It Won’t Happen to Me

It Won’t Happen to Me

It won’t happen to me. It’s what every driver has thought at some point because it’s easy, convenient, and self-indulgent. So, what if every driver considered that it would absolutely happen to them? I was taught not to drive scared, but to drive aware, aware that my life and someone else’s could change at any moment.

I live in Georgia, where we’ve had Joshua’s Law since 2007. It was named for Joshua Brown, who was killed in a car accident at seventeen, and whose parents attribute the lack of driver’s education and experience to his death. Joshua’s father subsequently created the legislation that passed in Georgia, requiring teens of a certain age to take thirty hours of driver’s education approved by the state. Additionally, it requires a number of hours of behind-the-wheel, including night driving hours, with either professional or parental supervision.

I didn’t understand how easy it was to lose control of a car until Ms. Sarah, my instructor, sat us down to take a look at it. The pictures and videos from the class were hard to look at. They were the life-changing moments my mother spoke of right in front of me. I wasn’t comfortable with that, but I wasn’t supposed to be.

I believe all states should have some form of Joshua’s Law and it should be in a classroom setting, rather than on-line, because you can walk away from on-line; you can disconnect from on-line, but it’s harder to cheat face-to-face classroom instruction. Joshua’s father, Alan Brown, in a 2017 interview with Drive Smart Georgia stated, “Now you can get driver’s education on-line and the state can’t even prove you took the test, but it satisfies Joshua’s Law. That is ridiculous. It’s not what I had in mind at all. I hate it.” My mother insisted I take the classroom version even though it cost about a hundred dollars more than the on-line course. It was a four-day class, eight hours each day. It ate up my fall break, but I wouldn’t change it.

My parents also required me to take a professional behind-the-wheel course as well as satisfying a certain number of hours under parental instruction. I would advise anyone to do the same. Both my parents are good drivers, but they’re not professional instructors. Driving with an instructor keeps people from being too fearful about certain driving situations because they guide you into those situations so calmly and matter-of-factly. I’ve heard so many friends say they don’t like to drive because they’re scared of roundabouts, the expressway, going over 60mph, and even navigating parking lots. But the instructors work with you and can provide more guided practice in certain areas if you need it. Professional behind-the-wheel instruction also gives you the opportunity to drive a different car. By the time I completed the course, I could drive both my parents’ SUVs, the driving school’s sedan, and of course, my recently purchased 1996 silver Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, which I lovingly call, “The Beast.” I’m a better driver because I know that one car will respond differently than another and I can make those adjustments if I have to.

All these recommendations and requirements cost money. Of course, you can’t put a price on life, which is why my parents made their choices, but even though I’m young, I know that money is money and that there’s a financial argument to be made. According to reports, a tax credit is available if the education was completed in Georgia’s private sector. Additionally, insurance discounts apply as well but vary state to state.

I believe high schools should provide mandatory driver’s education in a classroom setting in both public and private schools. Education provides the necessary information, but also slows down the process of a teenager getting a license. It should be slow. It should be difficult. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that, “From 2012 to 2021, there was an 18% increase in the number of young drivers (15-20) involved in fatal car crashes, compared to a 33% increase in all drivers involved in fatal crashes during the same period. The number of young drivers involved in police reported crashes decreased 2% from 2018 to 2019.” Education and prolonged licensing among teens have contributed to the decline.

Personally, I’ve been in only one accident, due to road debris thrown back by the car in front of us. We sustained minimal damage with no injuries because my father is experienced and remained calm. But I’ve seen people drive emotionally. People talk about not driving drunk or high, but just like being under the influence, extreme emotional states are also altered states. Ask for a ride or wait out the intensity of the emotion. Afterall, if there’s no crying in baseball, there’s certainly no crying while driving.

Don’t be too embarrassed or afraid to humble yourself and admit your weaknesses. Mine is ADHD, so I’m easily distracted. When a license is issued to a driver 16 or 17 years of age, the Georgia Department of Driver Services requires that, “During the first six months following issuance, only immediate family members can ride in the vehicle.” After that, only one nonfamilial person under twenty-one can ride, and then after some more time, it goes up to three such persons. This is part of what’s called graduated licensing, meant to be more systematic and again to slow down the process.

I’ve been driving for almost two years now. One of my personal hacks is that I talk out loud to myself about driving while I’m driving. It may sound weird to my passengers, but it helps me stay focused, and it doesn’t matter how it looks because I’ll never be so arrogant as to assume it won’t happen to me.