The Importance of Safe Driving

It was a beautiful spring afternoon on Sunday April 18th, 2021. For me, this was my senior year of high school, and it was school vacation week for Massachusetts public school students. I was out with a couple of my best friends, shopping at a local outdoor mall. We had just left one of the stores and were driving to another. At the time, I was driving my dad’s car. I was pulling out from one part of the parking lot, taking a left onto a somewhat main road within the lot. One car decided to let me go and without looking to my left one more time quickly, I hit a car from ongoing traffic. Now it was a very small crash, but it caused the front bumper of my dad’s car to almost completely fall off. Thankfully, the other car had little to no damage and everyone in my car and the other car had no injuries. Although the crash was small, it was enough to have my dad’s car totaled.

This small little accident really caused a lot of stress in mine and my parents’ lives. The accident was ruled my fault as I was the one taking the left. Some may not know but, if someone is taking a left into ongoing traffic, it is most of the time going to be that person’s fault. What some people may not realize is that, even a small crash like this one, it can seriously affect your car insurance. For the next almost 10 years, I must pay significantly more just because the crash was my fault, even though the other car had almost no damage.

Getting into a crash is something that no one wants to experience, but I can say firsthand that it seriously made me realize how important safe driving is. Accidents happen, but this could have been prevented. If I had just looked left one more time, it could have saved me thousands of dollars in the end. I am so grateful that the accident I was in did not lead to any serious injuries or death, but accidents like this happen all the time. I think it is so important for people to understand the rules of the road to prevent accidents like this from happening. People don’t realize that not only can car accidents be harmful to people, but so costly. I never thought that a small crash like this would have increased the cost of my insurance so much.

One thing that I have realized is that sometimes people forget little rules that are so important, even though it may not seem like that. Something that I think could help to educate people more and save lives is every couple of years, have people take a driver’s test like we have to when we first get our license. I can say that I know there are things I have forgotten about, but if I just had a little refresher, it could make a huge difference.

Another step I think could be taken to save lives and reduce the number of deaths is, just practicing safe driving. In my accident, I simply didn’t look left for one second. Although no one was seriously injured, a different outcome could happen for someone who did the same thing as me but in a different setting. There are so many things’ people could be doing that really don’t take much time at all, but could save a life. Texting while driving, speeding, running through red lights, not looking when you are supposed to, being under the influence, all these things are causes of serious accidents but can be prevented so easily.

That one day in April was the only time in my 4 years of driving, I have been in an accident. But I have also been in small fender benders while being a passenger and witnessed very significant accidents. One day, about 5 years ago, there was a terrible accident right outside of my house. A man was going about 100 mph down my 35-mph limit street. While driving, he had hit 3 other cars, then a tree which in the end caused his car to be left upside down. Now I did not witness the accident with my own eyes but the sound that occurred from the crash is something I will never forget. I will never forget my mom running outside with the rest of my neighbors, not knowing what was going on. I will never forget seeing the damage scattered across my street. I will never forget the jaws of life, ripping the man’s car open. I will never forget the feeling of terror from hearing the crash and seeing all the damage. Even though I was not in the crash directly, it is something that will still be a part of my memory forever. At this time, I was just starting to drive, and it really did make me scared to get on the road after.

I cannot even stress enough, just how important it is to be a safe driver. Being a safe driver can save you thousands of dollars. Being a safe driver can save you so much time and stress. Being a safe driver can help to prevent trauma. And most importantly, being a safe driver can save yours and so many other people’s lives.