I drive a small car – a Chevy Volt:

I like the agility of a small car, I like having the ability to park nearly anywhere. I also am committed to the idea of EVs – yes, my 2012 Volt is not 100% electric. It only goes about 30 miles on a full charge, and less in the winter. When the battery is expended, the motor switches over to being powered by a gas-powered engine that gets about 30 MPG, which isn’t fabulous, but isn’t horrible either.

I will NEVER (yes, I know I just said I am hesitant to use the word “never”) buy and SUV!

SUV drivers seem to be unaware of their surroundings, and oblivious of how big their cars are. Case in point: today I was on my way to work, and a large black SUV pulled into the lane to my right from an incoming lane, cutting me off.

I think this driver simply didn’t see that I was there. After cutting in front of me, the SUV changed into the next lane over to the left, and I thought, well, maybe they need to make the next left turn, so they are hurrying to get to the leftmost lane, but…NO! In fact, a quarter of a mile later, we were traveling on the same road, and there was plenty of space both ahead of me and behind me that would have allowed for a smoother transition for this SUV driver to change lanes. I ended up turning right before the SUV ever turned off the road we had traveled together.

So, I’m glad I was aware of this driver, and slowed down to allow him to cut in front of me. I assume that other drivers accommodate him similarly throughout his travels on the roadways around town. He is possibly never aware of how close he comes to causing accidents, as other drivers avoid him, simply because he figures that his “Might is Right” and the fact that he drives a large vehicle means that he doesn’t need to look where he’s going.

I may be extra aware of this kind of situation as I am teaching my youngest child to drive, and advising him on defensive driving. It’s hard to teach a kid how to drive safely when so many drivers on the road are doing crazy things.

Sigh…