Yesterday, I had a long trip home from Lexington. Normally, it takes about an hour and a half to get from there to home, but with the snow yesterday afternoon (which wasn’t really in the forecast), I had a long trip home. When I left Travis’s apartment, it took 45 minutes to get to Wal-Mart, where I needed to pick up some soup for Byron, who has the flu. The roads were horrible, and traffic was moving at a snail’s pace. When I finally made my quick trip into Wal-Mart, I was able to leave and head home.

The interstate and the Mountain Parkway weren’t in nearly as bad condition as the Lexington roads were, but there was some snow starting to stick. On roads where the speed limit is 70 MPH, I was driving 45 55 MPH, with most of that closer to the 45. Fortunately, most other drivers were also driving cautiously and slowly. There were, however, some drivers, including a couple of 18-wheelers, who were not driving safely. They passed me at speeds that would definitely be deemed unsafe given the road conditions. 

Here’s the thing folks. Weather conditions dictate changes to driving behaviors. Posted speed limits are not necessarily safe in inclement weather. If it’s snowing or sleeting, then it’s prudent to slow down. Sometimes, even simple rain can also dictate slowing down, but snow and sleet definitely dictate slowing down. In addition, headlights are also a stellar idea. Even if it’s still a little bit daylight outside, when there’s precipitation, drivers should have the headlights turned on. Whether it makes it easier for the driver to see is not the point. The point is that it makes it easier for other drivers to see you, and being seen is as important as seeing. 

Thankfully, most other drivers I encountered yesterday were smart drivers. It doesn’t take a lot to be a smart driver. Just use some common sense. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, reckless driving could prevent you from safely arriving, in good conditions; in bad driving conditions, why put yourself and others at risk? I would think the most important thing would be a safe arrival, even if it’s a little later than normal. My normally hour and a half drive took nearly twice that long, but I was more concerned with getting home safe than with how long it took me to do so. The sad thing about reckless driving, especially in bad conditions, is that not only does that reckless driver put him/herself and his/her passengers in danger, but he/she puts everyone on the road in danger. There’s very little worth losing your life over or worth someone else losing his/her life. We should all keep that in mind as we share the roads with each other, especially when we’re sharing those roads in less than desirable driving conditions.