Words can’t describe how thankful we are that no one was seriously injured in a July 8 crash in our community that involved a horse and buggy, a car and a truck.

The driver and four children in the buggy that flipped over as it left the roadway weren’t hurt, according to Virginia State Police.

Police say the horse and buggy was traveling in the eastbound lane of Route 47 when a Ford F-150 pickup truck moved to pass the buggy in the westbound lane. “As the pickup truck began passing the buggy, a Ford Taurus attempted (a) move between the pickup and the buggy, clipping both vehicles in the process and running the buggy off the right side of the road.”

We hope that those who live in or travel through Charlotte County will use this as a moment to understand how crucial it is to not only drive alertly and sober but to share the road.

More and more people are moving into our community who utilize unconventional methods of travel along the roadway, whether it be walking, bicycling or taking to a horse and buggy.

Distracted driving causes crashes daily across the U.S. It’s an epidemic that has an easy fix — don’t use or look at your mobile device when driving.

There are many, many advantages to driving attentive, including not crashing your vehicle into another, running off the roadway, striking something in the roadway or running stop signs and the county’s sole red light.

In other words, attentive driving and being on the lookout for unconventional vehicles of travel can not only save your life, but the lives of others.

It seems like many these days not only drive distracted but are in a hurry. Leaving for your destination a few minutes early is advised so if you are slowed by a bicycle or buggy, you’re not late for your doctor’s appointment or meeting.

This is in no way an indictment of the drivers of the truck and car involved in the crash, implying they were distracted or in a hurry.

Rather, this is an order encouraging safer driving here and abroad.