Then, Now, and My Future

It was a cold morning, and I was wearing my favorite dress, a green one with plaid detailing. I remember I regretted wearing it because of how cold I was. I had to park further away from my school because there wasn’t any parking closer. I always think if I had woken up earlier, or skipped breakfast, or even didn’t let that person merge, I would have been able to avoid this; but I didn’t. As I was walking to school, I had to cross a street, and I remember it being clear for me to go, I remember because I was always scared of getting hit, but I wasn’t so sure what exactly happened next, it has all become a blur, but I suddenly see a white truck in my peripheral vision. I felt a hard and cold push to the side of my ribs, and I remember I was pushed so hard that I lost my balance and I hit the floor, hand first then my body.

That day has stuck with me for a while, almost a year has gone by and still, anytime I think about it I get chills up my spine. I was already cautious to begin with about walking the streets or others walking while I’m driving, but this affected me ten times more. The woman who hit me wasn’t paying attention and let herself get distracted by other unimportant things even though she should have been paying attention to everything around her. She put not only me in danger, but herself as well. Driving safely isn’t just important to yourself, but to others as well. Your actions affect everyone around you.

One small mistake can leave yourself or someone else in great harm or even trauma. Getting hit by a car affected me deeply. I thank God every day that I didn’t get seriously injured. I was lucky enough to only have some scrapes and a few bruises. But the mental trauma that accident left me is not so easily cured.

I wasn’t aware that I had some PTSD until one moment when I was walking back to my car from work late at night and I had to cross a street; I am always on edge when doing so because of the accident. The pedestrian crosswalk turned white, intelling me that it’s my turn to walk, but I had only taken about three steps forward when I again saw a car turn to the lane I was walking through. I somehow had a feeling they didn’t see me, and I instantly got scared, so I had to jump out of the way as the car flew by. I started to feel the anxiety and the exact same emotions I did that morning in December. My body reacted in a way I have only seen once; I was shaking violently, and I was almost to the point of tears by the time I got to my car.

Drivers need to be more aware of their surroundings not only with other cars, but with pedestrians as well. I know many people who have been in a car accident and the main reason has always been irresponsible driving, that being texting, going over the speed limit, or even foolish things like doing your makeup while driving. We, as drivers, get too comfortable and think that because we trust ourselves and our skills, we will be safe on the road and nothing bad could happen. We start being carefree and letting our defenses down, but car accidents come out of nowhere and can’t be predicted every time. I believe that if we all follow the drill defense diving skill, we can lower the number of accidents and deaths. Everyone should follow the speed limit, stay focused, obey all the road signs, and have a sensible mind.

By preaching and practicing a drill defensive driving skill, we all have the power to influence the people around us to have more cautiousness and care for those driving and pedestrians. I always preach safety when I’m driving or when I’m in the car with others. I make sure everyone wears seatbelts and if I’m not driving, I make sure to let the driver know if I see something off or dangerous. Because I’ve been doing this for a while, I have influenced my friends and family to do the equivalent. Then by cause and effect, their family and friends preach this as well.

So many families have lost loved ones due to reckless driving and the number of deaths is outrageous and very sad. Having patience and empathy is a huge part of driving, because you must understand that everybody drives differently and to take into consideration the people around you. A car accident can come out of nowhere and can sometimes feel as if it was unstoppable, that it happened for no reason; but they are very preventable. Safe driving may be under looked, but it’s probably the most important part of your day. Going to work or school can be seen as a repetitive thing, but it can easily end with one mistake. Due to my accident, I have become aware and careful, but it shouldn’t take an accident for you to start being safe, start it now.