CHAPTER SEVEN

Any mechanical object that is designed to get us from one place to another is a vehicle - motorized or not, and safety rules are not just for vehicles on the open highways. A bicycle, skateboard, or even a toy pair of roller blades can be just as dangerous as a 16-wheeler, so get into the habit of thinking "safety first" no matter how innocent the mode of transportation seems to be.

Know how to change tires, add water, change oil and filters, and check air pressure in each of your motor vehicles, and know how to maintain non-motor vehicles for their best, SAFEST performance standards. Believe it or not, many people don't know how to do these things and pay for their ignorance in time, money, and personal injury.

When you buy a new vehicle, read the manual, learn where the safety features are and how to use them. There was once a man who had lived all his life in the Southwestern desert. He moved to the Texas Gulf Coast and within weeks of his arrival, found himself in a typical Texas "toad strangler" while driving down I-45 in rush hour traffic. He didn't know how to turn on the windshield wipers. Guess how mad he was when he veered off the road and hit a telephone pole. He had no one to blame but himself.

Obey the warning signals your vehicle displays. If it says you're low on oil or water, check it out. The vehicle is only as smart as its owner. Keep you vehicles in good repair. Just as preventive medicine for your body is better than emergency response, preventive maintenance is good for your vehicle.

Carry a first aid kit and a repair kit with you at all times.

If you "live in your car", invest in a cellular phone. It's cheap protection. Be sure all of your vehicles are properly insured and safety inspected. Carry the required proof of insurance with you at all times.

Defensive driving saves lives; offensive driving costs them. Pay attention to the other vehicles on the road, and no matter how annoyed you get at what the roadhog in front of you is doing, keep your cool. There's an old saying that goes "Better late than never." Keep it in mind when you're tempted to hurry on the highway.

If we could all remember that driving, or operating any type of transportation, is NOT a right, but a privilege that carries with it the responsibility of each life that shares the road with us, we would all be safer.