Yesterday was the last day of my commission. I felt so lucky that with all the driving I’ve done in the past five years, I haven’t had one accident. I was on my way to my temporary job as an election officer, picked up my phone, and totaled my car in a split second. Neither I nor the other driver were hurt, but my neck is sore today. My air bag saved me from severe injuries.
I know I have to get a new car but right now I just want to live in an area where I can walk everywhere and not have the extra headache of a car.
Good warning, Notary_veg! Hope you’re ok. Please go get checked out. If your car was totaled and your air bag deployed and you now have a sore neck, that was a strong smash up and a big jolt to your body.
I am so relieved and happy to hear that neither you nor the other driver sustained any serious injuries in the accident. That could have been a much worse situation, and I’m thankful it wasn’t. What wisdom to share with us, for we all can be forgetful and become distracted using our cell phones. I can’t count how many times I have impulsively glanced at my phone while driving, and I am so grateful that I haven’t caused an accident yet. It’s a constant struggle to stay focused and resist the temptation, and I am really taking to heart your cautionary advice and want to thank you for sharing your experience. My prayers and thoughts are with you and hope your visit to get checked out goes well.
I know, I always think – let me just check for new messages – and I check it over and over again. It’s a bad habit. I guess I’m thinking I might get lucky and catch a quick job while I’m in the client’s area. It’s just not worth it. From now on, I’ll pull over to a safe spot if I have to check email or make a call. I feel terrible that my good friend gave me a stand that sits on the dashboard and holds the phone, yet I don’t think to use it. If I had injured someone else while being careless, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. I just got my belongings from my little car that I smashed up and tomorrow will get a rental. I really have no desire to do any driving, now that I’ve renewed my commission and am in the first day of it, and I’ve already ordered three new notary stamps! What timing.
I am so sorry to hear this, @Notary_veg . Please take care and my sincere wishes for a speedy recovery.
I’ll add here, my husband gets mad at me when I’m driving because he says I pay too much attention to my phone; I’ll send a message, voice to text, while stopped. So I guess I’m guilty too. Funny thing is, I flipped and rolled my car 6 years ago and it had nothing to do with my phone - my phone was in my pocket that day…
Yes, I was. I was taking a sick cat to the vet and paying attention to her rather than the road. Thankfully, it was only my vehicle and me and I didn’t hurt anyone else..
On the morning of August 20, 2018, while en route to a signing assignment on the interstate, my vehicle was rear-ended by a distracted driver. The impact occurred while I was stopped due to heavy rush hour traffic. Consequently, I sustained injuries that necessitated three surgeries. The recovery process was lengthy, and I was unable to work in my mobile notary business for approximately one year. Even after my physical recovery, it took some time before I felt completely comfortable driving again. In many ways, this accident and the subsequent challenges it presented were a significant contributing factor in my decision to transition to becoming a remote online notary. Having been a mobile notary since 2015, I recognize that, statistically speaking, involvement in an auto accident is something that many of us in this profession will likely experience at some point. To illustrate the potential risks, consider these accident statistics:
For every 1,000 miles driven, the odds of being in an accident are approximately 1 in 366.
The average driver faces a roughly 1 in 17 chance of an accident each year.
On average, drivers experience a car wreck about every 17.9 years.
It’s important to note that driving habits, frequency, and location can significantly alter these probabilities.
Given these statistics and the potential financial and personal consequences of accidents, it is essential that we, as notaries, receive fair and adequate compensation for our services. Signing Service Agents (LSAs) who accept excessively low rates are, in my opinion, undermining their own long-term financial security and well-being. By accepting these low rates, they often cannot afford the necessary risk management insurance policies that could protect their businesses, personal health, livelihoods, potential loss of income, and even vehicle replacement costs in the event of an accident or other unforeseen circumstances. Oh my, I don’t know where this rant came from
I do. A very realistic assessment of what statistics a mobile notary is subject to (that nobody thinks about when you take that call while driving or accept that ‘a bit too low’ fee regardless of where or how you do it). You’ve provided a powerful reminder that it can be way more than time, paper, toner that’s being expended. +
Thank you Carl, for providing the statistics. I have noticed a trend for overly aggressive driving in the past few years since Covid. Isn’t the rage and frustration of sheltering in place worked through by now? Frequent hazards are drivers that make it difficult to merge on to highways and others running through red lights. My brother and I have no less than one near-miss a day and feel the clock ever ticking. I have totalled three cars in 9 years after a 40 year clean driving record. The other drivers were traveling at high speed and wanted to make sure they passed me before I could make my left turn. I’m driving like a UPS driver now, right turns only.
These statistics Clear the Head! 
