Driving Nightmares

It
was night time, and I was listening to some fast-paced music in my
car. I was having a sort of “I could care less” attitude, and I
smiled as I began swerving in and out of traffic. Suddenly, seemingly
out of nowhere, a white sports car appeared in front of me. Before I
had time to even hit the brakes, I had rammed into the back of it.
The seatbelt drug into my chest as my momentum carried me forward,
and countless thoughts began flying through my head. How was I going
pay for such an expensive car? Was there any hope of getting this
expunged from my record? What would my parents say?

I woke with
a jolt, realizing that I had had another nightmare. Since I started
driving, these types of nightmares have plagued my dreams, despite
the fact that I have never crashed, or even been pulled over. I am a
cautious driver, continuously wary of the potential dangers on the
road. The fear that leads to both my caution and my nightmares can
most likely be attributed to an incident that happened while I was in
eighth grade. I was carpooling with a friend whose father was driving
me back home from track-practice. We were in front of a line of cars
at a red light. When the light turned green, we lurched forward,
slowly gaining speed. As suddenly as in my dreams years later, a car
appeared in front of us. We rammed into the side of it and I felt the
seatbelt dig into my body. The driver, who was thankfully unharmed,
frantically claimed that her light was green, but the cars behind her
who had not moved indicated otherwise.

Since
I began driving, I have taken several steps to ensure that such an
event will not happen to me. Even when I have a green light, I
quickly glance around to make sure the area is safe. I always
check
my blind spot and signal my intentions. I anticipate the actions of
cars both in front of and behind me, especially ones that seem to be
in a rush.

In
my opinion, drivers ed, whether online or in a class, is the
most important factor in reducing the great number of driving-related
deaths each year. If new drivers are made aware of the statics, they
will be more encouraged to change their perspective and approach to
driving. It is also important that they are made aware of how to
prevent
accidents.
Anticipation is a key part of this. Safety measures such as
two-second driving distances are also important.

At
the end of the day, however, it is up to the driver
to decide how they will operate their vehicles. Driving safely is a
conscious choice that we should all make, not only for our sake, but
for the sake of those around us. It is my hope that I never give
another person the same fear of driving as was given me.