Go ahead, be an athletic supporter….but do it safely
I’d like to say that I’m a very supportive person. If anyone in my family wants to do something a little different but safe, I support them. I know how important it is for them, even if I wouldn’t do it myself, so I know supporting them is the proper thing to do, again, provided its safe. I also support my favourite sports team, regardless of how poorly they’re doing at the time. I wear their logos whenever I can and cheer when they do well. Let’s just say I’m a team player. But when is showing your support dangerous?
We often see the small flags of sports teams in the windows of vehicles. I had one for my favourite hockey team once and did place it in the window of the family vehicle, until it was stolen. Oh well. I’ve also seen drivers with smaller flags or pennants hanging from their rear view mirror http://bit.ly/mTYawk . Those can also hinder the view of pedestrians from the driver when they make a right turn. But how many other ways of support can lead to poor driving decisions or distractions?
My son and I witnessed a driver with a huge flag over the rear window of his vehicle. Was it a little distracting? Absolutely. I’m sure it was distracting for both the driver and the other road users. I appreciate supporting your favourite team, but doing it safely should be on every driver’s mind. Using the small flags which are placed on the side windows works well. We see many people with those on their vehicle that they go almost unnoticed. During the recent World Cup of soccer, we now have seen flags that are designed to fit over the hood of your vehicle. They are a little more secure and less distracting. Would that work for more drivers? Perhaps, but that’s their choice.
Think about the issue for the driver. The rear window is completely covered up. They can only rely on their side mirrors and like most drivers; they most likely aren’t using those side mirrors as often as they would need to. Also, the side mirrors don’t give you the same view as the rear view mirror, so their supportiveness is also hurting their safety while driving.
Think of other ways to support your team without putting you or others at risk. Give yourself some time to decide if it’s a safe way to do it before acting on your thoughts. Be supportive of your team and become an athletic supporter. Well… you know what I mean.