Driver Education Initiative Award – My Journey As A Driver

Back in 2011, I was a fresh 19-year-old just trying to decide what to do with college. I started at one Science education school and realized I hated science. I decided to attend a community college in my area to gather some credits to transfer to another school when I figured out what I wanted to do. On the day of my orientation, I was involved in a major auto collision that changed my life. I was driving on the highway towards my school when I noticed many cars in front of me were slamming on their brakes; a car had just crossed in front of me, and at the speed at which we were braking, I knew we would collide. I quickly looked to the right lane and saw it was empty, so I turned into the lane. My front tires started turning, and I was headed straight into the guard rail at 30 mph. The next thing I remember was my car facing straight on the highway; two strangers huddled over me, and the sounds of an ambulance. The story, as I was told, was a random man was moving traffic cones off the highway in the middle of traffic, and when he ran back to the shoulder, he dropped a cone. That cone got lodged under my driver-side tire and sent me fishtailing into the guard rail. As I was driving an older car, my airbags deployed late, and I was too close to the steering wheel when they deployed, causing a broken nose, cheekbones, and an incredible amount of trauma to my eyes, swelling them with blood. It was assumed I may never see again. Thankfully, over the next few months, the swelling went down on my face, my bones healed very well, and my eyes finally opened. Luckily, the worst I had suffered was a trauma-induced cataract in my right eye.

This accident opened my eyes to the dangers of the road. As a person who never takes their eyes off the road, never has their phone out or in reach, and never even takes a sip of alcohol if I think I may get behind the wheel, this accident almost killed me, and it wasn’t even my fault. I believe that taking driver education seriously can and will help reduce the number of deaths that occur in vehicular accidents. By taking advantage of driving schools, defensive driving workshops, and all driving courses, we can educate everyone, young and old, to help prevent accidents and spread awareness to families on how to be appropriate and responsible drivers.

Some steps that we can take to reduce the number of deaths related to driving would be to get distractions out of the way. None of us want to drive bored, especially if we’re taking a long trip, but there are simple tools we could use to be entertained while still being safe. Firstly, every cellphone now comes with Do Not Disturb while driving; put it on and change the settings if needed to receive calls coming from your emergency contacts. Next, keep the volume on the lower end. We all want to test out our bass and subwoofers, but high volumes may not only distract us from the road but also cause us to be unaware of the sirens of ambulances and police cars, which could delay the safety of pedestrians and other drivers. Podcasts are great for long rides, but if you find yourself getting tired on the road, it’s better just to pull over and take a break instead of grabbing those energy drinks and trying to power through; you may end up feeling more tired in the long run that way. Lastly, be responsible; my friends and I will always take some sort of ride-sharing when we are going out or going somewhere that may involve alcohol. Don’t try to be a hero driving with even one drink in your system; by getting behind that wheel, you put your life and the lives of so many others by making that decision. Many cities and towns now even provide free transportation to ensure your safe arrival home without worrying about the cost.

I will encourage my family members to take advantage of our driving school options when they learn how to drive. I will also encourage the defensive driver programs so that my family will be aware of how to drive safely on the road, know how to be appropriate behind the wheel, and be the best driver they can be. I hope that with my encouragement, I can help the road be safer for young and old drivers.