Lucky: Reflecting on a Journey on an Ordinary June Day

It’s been more than 12 hours since a tire or tow strap flew off the tow truck in front of me and crashed into the windshield of my Honda Pilot. “We’re going to be hit," I shouted as I prepare myself for the moment of impact.

We were lucky.

• - I was able to maintain control of the Honda Pilot, even though the crash was severe enough to take a chunk out of the windshield, covering us with a fine layer of glass slivers.
• - We were driving with our windows rolled up. This protected my youngest son from possible eye injury when the passenger-side mirror smashed against his window.
• - We were within minutes of my husband’s workplace, so we were able to drop by to wash off the broken glass and to show him the car. (I’m not the car pro in the family, so I wanted to know if the car was sufficiently road-worthy to make it home. We decided I’d continue driving home, at a reduced speed; report the accident; take the car to the auto-glass repair place; and rent a car for the next few days -- a nice extra that is covered by our auto insurance.)
• - Everyone I dealt with as I went about reporting the accident, dropping the car off, and arranging for a rental car was extremely helpful, including the O.P.P. officer, who pointed out that I should have called *OPP on my cellphone from the highway to request roadside accident reporting assistance. (I didn’t know this: maybe you don’t know either. That’s why I’m passing this info along.)
• - We escaped with very minor injuries (a few minor cuts from coming into contact with the broken glass, which quickly spread throughout the vehicle).

The two teenagers appear to have bounced back completely. My 11 year old, on the other hand, is still quite shaken up. (When I sent him off to bed this evening, I prescribed as many episodes of the CBC Comedy Factory podcast as it takes him to fall asleep.)

He told me that he keeps seeing movies in his head of what happened in the car. I know exactly what he means. When I took a nap late this afternoon, those movies were playing in my head, too. I'm all-too-aware of what could have happened if I'd lost control of the vehicle or if the windshield had been shattered entirely.

I keep hearing what the police officer told me: "You were lucky."

Don't I know it.

Related:

AAA Foundation: The Safety Impact of Vehicle-Related Road Debris (.pdf). A  2004 Study examining the causes and impact of vehicle-related debris on highway safety in North America. The study concluded that vehicle-related debris is responsible for over 25,000 crashes and as many as 90 deaths each year.

NaplesNews.com: Artist's Work Looks More Like Junk:  Ken Andelexer, a Naples, Florida, artist, has collected 10,000 pieces of debris found on highways (everything from a still-warm tray of freshly baked chicken to a table saw) and has turned some of those found items into sculptures designed to heighten awareness of the importance of properly securing loads on both private and commercial vehicles. “Let’s keep the road ways safe by double checking our loads, especially items that can become dangerous projectiles,” Andexler told Florida’s Naples News.

Comments

[Rebecca Keenan]

Thank goodness everyone is alright. Yet another example of how you can never be too diligent while driving. And how we can should never take our loved ones for granted. Thanks for sharing.

[JackiYo]

Definitely one of those "wake up and really appreciate life" kind of moments! So glad you're all ok. Don't really know you, but I've met you at Baby shows and read your words of wisdom and follow you on twitter.
I'm so glad we didn't have to read about this in the news...
You make the world a better place. Thanks for staying in it!

[Annie @ PhD in Parenting]

I'm so glad you are all okay Ann! If you are looking for info to help your 11 year old, I know that @familyanatomy (a child psychologist here in Ottawa) has some great info on his blog/podcast that he recently referred to @Feelslikehome, who was trying to help her daughter deal with the traumatic effects of a car accident they had been in.

So glad you're all okay.

[Ann Douglas]

Thanks so much for the support. I just got in touch with my 11 year old's HANDLE instructor and our RDI coach, to let them know what happened. I've also sent out word to family/friends. That way, his support network will be there for him (and my support network will be there for me). I'm feeling a bit spacey today, so I imagine he's feeling that way, too. (He's being very, very quiet.) Annie, thanks for the recommendations re: additional resources. I'll definitely check them out.

[Sue]

Hi Ann:

We were at the Cobourg Waterfront Festival today, and I've just now been able to see the photos. I can only imagine that you're feeling spacey! I'm so glad that you are ALL OK physically. I know there will be fallout, but that's why you've got us on board. I hope that you are able to have a peaceful night - and that all of the passengers that accompanied you are doing well!!

S

[jgraziani]

So glad that everyone is ok. I work for AAA and just want to say thanks for referencing that important study. And also to remind everyone to be extra safe on the roads this holiday weekend. There will be a lot of traffic out there!

[Ann Douglas]

Thanks, Sue. Everyone seems to be feeling a bit more normal as of today. It's taken a few days to start feeling that way again.

[Ann Douglas]

Hi jgraziani. That study is terrific. When we arrived home after the incident on the highway, the first thing I did was start trying to find out how often this kind of thing happens. Your study was the only really solid piece of research I could find on this topic. (I even searched medical journal databases.) As your team noted in the study itself, there hasn't been a lot of research in this area -- which is surprising, given how often incidents like this occur. Thanks so much for getting in touch.