In a Moment’s Time

I definitely feel that Driver’s Education is essential in reducing the number of deaths related to driving accidents. It should absolutely be required for all teen drivers before scheduling their road test or obtaining their official driver’s license. I will say that I was more than happy to sign up for the course. I was eager to learn how to drive and very motivated to start driving lessons, no matter what the requirements. I applied for my Learner’s Permit just days after I was eligible to sign up. I turned 16 in December, so we initially did lots of driving down beach roads in the winter months of New England, roads that were long and winding and quiet. I wasn’t really that nervous to begin driving, but I was definitely cautious and I think my dad was a great driving instructor – patient and relaxed – so I got off to a great start. My dad generally took me out on weekends when he was off from work and I was home from school. We definitely practiced and logged all of the mandatory 40 hours of supervised driving instruction outside of my Driver’s Ed class instruction. I got comfortable behind the wheel and felt confident that I was prepared for my driver’s test. We did some highway driving, some busy town center driving, some backroads driving. We did everything we were advised to do. But most of the hours we logged were during the day or at least during daylight hours.

There was one summer night, however, when my dad decided to do a night run through some trails at one of our local parks. He had been training for an ultra-marathon at the time so he was doing lots of running on lots of trails. And he was doing a lot of those runs at night because an ultra-run (100 miles) will take close to, if not more than, 24 hours to run, so you will be running in the dark, therefore you better be training in the dark. Now, I’m not a distance runner and my dad and I didn’t actually run together all that often. But on this one balmy summer night shortly before I was going to take my road test, my dad spontaneously suggested I go with him for a run, just a short one. He said it would be fun and good night driving practice. So, off we went. I drove. We ran. We left. And then the skies opened up. It was one of those intensely heavy summer downpours after a day of solid heat and humidity. I was driving during the heaviest rain I had ever experienced and thinking this is crazy. The visibility was so poor, my wipers felt useless. But I just went slowly and, thankfully, it was late so the roads were very quiet. And suddenly, out of nowhere, my dad yelled out “STOP.” I just hit the brakes. I didn’t even know why. But there, in the middle of the road, during a heavy, blinding rainstorm was a young woman all in black, soaking wet, just standing there. I stopped the car. She moved slowly to the shoulder of the road, and my dad opened his passenger window to ask if she was alright, did she need a ride. She just kept walking and never responded.

We were actually less than a mile from our home at the time. So, I slowly drove back home, at age 16 before I even had my driver’s license, completely and utterly aware of the fact that I came within feet of hitting a pedestrian in the road in the middle of the night in a rainstorm, and I never even saw her. To this day, I still cannot even believe that my dad did see her, but I am thankful every single day that he did. I had my eyes on the road that night. I was fully concentrating and not distracted by anything but the rain. And I never saw that woman. That night could so easily have ended tragically differently than it did.

We returned home that night just a few minutes later. I got out of the car and went inside. My dad jumped into the driver’s seat and drove back to check on the woman. He found her not too far from where we had last seen her. He pulled over and tried again to offer her a ride home wherever that may be, she didn’t seem to know. It was still pouring rain and now it was heavily thundering and lightning as well. This young woman was very incoherent and even somewhat belligerent but my dad did finally convince her to let him drive her to the police station which was just down the road. To this day, I do not know who this woman was. I do hope that she is okay and got the help she needed. I do know that she and I are both very lucky to have gotten through that night unscathed.

I had nearly 40 hours of driving under parental supervision at that time. I had completed 30 hours of classroom time, and nearly all of my final 18 hours of Driver’s Ed time. That night, I had to utilize my night driving skills, my inclement weather driving skills, my poor visibility driving skills, my come to a sudden and complete stop driving skills, all while remaining calm and clear-headed. I was with a parent that night, driving under the speed limit, on a road with no other cars on it and every skill I learned, and bit of practice I had as a result of Driver’s Education, came into play that one night. Just as important as the driving practice and driving test, and the classroom practice and written test, is the knowledge that you can be doing everything right and still something very bad can happen on the road in a split second. So, always be alert.

I wasn’t afraid to drive after that night. But I was definitely made well aware of just how quickly and easily things can change in a moment’s time. I scheduled and passed my road test just fine just a few weeks later. But nearly two years later, I am still talking and writing about that one rainy night. And I am still thankful for all of the hours of Driver’s Education I received.

That night taught me so many things, but the biggest takeaway is to never think that it can’t happen to you. I share that story with all of my friends, and not while I am driving. When I drive, I drive. That’s it. Just like I did that night. I don’t even like to talk that much when I am in the car. And I absolutely will not use my phone in the car. In fact, I actually think phones should automatically be disabled when they enter a car. I am not basing that strictly on teen driving habits either. I actually see far too many adults on their phones while driving and swerving. We are all multi-tasking far too much these days. We need to slow down, put the phone down, and remember that driving in and of itself requires all of our concentration and focus. Driving is already enough to do and when we are driving it should be all that we do.