Hi Ryan,

I suspect that you probably had a really rough Friday evening, having to face your parents and explain the accident that you just had on your way home from work.

The other rough part is knowing that your parents’ car wasn’t ensured beyond Compulsory Third Party so it still sits where you left it, its radiator now empty of fluid, front lights smashed and who knows what other damage at this stage. And the worn tires…

You are probably still a little shaken and I suspect that you have now gone through a stage of being quite angry at yourself. Angry that you now are carless and have to find another way to work, angry that you don’t know how you’re going to get the car fixed and if you’ve started to think about it yet, you are angry that you sped up while the traffic lights were amber instead of slowing the down, the way you were recently taught so you would pass your driving test. Angry that you had forgotten that in dry conditions, if you’re driving at 60km / hour, it will take 45 metres to stop though this would still touch the vehicle in front. This is a useful guide so you remember next time.

Don’t worry, we are both ok though my Mum was a little shaken too. The bumper bar will need to be replaced and possibly the boot fixed too. Between the accident and the call to her insurer, it has made for an entertaining story so we’ve come out of this quite well. I hope you also come out of this well.

I would like to thank you.

You have reminded me of a few important things:

• to slow down and enjoy the journey. 
• time doesn’t slow for anyone (even though accidents seem to happen in slow motion) and distractions are abundant. 
• focus on the important things before they become urgent.
• if I am in that much of a rush to get home from work on a consistent basis, I am in the wrong job.
• enjoy telling the stories from all your experiences. Some will tell them differently to how you would, but it’s good for them to get them off their chest, even if theirs is slightly exaggerated. 
• never stop learning. Pieces of paper are exactly that, they need to be put into practice to be truly useful.