The Last Goodbye

July 8th, 2004. The day my moms life changed forever. The day my moms best friend’s life was taken 5 days after her birthday. The day Sarah Turner never came home. It was a regular day and Sarah was driving home on a two-laned road when she dropped her phone behind her seat and reached to grab it. Her car started drifting into the ditch and she over corrected causing her car to crash into a phone pole breaking it in half and killing her instantly.

July 8th, 2004, 6:34 pm. My mom received a call from Sarah’s parents assuming it was about one of their regular hang outs but instead it turned into a horrific moment in my moms life. A moment she never forgot and to this day still carries with her. As a highschool senior when I got my temps my mom took me to Sarah’s grave. Some may think that that is really weird but it was really my moms way of showing the importance of safe driving and not texting and driving to me.

October 28th, 2023. The day I got the call. My best friend had been in a car crash. She was turning left at an intersection and was hit in the side of her car. She was rushed to the hospital along with her friend that was in the car with her. Lucky she escaped the crash with a minor concussion and some bruising in her neck and spine and her friend with some scratches and bruising. She was so lucky to have not sustained more major injuries. I remember the feeling of my heart dropping when I found out what happened. When I saw the pictures. I remember she texted me and a few other closed friends saying “THIS IS WHY YOU ALWAYS WEAR A SEATBELT, I could have been much more hurt maybe even dead without it”. I felt so many emotions that day, grief, worry, anxiety, relief. Something needs to change.

In order to reduce the number of deaths that occur as a result of driving, certain steps need to be taken. In order to take steps you have to get to the base of the issue. One of the leading causes of automobile deaths is because of the use of cell phones while driving. The reality is with the growing use and availability of phones while driving, people are going to continue to use them.There is no real way with our current technology that we could regulate the use of cellphones when driving. So we have to do the next best thing. I believe that cars should install a program that acts as your phone will drive. Can answer calls, send and receive texts etc. While this doesn’t completely eliminate the threat of phones while we are driving, it can at least keep them out of our hands. I think another issue is that it is scientifically proven that when we receive a notification a part of our brain releases dopamine which gives us the feeling of pleasure and makes us want to check the notification. I think that all phones should not disturb mode automatically when in motion and only certain apps should be available when in this mode. I believe that both of these steps could help further reduce the amount of automobile deaths. On a slightly different note I believe that after so many years of driving, you should have to retake your driving test. Although it may seem inconvenient, it ensures that after so long it gives you a refresher of basic driving skills. You do driving school around 15 so by your 40s or 50s a refresher is needed. This will reduce the amount of deaths that occur because of laziness of fundamental driving skills.

As a new driver I am a strong believer of controlling what you can control. I can control how I drive and ensure that I am following all the rules in order to make the safest environment while driving. About two years ago my dad was run off the road by a car that was upset that he wasn’t going fast enough and the guy that ran him off the road pulled over and tried to hurt my dad and reached to grab a gun. That led to my dad having to knock him out. He thought it was over after that but when he was waiting for the police the person got into their car and tried to run my dad over with his car. This just goes to show how peoples emotions can cause irrational reactions that can lead to horrible endings. I can also control how I react by not getting angry or flustered and allowing my emotions to affect how I act on the road. I believe that both of these things are steps that I can take in order to make the roads a safer environment for not only me but others.

I will do everything in my control so that neither my mom nor anyone else has to receive the call that my mom got on July 8th, 2004.