Seatbelts On

“Seatbelts On” is a phrase that has been engraved in almost everyone’s head. Since we were children, we were always told to be sure our seatbelts were on and fastened. It is the primary rule of being a passenger, not only in cars, but in planes, buses, and trains. As a young kid, I always abided by the seat belt rule: the first thing I did when entering a vehicle was clip into my seatbelt. Yet, as I got older, I tended to drift away from the rule I once always followed. If I sat in the front seat, of course I would clip in, but when I was in the back, I simply let myself lay out on the seats and move around without the restraints of a seatbelt. For a long time, I never thought twice about doing this, but one day everything changed.

My friends and I were riding in an uber, I was in the middle of the backseat. It was a rainy day, but nothing out of the ordinary. Sitting in the backseat, I did not think twice about putting my seatbelt on. It was a 10 minute ride, and I figured I could easily continue without it. Only a mere three minutes from our destination, our driver reared off the road into the cement median separating the two sides of the street. The next thing I remember is standing on the side of the street in the pouring rain, looking at a car flipped on its side. After that, the ambulance came, and I was sent to the hospital. I didn’t know the severity of my injuries, or what had truly happened. I was only scared. I am a lacrosse player, committed to play division one lacrosse in college, and the fear that this car wreck could impact me playing the sport that I love scared me more than anything else. When I got to the hospital, they quickly treated me. My entire face was swollen and bloody, I had sliced my lip two centimeters deep, and my knee was cut and bruised. It was discovered that I had been launched from the backseat into the dashboard of the car, causing extensive face injuries. Although my appearance was not pretty, I am beyond grateful that I did not suffer any injuries worse than a concussion and stitches in my lip.

As I spent two weeks sitting in bed recovering from the accident, the mental injury of the accident was worse of all. I became sad and agitated, failing to see a world where I recovered and could go back to playing the sport I loved, attending school, or hanging out with my friends. I knew that my injuries were small and things could have been tremendously worse, yet I still felt little hope of feeling like myself again. My other two friends in the car had worn seat belts, and they suffered from the bruising of the seatbelt on their chest, but had no other injuries. In my head I kept thinking about how things would have been different if I had just clipped into my seatbelt at the beginning of that ride.

With the accident ever ingrained in my mind, I am conscious of the importance of putting my seatbelt on every time I get into a vehicle. Backseat or front seat, I am sure to always fasten the piece of fabric across my chest. Furthermore, the accident has taught me that anything can happen, anytime, anywhere, even when you least expect it. It is an uber driver’s job to drive, you would think that being in an uber is one of the safest ways to get around, but everyone is human and accidents can happen to anyone. Proper safety precautions need to be taken no matter who is driving. Whether I am driving with my mom or my friend who just got her license, I have learned not to feel safer one way or another. No matter who you are in the car with, you have to treat the ride like anything could happen.

Beyond learning lessons of safety, the accident taught me hope. As I was in the thick of recovery, I saw no end in sight. I had nights where I would cry feeling sad, guilty, and lost. Yet, over time, things did get better. The light started to shine through the dark clouds I was constantly seeing. I slowly started to get back into the things that I once loved. I started reading, playing games with my family, and going out to eat, until I was able to play lacrosse, go back to school, and return to my regular routine. I was fortunate to have an amazing support system behind me. My friends, family, and teachers gave me the time, love, and resources I needed to find myself again. I learned that leaning on the people that love you will give you hope, and things will get better even if it takes time.

Although I would do anything to never have experienced the accident I had, I cannot say that I have learned nothing from it. I believe that things happen for a reason. The accident is a part of my story, and has taught me things that will be important to keep in mind for the rest of my life.