Ellissa’s island life

Nothing like a morning telephone call from our car leasing company advising us they have just received a call from General Directorate of Traffic Services to ask my husband to come to the station urgently informing us our vehicle was recently involved in a hit-and-run incident, supported by photographic evidence.

Sheer panic arose, and as it felt like ice suddenly began to run through my veins we tried to think how it was possible. We racked our brains, trying to work out our every movement over the last few days, like an episode of BBC TV’s Crimewatch.

Vivid pictures of my husband and I on Bahrain’s ‘most wanted’ flashed through my mind.

Airline receipts proved that my husband was out of the country so he was off the hook, which meant I was the only other person to have access to the vehicle. But the incident happened at 9pm on a Monday night and I was certain I was most definitely at home. However, that didn’t stop my husband checking the car over and over, checking my diary and receipts to double check I hadn’t travelled anywhere.

The tide of panic started to subside … but still left us anxious.

In pursuit of the truth, my husband whisked off to Traffic HQ. The officers were very helpful and accommodating to get to the truth of the matter.

After a few minutes, it was established that we had changed cars in the last six months, but one of the number plate records had not been updated. Our previous vehicle has been involved in the accident.

When my husband called to explain we had not been incriminated in a traffic accident, the sheer relief felt is hard to explain. Even though, we knew we were not responsible for the hit-and-run, until we had the official ‘all clear’ it was hard not to feel remotely responsible.

My two oldest children had been listening and absorbing snippets of our panicked conversations so I sat down to explain everything.

I frequently have to Skype my son to get him to come to the dinner table in the evenings as loud decibels of frequent yelling’ dinner is ready’ remain unheard. Yet snippets of parent’s hushed conversations in another room can be heard with ears like elephants - funny how that works.

Randomly, which is often the case, my oldest son then asked if we could go skydiving, not sure about the royal we, as it was and always will be a definite no for me. He asked why and I said as the risk of death from skydiving were odds I didn’t want to take.

He then asked the odds of road traffic accidents that can lead to death. Googling it, we found the biggest archives for the US and the UK, a staggering one in 300 people die in a car traffic incident. Bearing in mind that in comparison one in 23 million die from a plane crash it really made me determined to be a better, safer driver.

With those frightening facts, this summer let us all drive a little slower, put phones down, make sure all passengers are belted, especially young children, stop at lights, leave distance between cars, use indicators, lose the aggression when behind a wheel and … don’t be the one in 300.