Just 3 Seconds

I am 18 years old. My name is Amelia, and I am a Certified Nursing Aid. Most of the residents I work with are in their mid 70s or 80s, people who have lived a full and meaningful life. However, one of my residents is only 31. For HIPAA reasons, I’ll give her the fake name of Audrey in my story.

At the time that I’m writing this, I have had my driver’s license for just under two years. When I was taking my Driver’s Education class, I took it online. I sat in the family chair with the computer’s lessons playing in the background while I watch Tik Tok on my phone. I did that for no reason other than I was bored. When I had completed the course, I failed my driver’s test. The same girl who had never failed a test in her entire life made one stupid mistake during her test, which came less than two seconds from becoming a fatal accident. What did I do?

I had forgotten that left hand turns didn’t have the right of way.

Scratch that, I technically never learned it.

Had the other driver not swerved and almost crashed, I would have been spared, but my instructor would not have been so lucky. To this day, I still kick myself for that mistake. What had seemed like such a small mistake would have killed, or greatly injured, at least two people I didn’t even know. As someone who is going into medicine, I have seen more than my fair share of injuries caused by vehicle accidents.

Like I mentioned, “Audrey” is barely even 31. She was hit by a new driver who made the same mistake I did. From what she can remember, the driver struck the driver’s side of the car, which caused a chain reaction that resulted in her car being crushed between the car that struck her and another car that was pushed into the opposite oncoming lane, which swerved to avoid the car, and ended up crashing into a delivery truck.

Before you go on reading this essay, I want you to go back and read that again. The driver made one mistake, which struck one car, pushed into another car, which pushed another car across traffic and into a delivery truck. One simple mistake, that’s all it took for this new, inexperienced driver to claim the lives of seven people, including Audrey’s fiancé at the time, and permanently disable Audrey. I won’t bore you with all of the medical details, but Audrey will never live on her own again. She spent almost a year in the ICU on numerous machines that kept her alive long enough for her body to heal from that trauma. She had over dozens of surgeries, including several where parts of her skull were removed to create more space for swelling, parts of her shattered skeleton were put back together with pins and metal, and when she finally awoke, she would be transferred to my rehab facility, where she has been for over two years.

I’m going to give you a minute to let that sink in. In less than three seconds, one tiny mistake claimed seven, almost eight, lives. It altered the lives of countless people, who lost parents, siblings, children, friends, and just people in the community. Seven perfectly healthy people died young all because of one mistake.

Only a month after I had begun working at my current facility, a new resident came to stay with us. He was an 89 year old male who, upon further quizzing, hadn’t retaken any portion of his driving test in over thirty years. According to him, he was an excellent driver. Well, the fact that he broke both sides of his pelvis and was in the ICU for over a month with a severe brain injury and several internal bleeds tells a very different story.

When I saw this prompt, scrolling through my phone looking for scholarships I could apply for to help pay for my tuition, the stories that I just told popped into my head instantly. I was so excited to write this essay, that when I finally put my phone down and went to sleep for the night, I actually dreamt about writing this, because I knew exactly what kind of essay I was going to write.

There is no way in the world that we can completely get rid of automotive accidents. However, as I was taught in Driver’s Ed, (this part I actually paid attention to) is that there are mainly three types of accidents. Ones that are true accidents, caused by stupidity or road rage, and as much as we try, we will never truly be rid of those. The second type of accidents are caused by distracted drivers. Whether the driver is on their phone or they’re just looking at something else, their eyes aren’t on the road, and that’s how they cause accidents.

The third kind of accidents are the kind you heard about in my stories. People who have a lot more learning to do before they should be allowed to drive. 16 year old me, who made a critical error on her driver’s test, the 17 year old driver who accidentally killed 7 people with my same mistake, or the 89 year old gentleman who thought he didn’t need to retake his test, we’re all sitting under the same umbrella. We needed to receive more schooling before we were to be cleared to drive.

As a CNA, I am required to retake my written exam every two years to keep my license. I am monitored while I take this test, meaning my screen is watched, I cannot use any devices, and if I fail, I lose my license. Why? Because others are putting their trust in me to provide the best care possible and to really know what I’m doing. Something I’ve wondered for a long time is why driving tests aren’t the same way. Cars are these huge machines made of metal what weigh easily over a ton. Even going at 5 or 6 mph, the force generated by the inertia is so intense that it’s enough to alter someone’s life forever. If I’m expected to prove I still understand my job title and responsibilities every 24 months, I firmly believe that everyone should be required to retake their written driver’s test every 12 to 18 months, to be able to keep their licenses. This will ensure everyone who is behind the wheel isn’t putting themselves, or anyone else at any added risk.

I would just say “risk,” but every time you get behind the wheel, you’re putting yourself at risk.

So go ahead. Ask me, an 18 year old “inexperienced” driver about my thoughts on driver’s education and its connection to how many people lose loved ones every year. I could go on for days, telling dozens of more stories and doing hours of math to prove my point.