Taking the Wheel

“aaaaaAAAAAAaaaaaahhh, Wysteria!” I was belting out one of my favorite songs in my car while I was on my way home from my freshman college campus, feeling free being able to drive 3 hours by myself. I was so excited to get home to my mother after just two weeks of eating cheap dining hall food and ramen noodles. The thought of my mothers warm embrace lifted my head high. My heart was practically levitating. Nothing could take away this amazing feeling!

Suddenly, I saw the blue lights. My heart shattered, and my stomach dropped. I pulled my car to the curb and slowly rolled down my window with anticipation of the blow to come. I was completely unaware that during my exemplary performance in my car, my metal foot had been pushing the gas pedal to its max. I was driving nearly 25 miles per hour over the speed limit– enough to kill me and whoever was unfortunate enough to be the person I hit. I was given a citation and a disappointed look, and with that, I sobbed hysterically as I drove the rest of my way home, feeling incredibly ashamed and embarrassed. I had never gotten a ticket before! What would I tell my mother?! The thought of how disappointed she would be in me was devastating.

Unfortunately, that same unawareness and stupidity that I had presented the day I got my first speeding ticket is what costs people their life every day. Thankfully, mine did not cost anything but a hefty fine and a day out of my weekend to drive to a court in Wilkes County, Georgia, to plead my case– plus a bit of psychological torture from my parents. However, there are thousands of people who are not as fortunate as me. According to dmvedu.org, there are more deaths caused by car crashes each year than lives taken in the Vietnam war. It is frightening that we live in a country where something as innocent as driving your kids to school can result in such a tragedy. One quick glance away from the road, and BAM! Instant regret. We are all guilty of negligent driving at some point or another, and it’s a game of roulette as to which one of us is going to be the one who ends up losing their life because of our careless mistakes. It almost seems like driving a car is just not worth the risk; however, tragedy can easily be avoided if we prevent them from happening in the first place with two simple tasks: educating our community and practicing self control.

Those are the two lessons I learned from my experience in reckless driving, and they are my two biggest pieces of advice I give to young drivers. When I got a speeding ticket that day, one of the ways I had to repent was by taking a drivers education course. That course allowed me to see the statistics on driver injuries and deaths, and it reminded me of road safety and all the rules drivers should follow when behind the wheel. It is shocking how your eyes open to the number of violations you can count during a 20-minute car ride after taking a driver’s education course. If we had more people enrolled in driver’s education courses, we would see a significant decrease in car accidents.

The other lesson I learned is that you must have self control on the road– control of your feelings– both excitement AND road-rage– and control of your desires: listening to music, eating, texting… the list goes on. My lack of self control while driving is what led me to the court of law, and it’s what causes thousands of drivers to hurt themselves and others on the road.

The effects of reckless driving do not stop at the crash itself and the primary victims; it extends out to the mourning family and to the community who endure the death of one of their members. Pain, shame, regret, and loss can all be avoided if we take ownership of our actions and recognize the power we hold when we take the wheel. Think about the consequences before you pick up your phone or turn the volume dial up on the dashboard. Remember those who made the mistakes you might already be making and the cost of their actions. Educate yourself on the safest and most considerate ways to navigate the roads, whether you’re driving to your mother’s house or to the ends of the Earth. Your actions can save lives.