We had a very seasoned driver get into an accident today and unfortunately I was the steward that had to sit in with him when he returned to the hub. This guy was 1 month away from "Cicle of Honor" status and a lapse in judgement cost him that recognition. It was just one of those "freak" things that happen, but it did happen. Luckily, noone was hurt in the accident and things could have been alot worse. I know how it is to get very comfortable in driving the same routes everyday and taking things for granted but we need to remind ourselves that behind the wheel is not the place for complacency. Sometimes when they ask,"What are the 5 seeing habits?", it seems like a pain in the butt, but it is for a reason. What happened to this driver could happen to any driver on any given day. But if we keep our awareness up, hopefully, it won't.
Sorry to hear that. One month away, wow.
Your point is well taken though that anything can/will happen. I am around 15 years safe driving now and my las 'unavoidable' was last peak when I was returning to the center. I was in a group of cars waiting for a light to change (right lane, e-brake on, covering the brake, etc., ) a pick-up truck backed into the rear of my vehicle from an adjacent parking lot. The kicker??
The pick-up was un-manned. The guy who owned it was putting something in the front seat when he, quotation fingers, "knocked it into gear". Anyways, In the accident report I was hit by an un-manned vehicle.
What was funnier was my center manager trying to come up with something to review with me about the accident. For those who have been involved in these before, the accident report for UPS purposes always includes a section that specifies what the driver did wrong and how they can fix it. I made a crack that the only way I wasn't getting hit by that pick-up was if I called in sick that morning.
He wasn't amused...
