Importance of Sharing Your Story

In January 2015, on a Saturday night, the day before my birthday, an impaired driver hit my dad, head-on, in a truck, going forty miles per hour. This not only snapped my child-like self into reality but it snapped the rest of my family into survival mode for the next six months. I didn’t witness the crash but my eight-year-old self was an emotional mess in the back of the car when we pulled up to the scene, someone holding my dad up, his leg snapped in half, and my uncle lying on the ground struggling to breathe as I watched the EMT load what looked to be a unconscious passenger into the ambulance. The man who hit my dad had epilepsy and should not been driving. My dad spent the next 5 months in a rehabilitation center with a compound fracture in his leg, a broken clavicle, a broken scapula, and some other minor injuries. My uncle got off with broken ribs, a fractured foot, and a concussion. This event still has long-lasting effects on all of us today.

I now have my license. As a new driver, I find myself to be tentative and overly cautious when driving. Even though I may trust myself with the responsibility of driving, I do not trust others. There are so many reasons why a driver could be impaired, they could be like the man who hit my dad and have an illness that could instantly make them unable to control the vehicle a few examples could be, being under the influence, not having enough sleep, overflowing emotions, distractions in the car, or an important one for new drivers… ignorance to the rules of the road.

Knowing standard driving rules is extremely important to being safe for yourself and others. You need to know who has the right of way, who to yield to, what certain traffic signs mean, etc. These are all core topics of driver’s ed which this why having a driver’s education is so important. In the state of Maine, you can start driver’s ed when you are fifteen years old, to complete it you need to have passed a written test about standard driving rules and have completed ten hours of driving. You can apply to take your driving test once your are sixteen and have seventy hours of driving with your parents. After you have passed your test and received your license, you can only drive immediate family and adults over 25 who have had their license for at least two years. You are also on probation meaning that any reason an officer pulls you over could result in the suspension of your license. I believe that this is a crucial process for young drivers (even though it feels like a buzz kill in the moment). If you send new drivers specifically teenagers, some who have never experienced a dangerous situation, out on the road with free range could make impulsive and irresponsible decisions. In this probationary time, you gain the experiences you need more safely to become a better driver therefore potentially reducing deaths on the road.

I have told my story, or my dad’s story many times to friends and family in hopes that it would make an impact on their driving habits or at least make them more aware. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone but it did educate me on the dangers of driving. To reduce the number of deaths driving I believe that all should share their driving stories to warn others and spread awareness. Everyone should have to take a driver’s education course in order to receive their license because it is not worth the risk of making small mistakes with big events that follow. A way I try to make a difference is through positive modeling. I am a cautious driver who models distracted-free and defensive driving for those in my car. This is especially important now that my little brother has his driver’s permit. He watches everything that I do and I know I play an important role in teaching him good habits. I do not like to take chances when I know that I am responsible for myself, the people around me, and those who are in my car.

In conclusion, driving is a dangerous gamble, you have no idea who you are going to encounter while on the road. Whether you trust yourself or not if you are going to be a safe driver you need a driver’s education so you are sure you can follow the flow of traffic. You need to be aware that things can go wrong and you are not invincible. You are responsible for yourself and those around you. Model driving for those in your car. Driving is a privilege, not a right.