An accident, once it happens, is something you can’t take back. You can’t say to yourself, “I should have stopped at the stop sign I missed,” and then roll time backwards until the accident didn’t happen. Once it happens, the damage is done, whether to the vehicles, to passengers or both. There are no Mulligans or Do-Overs.

During the holiday season, our normally stressful lives are all the more so. We’re driving to the store for groceries or to the mall for Christmas shopping. Then, of course, there’s all the normal driving we do that continues – to and from work, dropping off the kids for sports and activities, and then picking them up again.

In the meantime, coordinating all these activities has our minds within an amp or two of a short circuit. Our minds are full and it’s hard to keep them on the task of driving. This is a challenge on any given day. With the holidays approaching, that challenge is dramatically increased. This is often how accidents happen.

Many states, including Illinois, require the use of hands-free cell phones when driving. Statistics bear out what happens when drivers are distracted by operating a phone, or worse yet – texting, and driving.

An accident can change a life in an instant, and seldom does so in a positive manner. Short of death, accidents can lead to injuries that cause life-long physical limitations. People are incapacitated everyday by accidents while otherwise going about their normal business.

Whatever plans you have for the holidays, an accident can cut them short in the blink of an eye. Eager anticipation of visiting with friends and family, of holiday parties and the look of wonder on the faces of children as they open presents Christmas morning can all turn to sorrow and regret in the aftermath of a serious accident. Even a minor accident can throw a monkey wrench into your holiday plans.

At Performance Unlimited, while wishing you the happiest of holiday seasons, we also want to encourage you to be safe on the roadways. There is nothing more important than getting where you’re going safely.