Accidents, How they Happen - How to avoid Them - Part A

I offer the opinion that collisions are not necessarily the same things as accidents. In fact, I hold that there are truly very few if any such things as accidents where there is no fault to be laid at someone’s door. It would also seem that the law agrees, as court records would prove. What then is the number one culprit behind the dreadful “accident” statistics? I think that speed is the root cause. Specifically, too much speed. But that lies within the judgement of the driver to control.

From time to time the newspapers report that the national roads in Spain, the N-332 and N-340 are the most dangerous. Well, the roads are only made that way due to the use they are put to. They were never intended to carry the volume of traffic that they do. My own belief is that no one should overtake the vehicle in front just because the driver behind left home too late or is simply impatient. The remedy for having left home too late to make one’s appointment is to simply get out of bed earlier. Trying to make up time on the road is sheer lunacy and only rarely is successful.

Speeding along these national roads can only be a death wish and impatience to meet one’s maker. But why do such people have to take other people with them?

Although I am talking specifically about Spain, the same applies all over the world. Driver, more than any other group are remarkably similar throughout the world.

During my time here in Spain I have had a number of narrow escapes from accidents that would have happened had I not taken anticipatory actions to avoid them. Here are a few examples:

(A) The case that gives me the most trouble involved a five-year-old child. On returning home about midnight along a well lit roadway in my former town, I noticed two men standing on the sidewalk talking. There was also a child about five years old. Neither of the men were paying the child any attention, so I slowed to a crawl while keeping a keen eye on the child. Suddenly, the child bolted right out into the road, and then stopped facing me. Had I not been prepared to stop, and had I been travelling at my legal speed I would surely have run him down. I sometimes have nightmares when I see his face staring at me. But this was an "accident" that had no chance of happening because of my anticipation.

(B) Early one evening as the light was fading I was driving along a residential avenue. Up ahead of me on the right side of the road was a woman riding a pedal cycle. A little way behind, but on the left side of the road was another rider who appeared to be much younger. I was about to pass between them at 50 km/h. Suddenly I realised that this was a mother and young daughter. I assumed that the mother had crossed over the road leaving her daughter behind. The mother was not paying the child any notice, but I was sure that at any moment the child would cross over, probably without regard to the traffic behind. I braked softly but started my hazard lights thereby holding back the cars behind me, and, sure enough she suddenly and without any indication veered across the road. Without that anticipatory action almost surely I would have hit her, or one of the cars behind me would have.

(C) While driving along another wide avenue in a residential area at night I noticed by its lights a car approaching from a narrow road on the left. By the sound of the engine I got the sense that this person was regarding the stop sign as a mere suggestion and was not going to stop. Fortunately there was no traffic behind me so I braked hard and stopped. Finally he saw me and also braked hard. He came to a stop so close to me that we formed a perfect “L” shape. I estimate it would not have been possible to pass anything between the cars. Again, anticipation paid off.

In examples "A" and "B", had a case been heard in court the verdict almost surely would have gone against me, because in answer to the question "was there anything more that I could have done to have avoided it", the answer would have been quite obviously "Yes".

In my next column I will examine some additional “accidents” and how they would have been avoided.

Death on the roads? It doesn’t have to end like that!
Don´t overtake on two-way road systems. Save your life for those who love you.