Road Comfort

As I get older, I get more nervous when I’m driving our car. I don’t drive that often, so that is part of the problem. The other part is that I have some kind of perception problem where I sense that the car next to me is much closer than it actually is.

When Eliot is driving my condition gets worse. I spend half the trip covering my eyes, the other half squealing that the guy in the next car is going to rip my side off.

I don’t know if you are laughing, but have pity on Eliot. My outbursts are so loud, they sound like someone is stabbing me. Even though Eliot knows I am uncontrollable, my loud gasping sounds do unnerve him while he’s driving.

It’s difficult to imagine that I used to be a fantastic driver when I was in my teens. My father allowed me to take the car out alone all the time, day or night. I remember feeling euphoric the first time I drove away from the building where I lived. I was liberated. Yeah!!!

Today, I don’t want to drive alone. What if I get lost? What if I get into an accident? Who is going to find me?

Lo and behold, I just heard of a gadget that’s kind of a personal security unit for older cars (and people) that don’t have OnStar. Splitsecnd is a dongle that plugs into the cigarette lighter. It calls 911 if it senses that your car has been in an accident.

Splitsecnd uploads your location to the closest emergency service. A rep will keep the driver company until help arrives. The unit also comes with a button that lets you call the service during medical emergencies. It’s available for $200 with a $15 monthly fee.

How much are you willing to pay for your comfort?