In The Driver’s Seat

This essay draws parallels between driver education, safety, and death against hockey training, safety, and injury. For me, driving and hockey are two essential aspects of my life. For me to play hockey and grow as a player, our family has logged countless hours and days in a car driving to hockey camps, games, and tournaments. Next year, when I attend university, I will require a car to attend practices for the university hockey team. Driving in the United States has been statistically proven to be deadly; the risk of injury to a player in hockey, while not as deadly, is, for the untrained and unprepared, statistically high.

Driver education plays a crucial role in reducing the number of deaths resulting from driving by equipping drivers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for safe driving. It should be obvious that an understanding of traffic laws, the rules of the road, having defensive driving skills, the use of safety gear, such as seatbelts, mirrors, and turn signals, avoiding alcohol, anticipating hazards, and reducing fatigue and distractions all equate with safe driving. Safe driving is taught through driver education. Two online courses I have taken are the National Safety Council Alive at 25 and the Smiths Safe Driving System 5 Keys to Safe Driving. The tenets of this course are to aim high (scan ahead and be aware of three or four car lengths ahead of you) and the big picture (understand where traffic congestion leads to accidents). Keep your eyes moving (constantly use your mirrors and shoulder checks) and leave yourself an out (know where to go if an obstacle presents itself). And lastly, make sure they see you (park safely and keep a safe distance between your car and other vehicles.

In many ways, this is not too dissimilar to the preparations and skills I use for hockey. It is important to know the rules of the game and how they are designed to protect players. Ice hockey players are equipped from head to toe with protective equipment that must be used. Youth players are constantly taught to talk out on the ice to let their teammates know where they are. Avoiding alcohol before a game keeps you in total control of your body and keeps your judgment sharp. Anticipating when a hit is going to come on the ice and avoiding it or bracing for a hit when it comes keeps you safe from injury. And showing up ready to play, well-rested, and hydrated, allows you to play at peak performance. Doing all of these things requires practice, repetition, discipline, and being prepared. To excel at safe driving and playing hockey, education is the cornerstone of being safe on the road and the ice.

As in hockey learning from someone with qualifications can be instrumental. Learning how to skate, shoot, hit, brace for hits, and how to control all together.

Driving is similar to hockey. In both, the phrase “Speed Kills” is true. Exceeding the speed limit can reduce reaction time and increase the percentage of accidents and the chances for that accident to be fatal. In hockey, the severity of an injury is increased when players are moving at a high rate of speed. Driving deaths are reduced when driving speed is reduced. Unfortunately, modern hockey thrives on speed, but being trained and taught to play the game at speed teaches a player to handle those situations. Driving while operating your phone is a distraction. Driving distracted increases, the risk of accidents, and paired with speeding, it could be fatal. In hockey, if you are not focused on what is happening outside the play, you could leave yourself open to a blindside hit, which could lead to injury. My dad repeats the old hockey adage, “Keep your head on a swivel,” to me before each game I play. This is not dissimilar to the Smiths’ habits of “keep your eyes moving” and “leave yourself an out”. Driving under the influence of alcohol or any sort of drug impairs your judgment and your ability to make quick and smart decisions. Impaired driving and skating reduce your ability to see the road and the ice quickly, plays could pass you up, and instead of making the right decisions, you miss the opportunities or expose yourself to injury. I believe that proof of completion of a driver education course and driver training should be mandatory for all drivers. Levying high fines for impaired driving and speeding must remain and be enforced as a deterrent. At college-level ice hockey, players have been taught and trained for years to be effective and safe players. Coaches have limited spots on their rosters and will not tolerate substance abuse and lack of commitment, and preparation. Following the rules of the road and safety tips can reduce your risk of accidents and traffic fines and will keep you alive. Laws for driving are put in place to keep you alive, and if you break them, it could lead to a ticket, towing of your vehicle, jail time, and death. Hockey and team rules are put in place to keep all players safe and performing at a high level. Breaking the team rules keeps you from being on the ice, and taking penalties by playing unsafely can lead to penalties that hurt the team.

My dad and I were on our way home from school when we were rear-ended at a stoplight. My dad and I had been stopped at the light when we were struck from behind by another car. The lady who hit us slammed her brakes at the last minute and they did not work. She skidded into our car rear-ending us, since she had so much speed, her car hit our back bumper so hard it lifted our car up and was stuck underneath causing our car to be hit forward a second and third time before her car fully stopped. Her car ended up under the back fender of our car and the two cars became intertwined. Our cars could not be separated by hand and needed the assistance of law enforcement. We could only assume that she was driving distracted since we were stopped fully at a red light. From an examination of her car we noticed that the tires were almost worn smooth.

I firmly believe that everybody should retake their driver’s license every year to prove that they are still a safe driver. All new drivers who are taking their driver’s license for the first time should prove they have taken a state-certified driver’s safety course before being allowed to drive. Everyone with a license should be required to take a refresher course every five years to maintain their knowledge of driving safely. Automated systems showing that vehicles are being maintained would also reduce the likelihood of accidents due to faulty equipment. I practice my skills on the ice rink every day. My coaches are constantly teaching me new skills and systems of play so that we can execute our game to the highest level.

While not exactly comparable, there are many parallels between hockey and driving. Education and training make a person better at both. Safety equipment and following rules help keep us alive and uninjured. Being prepared and not being under the influence allows us to be safe and performant in both driving and hockey. Both driving and hockey are important to me. I like cars, I need them to get to and from hockey practice. I love playing hockey and want to represent my school next year in the best possible light. So, I will take any training and practice that I can get.