Driving with Awareness: Small Details that Save Lives

No one ever expects themselves or their loved ones to be in a car accident, until it happens. Suddenly, every small detail you should have noticed behind the wheel becomes important, but by then, it’s too late.

One night, as my dad and I were making our way home from dinner, bright blue flashing police lights caught our attention. Our heads turned quickly to the right to look down the street, and across from my elementary school at the time was a major car wreck. Both cars were completely ruined as one car was smashed into the back of another. My dad turned to me and casually said, “oh wow bad car accident,” then continued to drive down the street. Hardly listening, I turned away from the accident and just nodded my head, looking back down at my iPad.

The next day, my mom walked in with glassy eyes saying that one of our closest family friends had gotten into a car accident. This devastation happened on the same street we drove past the night before. In a matter of hours, the meaning of this accident had completely changed to my dad and me, as much as we would hate to admit it. Last night all we saw was just another car accident on the road, but today the crash had meaning, it became personal. Most people think similarly when it comes to accidents, we drive by and move on, forgetting that behind a wreck is someone’s life that has just changed forever. When people drive they tend to forget that the people around them are not just vehicles, but individual people with valuable lives.

My friend’s accident happened when I was in the 4th grade, the person behind them was texting and driving causing them to rear-end a car carrying a family of five. After that experience, I don’t take accidents I see on the road lightly, and more importantly I don’t take my everyday driving lightly. This small act of sending that text put these five lives in danger, and this is not an uncommon incident. The carelessness that is shown through people’s actions on the road needs to end, and we need to remember that not taking care of the little details when driving leads to fatal accidents.

The most valuable lesson I have learned during my time of driving is that awareness on the road isn’t about simply being present to prevent accidents. Everytime I get on the road I am completely alert because this one skill is the reason so many lives are saved, and what’s interesting is we don’t even know it. People don’t realize the simple actions–having two hands on the wheel, not sending that final text, looking attentively at the road– is what keeps people safe until they don’t do it one time. By then its too late and they already have to suffer the consequences. It only takes one moment to change your life or the life next to you. Especially in this digital age, it is probable we have all been careless at some point on the road with our devices, but it is never too late to cut these bad driving habits out of our lives. The seemingly “unimportant” things is what can be the separation between saving a life and putting a life in danger. Before engaging in these distractions on the road, you must ask yourself, is this really worth it?

Many times on the road not all accidents can be controlled, but this is when the skill of being aware also allows for defensive driving. Taking the extra steps to avoid potential hazards such as dangerous drivers or weather conditions is vital. There are always potential hazards on the road, but constantly being aware of your surroundings is the way to avoid them. There are many uncontrollable things that happen on the road which makes it even more important to do the controllable things.

My experience in the 4th grade is the reason I believe it could happen to me or someone I love. It is the purpose I drive with care not only for my life, but for the lives around me. Driving isn’t about getting from one place to the other, it’s about the small choices that have the power to save lives. We can all eliminate bad habits and inherit good ones to become better drivers, and that starts today. It is not enough to only value your life, but by having empathy for the lives of those around you, you put yourself in a safer position on the road. I’m not asking you to take multiple steps–just one. The simple act of awareness. Try it and you might just realize it has the power to change everything.