More Than Luck: The Road to Safe Driving

I came home from school in my freshman year and immediately noticed something was off about my mom’s car in the driveway. The driver’s side window was completely shattered. The turn signal was left on, continuously dinging, echoing into the silence like a warning. At first, I thought someone had tried to break into the vehicle. But when I walked around to the other side, I froze. The entire right side of the car was wrecked. The airbags were deployed, one of the tires was punctured, and a massive dent stretched across the passenger side. The damage told the whole story in an instant.

I swung open the front door and headed straight to the living room. My mom told me that the crash occurred in the morning as she was heading to work, when a car came and collided with her from the right side. The part that shocked me the most was the fact that even though the driver’s side glass shattered completely, not a single scratch was visible on my mother’s face. My mom thanks god for protecting her in the situation, but that protection isn’t given to all.

Luck can only help sometimes, but skills and education can prevent many more accidents. That crash reshaped how I saw driving. When I received my permit the following year, I made sure to take pages of notes, follow proper driving etiquette, and always follow the laws outlined in the course. I didn’t treat it like another requirement, but rather an important step to increase the safety of my community. Furthermore, I understood the impact a car crash can have on my family, not limited to my health, but also on my family’s finances. One mistake can ripple outward, causing damage to vehicles and the futures of others.

Shared roads mean shared responsibility, indicating that experienced drivers should help young drivers like me be safer on the road. Driver’s education has helped me learn the rules of the road and what risks I take when behind the wheel. But driver’s education is just that: education. It can’t teach drivers how to handle angry pedestrians who block the road or avoid dangerous drivers who want to overtake at every opportunity. Even with the increased caution, I still faced these challenges as a teen driver that were not addressed in the course.

Safe driving is more than keeping two hands on the wheel and avoiding distractions. Teens do not fully understand the consequences of dangerous and impatient driving. They are also unprepared to handle other drivers who exhibit those behaviors. Only through awareness and real-life experiences can teens become safer drivers.

First, other drivers should help teens out by calling out major mistakes that could cost lives. Too often, road rage situations involve yelling and frustration rather than teaching opportunities. Every mistake is a learning opportunity for new drivers, which is how we become safer. Second, communities should focus more on creating safer drivers instead of telling drivers to be safe. Teens are visual learners, so if they have role models who are safe drivers, they too will strive to do the same.

For me, my mom is my driving role model. She always strives to be safe, as she has experienced a crash and understands the dangers of driving. She calls out when I make fast turns or don’t check both of my mirrors. The visual implications of unsafe driving, along with supportive drivers, have made me more cautious when getting behind the wheel.

Teen drivers, especially, have higher accident rates because of their inexperience. This is why teen driver safety is so important to not just teens but the public as well. Safer teens mean safer roads for everyone. To achieve that, there needs to be a shift in mindset. Instead of simply telling teens to “be careful,” communities should actively show what careful driving looks like. For example, a defensive driving course is provided by the community free of charge to teens. They show teens how to control their cars in the toughest of situations. Programs like these help teach teens driving that goes beyond textbook examples. Visual learning and consistent examples of good driving behavior have a powerful impact on how teens approach the road.

Even when I make a short trip, like going to the grocery store two blocks away to pick up bell peppers, I am reminded of my mom’s crash. That memory motivates me to double-check my surroundings, reduce distractions, and drive with care. Despite all the precautions I take, I still understand that driving always involves risk. I cannot control how other people drive, but I can control how I respond.