Today is October 5th and I just arrived in Indiana to tour the Toyota Manufacturing plant and see their commitment to safety first hand. I find this ironic because 4 years ago today my sister in law was killed in a horrific car accident. That day, the telephone call, seeing the wreckage, trying to catch a breath of air in a world that suddenly seemed void of all oxygen, that day was one of the worst of my life. I often think of the events of my life based on their distance, before and after, that day that changed everything.
While the outcome of this particular accident likely wouldn’t have been changed by being in a safer vehicle, our family developed a renewed commitment to safety on the road. Most of us have seen fender benders on the side of the road or images of mangled cars on the news. They scare us but we shake it off and quickly go back to our habitual driving practices, safe or unsafe. Seeing a car, mangled nearly beyond recognition and knowing that someone you loved had been in that car changes you. Before the accident, I knew safe driving was important but I didn’t understand that when cars collide they have the potential to go from something that previously appeared indestructible and crumple like a toy.
The experience of driving on the road changed for us after the accident. My husband and I found ourselves holding our breath whenever we were passed by a truck on the freeway and felt our heart racing if we were cut off by another driver. I was cured of my speeding habit that day.
The small car my husband once loved now terrified us both. A few months after the accident we bought a Toyota FJ Cruiser to ease our minds. Because of the heavy research my husband had done before purchasing it, we knew that the safety of our family was taken into consideration in every part of it’s design. We’ve had a lot of fun using the FJ to spend quality time together as a family and get out and see some beautiful, hidden places off the beaten path.
Because Toyota has given my family so much peace of mind over the past few years, I was thrilled when they invited me to join them in Indiana for their first blogger plant tour. I attended a Camp Lexus safety event a while back and got some wonderful driving safety tips so I’m looking forward to getting a behind the scenes glimpse at Toyota and talking with them to learn how they are working to keep all of our families safer on the road.
Do you have a question about automotive safety that you’d like me to ask Toyota? Share it with us in the comments below.
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SO sorry about your sister. I’m looking forward to learning more about the safety and practicality today as well, and about my fellow bloggers : )