Almost Another Headline

The icy windy roads of rural northwest Arkansas greeted us one winter morning on a simple drive to church. My mom at the wheel, my siblings and myself in tow. We expected nothing less than a calm ride through the country. Though my mother was abiding by the speed limits, with the downhill descent of that perilous road we began to skid which resulted in the car oversteering.

As terrified as we were sitting helpless with our end of the vehicle sliding side to side, my mother remained calm. With the miracle of no oncoming traffic at that time, she was able to perform counter maneuvers that returned the car to complete control, and we were able to make it to our destination safely.

Yet I did not emerge unharmed.

As the young teen I was, the trauma set in, and I developed my fear of the road and of driving. I held off taking any sort of driving lessons, and I steered clear of getting my driver’s license. I was almost eighteen when I finally conceded and did everything necessary to get my license which I would need if I wanted any independence as an adult.

It took a while to gain confidence, to feel safe in my own hands. And I did well. I was working full time on the overnight shift, I had a full course load my first semester, and I was driving myself where I needed to go.

Nevertheless, that fateful night I lay in fear of came. I worked overtime on my typical overnight shift, had classes immediately after, took a two-hour nap followed by more classes. I then decided to drive home, which was a 40-minute journey under the darkness of the night sky.

Exhaustion and sleep were ready to take me, but I knew if I could just make it home, I would instantly be rewarded with the satisfaction of lying on a soft warm bed deep in fluffy covers and the freedom to sleep peacefully.

Two miles from home as I drove up the windy hill, my eyes gave way, and I was awakened in the air slapped in the face by the airbag, vehicle mid-spin. White smoke made its way into my nose. And with the halt of crunching metal, I was immediately aware of the terrible choice I had just made. In a state of panic, I was convinced I could pull the car out of the big ditch I was in, but after pulling and pulling on that immovable bumper, all I could do was sit on the dirt and sob.

The sirens of a patrol car and an ambulance soon made their way to me. A local had witnessed the accident from their home just off the road and called it in. The shock on their faces when they saw I was alive and physically unharmed told me enough about how lucky and blessed I had been, especially to not having brought harm to another person. The car with the front end smashed and the roof squashed down was totaled. The warnings I had ignored played repetitively in my head. As my rescuer in the form of my mother came to take me home, I returned to my state of fear and renounced all driving.

After almost a year of once again being toted around everywhere, I was able to regain some confidence and return to the driving world.

I felt like a student driver all over again: not as confident on the road, overcautious and paranoid, slow and gentle turns, turning the blinker on maybe a little too soon before my turn, driving 5-10 miles under the speed limit.

I had learned many lessons and was anxious not to repeat the same mistakes. I set out to make sure I had back up plans for situations I could be in and planned routes ahead of time. I included personal checks to make sure I would be safe to drive.

Awareness of traffic/driving rules and laws increases safety. Accidents usually happen when one or more drivers are violating those measures, as I have regrettably experienced. Accidents are reduced, and traffic goes smoother when we all heed all the appropriate safety protocols which we are taught through proper driver education.

Awareness of the danger and making sure you are always following road rules can reduce fatalities related to driving.

For myself, gaining confidence on the road and behind the wheel helps me become a much better and safer driver. Enough preparedness before driving such as pre-mapping routes and checking speed limits and traffic density, as well as awareness of all rules especially when travelling on unfamiliar roads, helps me reduce risk of accidents.