A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE DIED IN A FIRE. I was really shaken up about it. Pat and I had been close in high school. He was a football star, and everyone loved him. T e church was packed for his funeral. Aſt erward, when a friend off ered to give me a ride to the cemetery, I turned him down and drove myself. T ere were about 50 cars in the funeral proces-


sion, and I was right in the middle. We needed to take a state highway to get to the cemetery, so we started going pretty fast—about 45 miles an hour. My mind was fi lled with thoughts about Pat


and how I’d never see him again, so I didn’t notice when the cars ahead of me slowed down to make a turn. I slammed into the car in front of me, and that car hit the one in front of it. When the emergency workers arrived, they


loaded everyone involved in the accident onto stretchers and took us to the hospital. Fortunately, no one was hurt, though the three cars involved in the accident were damaged. T e worst part was that my accident stopped


traffi c, so none of the cars behind me made it to the cemetery to say goodbye to our friend. T e day was diffi cult before the accident—but my collision made the situation a hundred times worse.


The day was diffi cult before the accident —but my collision made the situation a hundred times worse.


Josh Barnett BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS FIRST ACCIDENT FACTORS: A funeral procession and an emotional driver TIPS DISTRACTIONS


Cell phones and attention- grabbing passengers aren’t the only distractions for drivers. Strong emotions can be a huge distraction too. Your emotional and physical states are connected, and if your attention is elsewhere, your


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body won’t be able to react as quickly. Follow these tips to free yourself of distractions behind the wheel.


1


Pay attention to your emotional state before getting into the driver’s seat. If you’re upset,


don’t drive—either stay home or ask for a ride.


1 1


Wait until you pull over to text, check your email or make a call. If you can’t stay out of communication, then use a hands-free headset or buy a


vehicle with built-in Bluetooth.


When following another car, leave some breathing room. Stay far enough back that you’ll have at least three seconds of reaction time.


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