The Dangers of Driving!

When you’re young, driving sounds like the best thing in the world. Some may say it’s the one thing every teenager looks forward to. Now see the process of getting your driver’s license is long and sometimes painful. Before getting your driver’s license you have to go through lots of steps. One of those steps being driver’s education, also known as drivers ed. Some teens are just too excited to get their license they don’t realize how long and educational drivers ed is. That’s what was going on inside my head when I turned 15 and a half. So we got me signed up for an online program as drivers ed. I absolutely hated having to do it everyday after school. It was so exhausting having to stare at a computer for hours on end with stuff I thought I already knew. When it came to my in-cars I had done an awesome job everytime we went out to drive. Then came the test, I was so nervous especially since I did pay any attention to my online drivers ed. But to my surprise I got a perfect score on my whole test. I was shocked to say the least. So I was finally free, I didn’t have to drive with a parent in the car anymore. I could finally go as fast and do whatever I wanted to in the car.

Although I did really well on my test it did not display every possible event that could happen while driving. So I missed out on very valuable lessons when I didn’t pay attention and it almost cost me and my friends lives. Sometimes I wish I could turn back the clock and actually read every paragraph of every page so this wouldn’t have happened. One way we could reduce the number of deaths is that we have to retake drivers ed every 2-4 years so we can stay up to date on all road laws. Another way could be to have less deaths due to driving by having every single person who leaves a building that alcohol in it must be breathalyzed before getting a car to reduce drunk driving.

On November 25,2022 I found out what it was like to be uneducated about driving. Me and my best friend paid the price that day and it sure is something I wish she wasn’t apart of. That day was so scary! When we came down that hill going 60 mph with a slippery curve up ahead. I really tried to slow down before going around the curve but it was too late. We were headed straight into a guard rail then down an even steeper hill so I made the last minute decision that just may have saved our lives in a way. I started to correct to the left and over corrected, sending us straight into an embankment making us flip several times and eventually landing on the top of the roof. Thankful we both had seat belts on or it definitely could’ve gone a whole lot different. While she went to the hospital with a small scratch on her face that needed some stitches. I on the other hand also went to the hospital with mild dizziness and a headache, I was then diagnosed with a slight concussion.

Later on we found out that this was majorly affecting my learning, memory, and everyday activities. So we made the ultimate decision to go to a concussion clinic to try to figure out what was causing this and after about a month or two they ruled out anything that has to do with exercising. So after that I just had to live with constant symptoms and no answers until we were sent to a children’s neurologist to find the cause and he wasn’t of much help either. So I had to finish up my junior year of high school with a 504 plan to give me extra time to complete assignments. We then went on to summer time and still no answers. The only thing he could tell us was that it wasn’t classified as a concussion anymore but I could just tell there was definitely something that was still wrong and I just couldn’t shake that feeling. I had done absolutely everything this doctor told me to so he said there is one more thing to do since by this time it had been a year and still no changes he decided on medication. So we tried different pills and then shots. Nothing. Absolutely no help at all. It was just so discouraging, I wanted to give up and accept defeat. Now that college is getting closer I do not want to give up now, I want to know exactly what is going on. So we are now on to a second opinion. We still haven’t gotten to see him yet but I’m hoping it’s good news.

Driving irresponsible is not worth having to go through all this pain. One way I have started driving safer is to just take a step back before driving off and take a moment to breathe and remember that it’s okay to not be the first and fastest to every place. Also to leave earlier so I don’t feel rushed to get places. Being just a little safer on the road can make an enormous difference. When driving we need to see it as a time to relax not a place to be stressed or on our phones. Driving while texting or calling is as dangerous as taking a drink or even looking down for just one quick moment. taking your eyes off the road for even a millisecond can be a matter of life or death. Let’s make driving a fun thing again and not a scary thing.