Tyler's Three-Point Promise

I run. Maybe I've mentioned it... a million times. My biggest pet peeve while running? Suck-ass drivers... drivers that aren't good at driving. Why should they be? If something happens, it's an "accident". I wish we could do away with that term and start teaching young drivers just how dangerous a motor vehicle can be. How quickly and swiftly they can do damage. Oh, and reiterate to them that pedestrians actually have the right-of-way. I know it sounds absurd, but it's true. On the books. For real.

I could go into even more detail about how I really feel about drivers, cars, our infrastructure, but I want to point out the worst offense that the majority of drivers (myself included) are, or have been, guilty of.

Without all the dramatics, I can tell you that not looking right when turning right is about as dangerous as driving gets. The practice includes rolling through a crosswalk – and if there is no car coming from the left – the stop sign entirely and not giving one glance to the right until the turn has already been made. I wish I had a dollar for every time this has happened on a run. It would pay for my lunch. Some folks never see me at all. Some slam on their brakes, mouthing their apology. Others get pissed and wonder what I'm doing in their way.

This is where my "Three-Point Promise" comes in. Like I said, I've been guilty of the same irresponsible tactics, so I've employed a method that allows me to fully know what's going on at every intersection I come to. The above image illustrates the process, starting at the top.

Step 1 (by far, the most important): No matter which direction you're turning, always look to the right first as you're approaching an intersection. Even if it's just a glance.

Step 2: Look left.

Step 3: Look right once more.

And that sums it up. If you're turning left, you'll obviously take a final look in the direction you're turning. It takes an additional second, maybe two, but it could mean the difference in avoiding a very dangerous interaction with a pedestrian.