Cars and kids

Racing to get Quinn to drama this afternoon, I hit a child with my car. The poor little fella, Connor, astride a light blue bike, shot between two parked cars, just as I drove passed, and even though I was only going 20 kph (thank goddess), and hit my brakes hard; I still hit him.
The accident happened across from a work site, and a few of the men working there raced over to help when they heard the screech of tires. Connor, who looked roughly 11 or 12, seemed fine, although very shaken. I left my car in the middle of the road and rushed to the median strip where he had dragged his bike. One work man was looking over the bike and attempting to knock out a ding as I check Connor, who looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else.
In his eyes I saw my own children, and I insisted walking him home to his door and handing him over to a parent who could address shock, and also comfort this tween boy.
Only the elder sister was home, and Connor and the sister said their parents would be home after 6 (I intend to go back then and speak to them myself). I insisted that Connor be given a strong sweet drink, juice, or cordial and sit down and relax instead of heading off to his initial destination, that is the one he was going to, until I hit him.
I know it wasn’t my fault; however, I can’t help but think of every time I have driven too fast down a back street, snuck around a car or pushed into traffic, not paid attention, averted my eyes from the road, reinterpreted road signs or just not concentrated on what I was doing. What if Connor had shot across the road one of those days? What if I was speeding? Goddess forbid; what if I had killed him?
The awesome power of my automobile is sickening me today, the incredible fragility of life, especially the life of something that should be protected, a child or an animal; is weighing on me and I can feel the heavy world on my heart. What are we, that we make these things which sweep others from our path with speed and ferocity, people talk of bombs and guns and weapons, what greater and more prolific weapon is there in Australia than a car?
How many people have lost their lives in this country, so that people can get somewhere? That’s what a car is for; just for moving people. The incredibly high cost of this movement which we MUST have is occasionally life. In the aftermath of today, trawling through the permutation of outcomes I am demanding alternatives. We environmentalists (read humanists) are asking for a better human direction, and this is human powered vehicles and safe public transport.