The Cost of Arrogance

The air was colored with a light zephyr that colored the atmosphere that summer night. For being in Missouri, the breeze was delightfully light and carried no moisture with it. Few cars decorated the street she drove down, headlights turning with the motion of the vehicle. It was around nine o’clock and she was almost home, her boyfriend sat in the passenger seat humming to the melody of the radio. A car approached, headlights bouncing gently on the uneven pavement as it came nearer, noticeably speeding. The double yellow line posed an irrelevant boundary to the unknown driver. The cars course was irregular and swerved more violently from one direction to the other as it was not vividly only yards away from their position. With one more severe swerve the two collided, sending her and her boyfriend through the chain link border that parted the road and the ditch, down into the grassy dulch. Hannah Koberstein, my sister, was fifteen driving without a license that evening. Her boyfriend allowed her to drive his car home from their date at mini golf, it was but a ten minute journey and they could take the service road to avoid any intense traffic. The driver that hit them did not stop and kept driving when the two crashed, drunk and unaware of what had just occurred.

While Hannah had done nothing to cause the crash, her choice to drive illegally that night is not being justified here. When the car crashed, rolling into the ditch, both she and her significant other at the time went unconscious and when they woke switched places to make it appear like her boyfriend had been driving. Again, this choice was nothing short of irresponsible, the reaction of fear however proves her realization that she had in fact done something very very wrong. The crash drove home the importance of safe driving to both parties involved. My sister is now one of the most cautious drivers I know and the drunken man bore what consequences were wrought for him.

The idea of educated driving is not one I have encountered often. In fact, most of the schools I and my peers have attended didn’t even offer drivers ed. There is an importance to this kind of education that is not classified to the younger generation enough. My sister did not see the issue with driving without her permit that night, it was such a short way and the area so empty. The product of uneducated driving is not often painted to us in a way that is comprehensible, in a way that really sticks. Driver’s education is an extremely important factor in the mental posture we take when we drive.

There are many things that could improve the world of safety around driving, the technology in our vehicles, the curriculum in drivers ed, the requirements to pass the license test, the list goes on. What if there was a way to keep kids off their phones while they drove? A lock put in place to restrict access to electronic devices while driving. We have that partially in modern vehicles, but take it a step further and keep the electronic screens out of the cars themselves. Replace these pads with the maps and spotify playlists with a voice activation where you could reach the music you want by asking for it instead of typing it in. The voice would give you the directions you need without causing your eyes to divert to the screen, you would focus on nothing but the road in front of you and the other cars around you.

Personally I find that cutting myself off from the technological world while I’m in control of a car has proven the most effective mode for focusing myself on the road. I always turn my phone off when I get into the driver’s seat, finding whatever music and direction I need before I even release the break. Double check you have everything set before even backing out of the driveway. Make sure your chapstick and water are at hand, your sunglasses already on if you need them to avoid any unnecessary aversions or rummaging. Whatever it is you need to do that you know will help you concentrate on the sole task of getting from point A to point B safely, do it. If that means, asking your friends to stop talking, to lower the volume, only travel alone, whatever it is, do it. Letting distractions continue is just being arrogant and there is a high price to be paid for arrogance.