Dear Friends,

Well, I don't know if I should start this off with "dear friends" because this is not directed towards people I like. This article is for people who believe that they have to be going 30 mph over the speed limit to get to the place they have to be. Now, I do not like these people. I do not like drivers who think they are the most important ones on the road. I do not like having someone up my tailpipe while I am going 10 mph over the speed limit on a highway or whatever.

I still get terrified on the road whenever I am driving. I was in an accident one month after just receiving my drivers license. ONE. FREAKING. MONTH. It wasn't my fault, just to be clear with that. This person came up from behind me and hit me and bumped me into another car. Great experience for a new driver on the road. Now every time someone is up my butt on the road I tense up because I get flashbacks to my first accident. We love anxiety!

Okay. For the people who are zooming down the highway with no freaking care in the world, I have a few things to say to you.

We ALL have places to be. Some of us have work to go to, or we just want to get home already. Some have important meetings to attend and others have family members to visit. Whatever the reason is, it doesn't mean you have to fly down the road risking everyone else's safety. The amount of times I have people up my butt while driving on a highway is ridiculous. I can assure you I do not drive slow in the left lane, but I also don't do 100 mph either. If someone is right behind me and I am in the left lane doing 10 or 15 over the speed limit, I'll move to the right and let the person pass me because I don't want to be in an accident with someone impatient.

People let road rage take advantage of their driving. I used to be like that when I started out because I just wanted to get to my destination on time. Now I don't care if I don't make it on time. If I'm going to be late to work, I'll call my boss and say I am stuck in traffic. Better to be late and in one piece, than to be in an accident. When I drive home from college it can take as little as an hour and a half to two and a half hours long. Before, that would piss me off if it took over two hours. Now I just enjoy the ride. I'm still going to end up making it to my home, but probably just not at the time that I want to. Who cares?! As long as I make it that is all that matters to me at this point.

I know I am not the most important driver on the road, so I don't act like it. I know there's new drivers on the road all the time, and I respect that. Do I enjoy being behind slow or student drivers? No, but I recall myself being the same way when I started driving, so I am going to respect that. My road rage may speak differently, but I still respect other drivers.

If you are putting other people at risk with your speeding or texting or whatever, please just check yourself before you go out on the road again. Not only are you putting others' lives in danger, but you are also putting yours in danger. People get hurt or die car accidents all the time. Is your meeting THAT important to risk yourself getting hurt or even killed? No. Nothing puts you above anyone else when it comes to being on the road and driving.

My parents always tell me to drive safe and what not. Not because they don't trust me, but because there are people out there who drive recklessly. Have I made mistakes while driving? Yes. You may not see a stop sign because it's dark or there's a huge ass bush in the way, or you may not see someone while pulling out to make a turn. That's life though. It's scary. It's dangerous. It is easy to make a little mistake that could change your life or someone else's in a second. That is why it is so important to be attentive while driving on the road.

Please be safe out there no matter what the conditions are when you are driving. The world is scary and so are the roads. You never know what could happen.

Your Friend,

Al