Knowing when to stop

I remember starting my driver’s ed class through high school at the age of fifteen. I remember the excitement of having freedom at my fingertips but also the annoyance of having to wake up at 5:30 am to make it to the course twice a week. I got my license within the year and was ecstatic to be able to drive on my own. I remember feeling annoyed after having to go through all the hassle to get my license then now I realize that driver’s education is beyond necessary and of utmost importance. I didn’t realize it then, but proper teaching can save your life or save you from the pain of taking someone else’s.

Driving is something that many of us do every day. It is instinctual, and for me until recently, was a very casual part of life. Something that gets forgotten over time in our haste and busy lives is that cars are not just simple modes of transportation but are extremely large pieces of machinery that need to be handled with care. One of the first things that needs to be brought up in a driver’s education is that cars are not toys. They are vehicles that get us from point A to point B and it is everyone’s job on the road to make that journey as safe as possible for themselves and others. Which starts with preparing yourself mentally and physically before getting into a vehicle

At the very beginning of this year, just over a month ago, I received the text that no one can prepare you for, that I have dreaded my entire life, and that I will never forget. My friend Hannah had been driving back to school after the winter break to start the spring semester. She was about a mere 20 minutes away from the university when she fell asleep at the wheel of her car. She drifted into oncoming traffic and her car was t-boned by a teenage driver. During the collision, the airbags went off in her car but only on the passenger side of the vehicle. Her head was slammed into the windshield, unpadded by the non-functioning airbags, and she was instantly brain-dead. She was immediately life-flighted to the hospital but despite emergency surgery, it was already too late, and she was too far gone. She lost her life at the young age of 20 in a terrible accident. The feeling of loss is horrendous and terrible no matter who the party is but the loss of someone so young, bright, and beautiful is gut-wrenching. She had so much potential and so many places she wanted to visit, and I know she was going to do so many wonderful things for this world. There was so little I knew about her and so much more that I wanted to learn, but death is irreversible. The pain of loss, although sometimes manageable is irreversible. The teenager who hit her car although in critical condition survived, but at what cost? The accident wasn’t their fault, but they now must feel the pain of having taken someone’s life. A car accident isn’t just something that affects the dead, it affects both parties and all of the people connected to them.

My friend’s death was like an alarm going off in my head. That tragedy can befall anyone. There have been so many times when I have been so tired but just wanted to get home and sleep off the day and so I drove. I could have been a Hannah, any one of us could be a Hannah if the proper teachings aren’t being taught to new drivers. It is important to go over driving laws and the fine details, but it is equally important, and in my opinion, overlooked, to go over the importance of one’s mental and physical state when you enter a car. It needs to be stressed because when you’re in a car you need to be hyper-aware. Being under the influence or substances, upset, or fatigued can cause your attention to not be on driving and the traffic around you. If under the influence call an Uber or someone you trust. If feeling upset, angry, sad, or even too excited take a moment to breathe and get your emotions in check before starting your car. In the case of fatigue either call someone to pick you up or stay where you are try to get some rest. These are things that were glanced over in my driver’s education class. They didn’t seem important to me, just another unit mixed in with all the rest. When in reality tuning in with yourself and making a smart decision could save your life or the lives of others.

Hannah was one of the most genuine and beautiful people I’ve ever been blessed to meet. She was truly a ray of sunshine in the world and had a heart of gold with a will as strong as iron. What happened to her was a horrible accident and awareness could prevent someone else from befalling the same fate. It needs to be understood that your mental and physical health is just as important as the laws of the road when you get into the driver’s seat. You need to be aware of your surroundings and to know when you need to stop or pull over. This is what needs to be taught, this is what future drivers need to know to save lives. This is what saves someone’s family, their child, or their sibling, this is what protects someone’s friend.