Several years ago, a Michigander who had just pulled off the interstate (in Michigan) had stopped at the stop sign when suddenly a young fellow, messing with his phone, came barreling into her vehicle from behind. He rammed her and drove her into the path of an oncoming semi. The result was a broken neck and a whole lot of other injuries, which, as I understand, years later, she is still getting treatments for. Just in case you tend to mess with your phone when you’re driving, go online and see what the penalties are.

Three weeks ago, the same woman was involved in something similar—something we wouldn’t have expected. She was driving and reached down and picked up her phone.  A nearby police officer spotted what she did and pulled her over. It’s considered a distraction (and it is). She received a citation, which cost her $200, plus additional court costs of $250, and a misdemeanor was recorded on her driving record, along with a point or two, which negatively impacted her insurance costs. In addition to community service hours. The next infraction will be $1,000. The moral? Don’t even THINK about your phone when you’re driving a motor vehicle: it’s cheaper and a lot safer for everyone if you don’t.

On a related note…I live close enough to the University to either walk or ride my bicycle to and from. This provides me with an opportunity to observe the abysmal driving habits of some—like not stopping at a stop sign. I see people running stop signs all over the area. The stop sign located between Pioneer and the Andreasen Center is the one that drivers disobey most often. I pay special attention to this issue because I’m still working on consistently coming to a complete stop myself. When you’re a pedestrian, it’s usually possible to move out of the way if a driver doesn’t stop at the sign. If you’re cycling, it’s tougher to do that. I’m doing a lot better than before: I don’t want to hit a pedestrian or bicyclist or another vehicle—or even worse, a child. Someone has two signs on their front lawn: “Drive like your kids live here.” That makes a lot of sense. It’s a lot safer for all of us if we stop when we should. Do you stop—or do you just go on through? What about from this point forward? What kind of citizen are we?

This is one of those areas of life that may be, for some of us, a real challenge to bring into line. Here is where I think Jesus is ready and able to help us make the changes we absolutely need to. Just ask—and your trust in your ask will bring the transformations you need.

How about joining me in enhancing our safety practices on the road? We could be the means of saving someone’s life.