The Folly of Freedom

When I was younger, I always perceived driving as the ultimate form of freedom. I spent countless nights falling asleep to the image of me speeding down an empty road and feeling infinite. I pictured myself with the windows down, music blaring, hair blowing in the wind and driving at the speed of light and found comfort in the fantasy. However, this image was just that, a fantasy.

One of the first things my father told me when teaching me how to drive was “ A car is like a beast. It has the power to kill, but there’s nothing to be afraid of if you know how to tame it”. At first I smiled and brushed the statement off as a corny-dad phrase. But when a former classmate of mine died in a speeding accident, the smile on my face wore off.

I’ve noticed among my peers that a lot of new drivers like myself forget that life is precious, finite and not something to be taken for granted when we first start driving. It reminds me of the quotes, “With great power comes great responsibility”. Driving has the potential to cause life altering catastrophic damage and that’s a point I think should be emphasized more in driver education. Proper driver education is a major component of reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving. If everyone took it upon themselves to be intentionally cautious when driving and value their lives as well as those around them when driving, there would be a significant decrease in car accidents and driving deaths.

How can the number of deaths related to driving even be controlled? How can we even prevent careless behavior when driving? I have a couple of ideas. I think it would be beneficial to increase the required amount of supervised practice driving in order to obtain a driver’s license. The more preparation and practice the more confidence new drivers will have. A major cause of driver related deaths is distracted driving. One way to reduce this issue would be phones adopting a feature that disables anything but phone calls to work while driving. Additionally, stricter drunk driving laws and punishments for breaking traffic laws would also assist in the reduction of driving related deaths.

I’m grateful to say I’ve never been in a drastic car accident. I had a mishap when I first started driving where I crashed into a fence which unfortunately caused my tire to become flat and the rotator cuff to be broken. Evidently, the rotator cuff breaking ended up being a fault on the side of the car production, the crashing into a fence was entirely on my shoulders. However, I wasn’t injured and neither was anyone else, which I’ve learned is the most important thing when it comes to car accidents. Cars, while painfully expensive to repair, are replaceable. Lives are not.

Car accidents are unfortunately always appearing in my life. When I was younger my mother was rear ended, and as a result a disc in her back was shifted and it occasionally causes her pain today. Earlier this month, the younger sister of my sister’s friend tragically passed away in a car accident. She was 17, the same as me, and crashed into a light pole during a rainstorm and died on impact. Her death shocked and pained everyone. It made me especially sad, not just because it was a reminder of how life can be taken, but also because it made me question who had failed her. Would she have been able to control her vehicle better if someone had taught her better before allowing her to drive alone? Can we even blame instructors for irresponsible driving or is the decision left to us as individuals? Either way, a life was lost and many lives were altered, as is always the case when it comes to driving related deaths.

In order to be a better and safer driver for myself and others on the road I intend to continue being intentionally cautious when driving. Regardless of how late I am, how much I’m rushing, how annoyed, angry, or emotional I am while driving, I never let anything cloud my judgment regarding driving decisions. I try to encourage my peers to remain safe while driving by discussing safe driving practices with them and pointing out any dangerous behaviors I witness when being driven by them. Being an example by being a cautious and safe driver is also a way of helping others be a safe driver. My goal when driving is the same as everyone else’s, to get from point A to point B in one piece without harming myself or anyone else. Nothing is worth not achieving that goal.