By The Grace of God

I remember the car crash like it was yesterday. Still in the 5th grade, my mother hadn’t permitted me to sit in the front seat with her yet so I was in the back seat diagonal to her. She was making a left turn only a few blocks from our home. As we were almost under the traffic lights a car slammed into the trunk on the left side of my childhood family car. My mom lost control and our beloved gray Saturn Ion spun several times, ending up in the parking lot of a mechanic’s shop tens of feet away from the intersection. The car that hit us had run their respective red light. People swarmed out of nearby restaurants and other establishments to check and see if we were all okay. After my mom had received the insurance information of the irresponsible driver, as we resumed our drive home, there were pieces of the car falling off. It felt like pieces of my life were shedding. Once we got home I recall looking at what was left and being devastated over this horrible event because someone didn’t think to follow the rules of the road. This caused great damage to our lives afterward in getting other ways of transportation to work and school.

Car accidents have unfortunately been prevalent in my family since before I was born. My mother experienced traumatic head injuries and was tasked with relearning the alphabet and walking. The impact was so great that the friend she was traveling with at the time was moved to the back and my mother to the driver’s seat where – when in court with the 18th wheeler company – tried to argue that my mother was the one driving when she didn’t know how to drive stick shift at the time and her friend did.

When I was in high school, my father was in 4 car accidents. It seemed that every time I turned around he was calling saying that someone had run into the back of his car. This worried me but my appreciation for driving safety was at an all time high since this was the time I was expected to begin driving myself.

I have always been a fervent advocate for driving safety. Everyone in my family and all my friends know to wear seat belts and no texting and driving around me. When it was time for me to get my driving permit I wouldn’t think about going to the DMV without a certificate. I understood then and know even more now that driver’s education is imperative for safe roads. Though the thought of having a parent or licensed adult teach one how to drive, it is better to be taught all of the rules of the road from a driving academy. This is where a strong foundation of driving safety can be built.

Steps that can be taken to reduce deaths related to driving are mandating a certificate from a verified driving academy to acquire permits and driver licenses, providing adequate driving teachings as a part of school curriculum. This will give a greater incentive to paying attention to road rules. Raising the passing level of the DMV driving test will force people to study for the test and take it more seriously.

Steps I have taken to be a safe driver are always putting on my seat belt in whatever car or vehicle I am in despite the distance of travel or time of day. I understand many people will think that traveling around the corner doesn’t necessarily mean seat belts are important but I know more than most that these little changes can be lifesaving. I have started setting up my music aux or desired radio station before I begin to drive at all so I am not distracted with choosing music on my phone. I ensure all the songs I want to play on my Spotify queue so there is no reason to change the music. And the practically biggest and most helpful step I have begun is creating a Do Not Disturb: Driving setting on my Iphone. Texts and other distracting notifications are immediately silenced when I turn it on or my phone detects I may be driving if I forget. This feature is such a great tool to have peace of mind knowing I am in the best circumstances on the road for myself and everyone else around me.

I help others practice safety on the road by encouraging wearing seatbelts, staying within one’s lane, and not simultaneously being their phone and driving. It is surprising how many people don’t even think about it until I bring it up to them. For most people it is a habit they have formed. And I know bringing it to their attention can begin breaking that horrid habit of endangering the roads.

Thankfully, I haven’t lost someone I love to a car accident, and with this mindset of encouraging driving safety/education throughout the country, that risk can drop everyday until it is virtually impossible.