He was late. Again. She’d kill him. Again. This is a busy part of the year for him, and his girlfriend just-will-not-understand that he can’t be home early right now. Money is money and it has to be made when possible, right? Right.

He phones home, but the line is busy. Damn!

Ok, time to get moving. Out to the car park and the beautiful black and shiny two-and-a-half-litre-petrol-engined sports version of a BMW 325. Manual gearbox, of course. Great machine. Amazing acceleration and roadholding and boy was he going to need them this evening.

Vroom! And the sleek monster kicks into life. He guns it out and onto the road, tyres screeching and headlights on although it is not yet dark.

Forty-odd miles to cover. Hell!! Hope there aren’t too many cars on the road. Overtaking is difficult most of the way. Sharp bends and long sweeping curves. He enjoys this road and knows every inch of it. Which gear on which bend, when he can cross the lines, when he can’t, when and how much braking to use. He is a fast and very experienced driver.

-C’mon c’mon, get MOVIN’ man, or move over, some of us don’t have all evening....-
He flies past the truck, not a second too soon, on the right-hander on the way out of the village. Right on! 150 kpm for the next three kilometers. Smooth and silky ride. Could almost sleep, it’s so quiet in the car.

Down to fourth gear, sharp into the bend and accelerate three-quarters of the way out in third and....

-Shit! What’s HE doin there?!! HEY!!-
Can’t overtake for a few bends here. Fingers tappin’ on the wheel c’mon c’mon c’mon this is NOT Sunday afternoon you cretin!!!! Move your butt!!!!

At last, out of a hairpin and into third and bullet past this creep. NOW it’s open it up for the next twenty uneventful miles, nothing much in the way, what little traffic left on this road is easy to get past so full-tilt fast and engine screaming out of bends. Brakes working overtime too. Woah! Neearly lost it there. CONCENTRATE chrissakes!!

Ten miles to go. Phew, sweating palms and neck pain from the stress.

Tractor!!
-That’s ALL I need!! Don’t you have a home to go to?!!!-
Patience brother, patience......
Ok, ease past him on this curve. It’s just possible to see that nothing’s coming, ummm, nothing’s coming, as far as he can see.... ummmm..according to him. Ok, NOW second gear and foot to the floor......... Calculated risk....which pays off. Phew!! YES!!

Back to some pretty technical bends. Careeeefuullll, ok, not TOO fast, don’t wanna write the car off now do we!!!!!!!!

On the crest of the last hill at last and the sun is blinding him, even though he’s wearing driving sunglasses. But, summer sundown directly in front is always hard.

Love this bit!! Downhill for four kilometers, straight line, 140 kph. There’s a car in front. He catches it up very fast at that speed. He checks and sees nothing coming so he eases out to overtake at the last minute, just for fun.....Yeahhhh!!!

.....and..”THAT’S IT! FUCK!” he screams as he sees the car out of the sunlight appearing like sudden death because it IS sudden death certain death the car is there now a guy driving it with dark hair and a beard and a blue shirt lady next to him and it’s right there now twenty meters now and this is it it’s going to happen now finish now all finish now blue shirt man and surprised face turns his head away pulls the wheel hard to the left last desperate futile it’s too late attempt he feels so angry now shit why was he there dammit WHY WAS HE THERE and a screech and a crunching crashing sound and then it is all over.....

......black silence. No more car, no more speed, no more anything.

___________________________________

......Muffled voices. Urgent voices. Who is this? What is happening? Who am I? Smells of petrol. Oh Mother no! Please, no fire!! NO FIRE!! God, I am in so much pain! I feel disorientated. Something is crushing my chest. Everything is upside down. Oh, it’s me. I am upside down in the upside down car wreck. The seatbelt is holding me up there. Someone crawls in through a ripped-open door. “Can you hear me? Please move or say something if you can hear me” says a voice, firmly. A fireman. He cuts the seatbelt and lowers me onto the ceiling of the car. They cut the car open, get me out, take me to the hospital.

And I was released from hospital two weeks later with severe concussion, severe and multiple internal bruising and cuts, an arm broken in two places and a cracked right shin.. The driver of the other car, thank heavens for him, was so petrified, as he said later, that he didn’t even think of taking evasive action, so his car somehow stayed on the road. The driver of the car I had overtaken saw me jerk violently to the left, my car flipped over and bounced high into the air all in a fraction of a second, just missing the oncoming car, before coming down on its roof twenty five meters away.

This is not, in itself, an unusual story. Many people have survived almost fatal car acidents caused by their own reckless driving, as I did. That’s why people slow down as a result, like I did. It’s part of becoming aware of our own mortality. It’s a clear sign that we have pushed things too far and should now be more careful. Happens to most of us one day or another, on the road or elsewhere. Many people have “cheated” death in one way or another, and are here to talk about it today.

And, just as true, of course, is that many people have had that very same experience, but with a slightly different ending..

And that slightly different ending is that they are not here to talk about it.....

So I took this warning very seriously. It changed my outlook on, and ideas about, life.

Michael C