as drivers, should perform our own risk analysis before striking out onto the highways.
It does happen that conditions change abruptly and without warning – fair weather when you leave and deteriorate during your trip. The option to stop and wait for better conditions without putting yourself at additional risk doesn't always exist. This happened to me recently. It's unnerving, but my response is to remain calm, slow to conditions, don't surrender to your immediate reaction to the hazard – sudden stops, acceleration, or pulling of the steering wheel. What never fails to amaze me are other drivers. At one point, I could not see the road – I had no orientation – and yet two small cars went sailing by me like I was standing still. Now those drivers may have x-ray, night-vision, snow-filtering glasses, but chances are they are putting all of us at risk. I turned on the television this morning and one of the news highlights was a 67-vehicle pile-up on a highway in Baltimore. It's nothing new. It happens quite regularly.
Here is my plea – not just during the Holiday season, but every day of the year. Do a risk analysis. Don't drive when conditions are poor. If you find yourself driving in less-than-optimal conditions – drive cautiously. Having worked in the oilfield for many years, I understand the git-er-done mentality, but your life and mine are just not worth the risk.
