What’s that lever on the steering column?

This is a public service announcement. As a legally licensed driver in the state of Arkansas, I feel it is my duty to present this information. There is a tremendous health risk to the residents of Northwest Arkansas that can be very easily reduced. The risk comes in the form of injury or death to one’s self, or to those around us. We are all aware of the carnage because we see it on the TV news, read about it in the newspaper, or sadly experience it ourselves.

One solution to help avoid this destruction is a simple, but often ignored device that anyone who drives a motor vehicle has available to them. It is called a turn signal. It is a lever on the left side of the steering column, just behind the steering wheel. It comes as standard equipment on every vehicle made or used on the roads of America since the 1940s. Pushing the lever up it informs the drivers around you of your intention to make a move to the right. Pushing the lever down informs the drivers around you of your intention to move to the left. It is a wonderfully simple device to operate. Anyone can do it.

Unfortunately, there is a large number of drivers unaware of this safety feature. To not use it is not only rude to fellow drivers, but dangerous. I can only assume those who ignore the turn signal were improperly educated when they were taught to drive. But it’s never too late to learn.

If you don’t know how to use your turn signal, you should ask a friend or relative to instruct you on its use, and then get in the habit of using it. You just might save a life if you do, or at the very least, be a little less rude. PAUL GRISSOM

Bella Vista