By Laura Wilson
family@stwnewspress.com
STILLWATER, Okla. —
Last week, I wrote about paying attention while you’re driving, and this week, my car almost got hit.
Here’s a driving tip: Turning on your blinker does not mean, “I’m moving over right now so get out of my way.”
One day, as I was driving through campus, someone in a much bigger vehicle than mine pulled out of a parking lot into the right lane and was forced to stop behind a truck that was stopped for unloading. I was in the left lane so I could go around the truck.
The driver who pulled out put on his (or her, I don’t know) blinker and immediately started to move into my lane right behind the vehicle in front of me. I didn’t study much science, but I do know that two cars cannot occupy the same space at the same time, and since my car was already in that space, I became concerned.
After I honked my horn five or six times, the driver finally became aware of my presence and stopped just in time.
Tip follow-up: Turn on your blinker and then check to make sure the lane is clear before you move over. If it’s not, wait.
Extra tip: If you don’t want to sit behind the unloading vehicle, wait until both lanes are clear before pulling out.
And remember, school is back in session, so there are a lot more cars on the road in Stillwater. Watch out for your fellow drivers.
Laura Wilson can be e-mailed at family@stwnewspress.com.
