Name: Ashley Cran
From: Boca Raton, FL
Votes: 0
In
Florida, it seems like they let just about anyone drive. And that may
be true, Floridians have a pretty popular internet reputation of
being crazy. I remember the first time I drove with my dad; it was in
a cemetery. He jokingly claimed that I couldn’t possibly hit anyone
here because they were already dead. My dad taught me to be a
defensive driver. He told me that I needed to anticipate and react to
anything while driving, and he could never have been more right.
I
never could have imagined being in an accident. But one frightful
November night, just days after my birthday, me and three of my
closest friends crashed an old Jeep Cherokee. We had been doing
nothing wrong; our music wasn’t too loud, our phones were nowhere
in sight, we had not been intoxicated in any way and our seatbelts
were all secured. The brakes failed us. The driver tried everything;
I could hear her pounding the brakes the floor. Her arm shot out
across my chest as we plowed into the car ahead of us. There had been
no time to put it in neutral and pull the emergency brake. She tried
to veer into open space to no avail. That night changed all of our
lives. As I sat in the passenger seat, time seemed to stop. For a
moment I couldn’t imagine the impact hurting too bad because we
were going so slow. But it was only in my head. We rearended the car
ahead of us at 40mph. It was the scariest night of my life. My ears
rang from the explosion of the airbags and everything was illuminated
in red light.
Driver
safety should not be taken lightly. Driving can be life and death;
one bad turn or merge could result in fatality. By educating drivers
we are striving to produce a safer environment for everyone. Driving
isn’t as simple as just getting in a car and going. It’s
understanding traffic laws. It’s comprehending your vehicle. It’s
about focus and discipline. Driving is a privilege and a
responsibility. Since the accident, I have become an even stronger
advocate of seat belt safety. I will never get into a car, or let
anyone ride in my car unless they are wearing a seatbelt. I know that
it saved my life and all it took was one click. I never want to be in
an accident again- and I never want others to experience one. But
accidents happen, that’s why they’re called accidents. And while
wrecks may not always be avoidable, proper driver safety education
could and would significantly lower their frequency. If we could only
further educate our populus about the dangers that driving entails we
could save lives nationwide. You don’t want to be the son or
daughter that doesn’t return home because a text was more important
than the road. Driving is exhilarating and freeing, but an educated
driver is a safe driver, and safe drivers saves lives.
