Yesterday morning after I dropped my wife off at work, I ran a stop sign.
I didn't mean to... I was just distracted somehow. Or maybe I didn't notice the sign (although I have driven on that road many times and should know by now that a sign is there.)
It freaked me out. Especially since it was a 2-way stop crossing a busy road. And just as I realized I had done it, I saw a police car up ahead on the other side of the road. Apparently he didn't notice my crime, because he just drove on by casually.
Everything turned out fine, I suppose. I wasn't pulled over. Even better, I wasn't in an accident. But I couldn't help thinking about how easily I could have been in trouble. The last thing I need is to be paying for causing a wreck.
Overall, I think I'm a pretty good driver. I try to be observant and obey the traffic laws. But this incident caused me to wonder how often I'm not paying attention while driving. It also gave me pause to consider that maybe the stupid drivers I often see on the road aren't really stupid after all. Perhaps they are just having a lapse of attention. Perhaps.
