There has been a lot said about Asian drivers racing through our streets.

In recent years we have seen many fatalities and these have been highly publicised. 
But I wanted to share my own story and I do hope some young person will read this and hopefully it will change the way they think.

Let me first say something – we have a problem with fast drivers. But it is not always the young people who are guilty of doing this.

I think many young people are just following what their parents and uncles are doing.

I was the same. I would put my foot down in the inner-city streets and I would do so almost every day.

When I drove my mother or any family around I would slow down a little but when my friends got in the car I would drive faster. I would do this because I was expected to by my friends.

Call it peer pressure but at the time there was a huge culture of driving fast through inner city streets. We did it to get noticed and it was my way of telling my friends that I was the alpha male in the group.

I did, however, notice a pattern. We would like to smoke weed in our cars because it was the only place we could get high.

There was also a level of competition between my group of friends and others. We needed the buzz of driving fast to make ourselves feel superior.

Speaking for myself I can only say I did it to get noticed. I wanted people to talk about how I drove a car at high speed.

I knew about the dangers. I just didn’t care.

Weddings and special events meant I got my hands on better and faster cars. There was the real thrill of knowing you are behind the wheel of a £40,000 car. I was show off. I liked showing off.

I liked to have my girlfriend in the car and put my foot down to show her I was a real man. She did not complain because she liked the thrill of it too.

People blame parents for giving our young people access to vehicles they cannot handle. I don’t think they can do anything.

This is the most important point - the last thing any of us think about is the consequences.
When you do something reckless the last thing you think about is how or what will happen in the long-term but the thrill of the short-term.
Many of us live in close knit communities in inner-city terraced streets.

On the day it happened I was texting at the wheel and driving through a street. I was behind a slow driver and when she turned left I decided to put my foot down. I could see there were cars parked on either side and within a moment a young girl ran across the road.

It took just one second. These things happen so fast.

I braked and by some chance managed to veer the car into a gap in the parking on the left-hand side.

I stopped and looked at the child who had fallen on to the ground and she looked back at me. At the time I had smoked some weed and I was in no real rush to go anywhere. I was going home to eat.

I know the child was lucky. I was lucky too. People gathered round and in our community we are more concerned that danger was averted by the grace of Allah rather than blaming me.

It was my fault. I knew I was driving too fast. I knew this was a sign that I had in some way been spared of killing a child.

I did not know the child. I did not know the family. But the child was about the same age as my little sister.

I know someone reading this will maybe put it away and pretend it is not them. Don’t lie to yourself.

If you drive fast you will end up killing yourself or someone else. But the one question I always think about now is – is it worth it?

The 'My Story' series features letters and posts from readers which they wish to share with others. To be included email: news@asianimage.co.uk. Posts will remain anonymous.