Driving from Behind the Desk

As a young girl, I used to think that I would never reach the age of being able to drive. The concept of getting older and experiencing the things that I saw astounded me. When I took my permit test and attended drivers’ education classes, I can remember shaking with nerves, overcome by the pressure of feeling like I had to get everything right and understand it all on the first try. My parents instilled in me a cautionary outlook towards driving, letting me know how important it was to pay heed to speed limits, seatbelts, and other drivers on the road. I was naive in thinking that driving would be easy, but over the years it has proven to be one of the most challenging tasks to do.

My driving instructor, Momma T, was a tough-love kind of woman. She told me on our first drive together, “Erin, driving is serious. It’s okay to make some mistakes but just know those mistakes could harm you and others, so make sure you do everything you can to prevent them.” Her words have stuck with me because driving is never predictable; the more you know about road safety helps, but at the end of the day, we can only think and act for ourselves. The majority of my driver’s education experience was beneficial, however I recall several flaws that I believe contribute to the dangers that many drivers, both young and old, face today. I remember sitting in a crowded room, with some kids sleeping on their tables who could care less. At the end of the day they chanced their luck and somehow, managed to pass. Sometimes there was a sense of comedy from our instructor, outdated videos of cows dying in a road crash were shown, and we were never informed of the consequences of speeding, or how to change a tire. When to use a turn signal and “don’t drive drunk” reiterated a few times was about the extent of it. Thinking back, I have a severe concern of the structure and curriculum of driving education courses, and I believe that strict regulations and accountability need to be instigated on a state level, to prevent dangerous driving before it happens, because I simply believe drivers ed, which is stressed often, is failing at adequately warning and preparing individuals for driving. It has always bothered me knowing that once someone reaches the age of 18, they no longer are required to have a permit or take drivers’ education courses before obtaining their license. This should not be allowed because age is never an indication of knowledge, common sense, or ability to do a task. I believe that no matter the age of a new driver, drivers’ education courses (with reformation) should be required, because I believe it has the potential to decrease danger on the road.

My first full time job was an Insurance Agent. I worked for an agency that was local to my area, specializing in both home and auto insurance. My primary role was to service customers in person and over the phone and I primarily handled auto insurance. In the 1.6 years I worked at the agency, I came face to face with many heartbreaking and scary situations that were the results of the dangerous or negligent actions of drivers on the road. I never liked taking claims phone calls because the customers were either angry or emotional to the point it was hard to do my job without being personally affected. I can recall numerous events where upon hearing the sides of the drivers involved, many accidents were caused due to either texting and driving, paying poor attention to stop signs and stop lights, and the negligence of not turning headlights on at night. The most troubling event, one that I wish to never have to experience again, was being a part of a situation where one of the insureds of our agency, a teenage driver, killed the family member of someone else whom we also insured. The young girl was driving in the dark, on her way to school after recently getting her license. She crashed into the other person, a man on a motorcycle, waiting at an intersection to make a left turn. We heard conflicting stories, and could not determine if she was on her phone, or if he didn’t have his lights and signals on. It was uncomfortable, and heartbreaking to see how even the simple lack of awareness on the road resulted in the devastation of loss of life.

By the grace of God, I have never been in a car accident, and other than hitting animals on the road in unfortunate circumstances, none of my close friends or family has either. I’ll admit, sometimes I have made poor decisions in judgement that have resulted in some close calls, but I have been diligent in learning from my mistakes. I have seen my siblings and even some friends abuse the laws of the road by violating speed limits, or driving irrationally, texting, and much more. As a sister and friend, I have urged them to be safe on the road because I have dealt with the aftermath of road negligence, and it’s awful. I understand the urge to break rules or “recommendations” that seem silly, but driving is no joke! There are many simple steps that can be taken so that others (including myself) can be safer on the road and prevent the heartbreaking outcome that is possible. Something that many people don’t think about often is headlights. Many vehicles thankfully have headlights that are automatic, but not all are. Paying attention during rainy and foggy weather, and at night is crucial because vehicles without headlights in the dark are invisible and are a tool that aids drivers (both responsible and negligent) in increasing the dangers on the road. Texting and driving is also something that has been stressed a lot more in recent years, which I am very thankful for. Increasing awareness is all we can really do because we cannot control the actions of others. I encourage drivers to pause their conversations before driving and take advantage of audio tools commonly offered with technology. Controlling our urges while driving is crucial in helping us to make good decisions and stay aware.

At the end of the day, the combination of a proper driving education and personal awareness is what will help drivers (including myself) become safer on the road. I believe driving is something that we learn something from every day, and it is a wonderful luxury in life. To be able to travel with such ease is a blessing, one that should not be taken for granted or taken advantage of. Together, we must hold each other accountable on the road to create a safer world for everyone.