Driving with Hazards On!

I love Miami. I love the people in it. I love the diversity, the languages, the cuisine, and the music but I hate the driving! Miami hosts a robust representation of all the Latin American and Caribbean cultures. They make up its majority. And its very agreed upon that the driving habits of these cultures don’t rank high in the scale of safe and responsible driving. As a matter of fact, some of these cultures pride themselves in the way they drive… the crazier the better, unless when it’s raining. When it rains, it’s the opposite…everything slows down to a crawl. I’m not certain why this phenomenon occurs! It’s a mystery!

Several insurance companies rank Miami-Dade County on the top of their list as the most unsafe place to drive in the country. These cultures “collide” (pun intended) on the interstates like the Palmetto Expressway or I-95, where laws, regulations and expectations are stricter than the locations of their homeland.

I have one thing that irks me more than the tailgating, cutting in and illegal lane changes; it’s when people drive with their hazard lights on while it’s raining! I’m not sure why this occurs but in the people I’ve spoken with, it’s either because of a fear of wrecking or the ignorance of thinking they’re doing the right thing. In the state of Florida, hazards lights are to be ONLY used for stopped vehicles and emergency situations. Law enforcement officials say hazard lights can actually reduce visibility, making other drivers think you’re stopped or stalled.  The flashing lights make it difficult to see when a motorist is tapping the brakes or using a turn signal.  In the sate of Florida, driving with your hazard lights on is illegal.

So here’s my spiritual metaphor in bullet form from my “hazard lights” rant…

• When moving forward in life, even though weather conditions might not appear to be favorable, turn off your hazards!
• There’s a big difference in being prudent and being fearful. Prudence is alertness, forethought and good sense. Fear is panic and terror.
• Your fear has the potential of causing others around you to get hurt.
• It’s very difficult to lead when you’re sending the wrong signals to those that want to follow.
• Hazard lights living is a “crying wolf” mindset that when a real emergency occurs, no one will ever value the urgency of your cry.
• The more you use your hazards when you’re not supposed to; the less they’ll be recognized when they’re supposed to.
• Both fear and ignorance produce calamity in your life.
• If you’re driving your life with the hazards on because of fear, repent; if it’s because of ignorance, learn God’s Word.

So there you have it… Turn off your hazards; move forward, God is our safety.