Lucky like me

I was driving home from work one night. It was around 9:30 pm, and it was pitch black outside. As usual, I was listening to music, and had a bag of food sitting in the passenger seat waiting to be eaten as soon as I arrived home, which only took 15 minutes. Unfortunately, things took a turn, quite literally. I was rolling up to an intersection that I’ve turned left on hundreds of times before. The light was green, and I was paying attention as I would to any other turn. In my head, there was no car in sight, nothing telling me to stop turning, and so I did. What I didn’t realize, is that there was a car driving towards me, at about 50 mph. On that day, March 12, 2022, I crashed my car.

When I had crashed, I thought my life would flash before my eyes like any other movie scene, but I was wrong. There was nothing. My mind went blank, and I was in shock. It all happened so fast, I didn’t have time to process what was happening. I sat in my car, yelled out a curse, and tried to stay calm. I slowly looked around, and saw that all the airbags had been deployed, covering up the entire left side window and front of me. Eventually, one of the nearby drivers came up to my window, and helped me out of my car. It was difficult to open the door, since the front of my car was smashed, but I made it out. He asked me if I was alright, and informed me that someone had called 911. He then proceeded to help me walk to and sit in his car where I used his phone to call my parents. When my parents and the ambulance arrived, I learned that the other driver was safe and only had a small scrape on his leg. To my surprise, I left that crash physically unharmed. If I was not wearing my seat belt, I could have flown through the front windshield. I don’t know how long I was sitting in the ambulance, but when the other driver of the car I hit entered the ambulance, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. I felt terrible, and had never cried more in my life. I was delusional, confused, and absolutely mortified of what I had just done. Why did I not see that car ahead of me? Was my brain not working right? Although thousands of thoughts clouded my head, only two terrified me the most. I could have killed someone, and I could have killed myself.

The accident to me was a wake up call. I walked away from that crash spotless, besides two totaled cars and an intersection that haunts me now. Otherwise, the other driver nor myself had any physical harm, no charges on record, and no trouble finding a used cheap car. I thank God for not making that crash worse, because it could have left much more damage. I consider myself lucky, and sometimes feel guilty, because of how easily I was able to brush off that terrifying day. I know not many people that are involved in accidents are able to do that, which is why driving education is important.

If there was no driving education, and people were given a license right away, then chaos would erupt. Accidents and crashes would inevitably occur, resulting in traffic and possibly even more accidents. Obtaining an education in driving is crucial to staying safe on the roads, because it teaches a person how to operate vehicles properly, smoothly, and with awareness. It also prepares a person to respond to situations on the road that are not common sense. For example, a person that has not taken driving education would not know that solid lines on the road signify for no-passing zones, while dotted lines do. Recognizing road signals, decision-making, observation, and having an aware mindset are all learned through taking driver education. It is safe to say that without an education in driving, the number of driving accidents and deaths is bound to rise.

There are many steps that can be taken to decrease the risk of driving accidents. One step is to try to consciously maintain full focus on the road and one’s surroundings. Obviously, this is difficult for longer drives, as well as drivers with passengers. As humans living in a world full of distractions, it is inevitable to lose focus sooner or later, but with certain rules and precautions set by the driver, the risk reduces. Phones especially are a dangerously increasing distraction, and have even resulted in the phrase “Don’t text and drive”, which is now repeated almost as much as “Don’t drink and drive”. Turning on the “Do not Disturb” mode, or silencing one’s cell phone while driving produces a notification-free ride, which will benefit the driver greatly. Many car-related accidents that have to do with distracted drivers, also have to do with pedestrians. Most of the time, pedestrians do not have any protection, and the only way to be noticed is to hope that the driver is paying attention. Unlike car drivers, who have a vehicle as protection, do not have to worry as much about being hit, because it is large enough for drivers to notice in their peripheral vision even when distracted. Either way, awareness serves as a key value in driving, because without it, the risk of accidents increases.

Another step to reduce crashes is to drive with extra caution during rough weather conditions. Roughly 20% of crashes are due to weather-related accidents. Many cars have customizable options to improve driving during certain weather conditions, which drivers should be familiar with for their own safety. It is also beneficial to try and avoid driving in rough weather as much as possible, so the driver and other cars on the road will have less to worry about. In normal driving situations, as well as rough weather especially, maintaining enough distance between the car ahead of the driver is important in reducing the risk of an accident. The vehicle-operator should feel comfortable and not have to slam on the breaks if the car ahead of them were to stop abruptly. A quick and easy way to figure out if the car ahead of a driver is too close is the 3-second rule. This rule serves as a helpful tool for drivers to measure and know how much distance to keep between them and the vehicle ahead of them. Taking precautions in rugged weather, as well as keeping a safe distance from other vehicles can decrease accidents.

One last recommendation to reduce the risk of driving-related accidents, is to hold back aggression. As simple or as difficult as this may sound, depending on how easily aggravated one may be, road rage is a very real and dangerous experience. It can lead to spontaneous and unnecessary actions that could have easily been avoided. An important responsibility for a driver is having self-control. It can be difficult at times, but if done right, then the risk of accidents can decrease by a large scale.

Personally, I try to ensure that all of these steps are taken before or during my car rides. After my car crash, I was traumatized not by what happened, but by what could have happened. I never want myself or anyone to go through that experience, and as a result, I take extra precaution, especially at left turns. Whenever I drive with others as a passenger, I make sure that the driver is put in priority and has everything they need. This way, the driver, as well as myself, can feel comfortable during the ride. Overall, being a safe driver and learning driver’s education can prepare one immensely, so that in the future, car accidents, crashes, and fatal experiences can be avoided, because one will never know if they will walk away lucky, like me.