Fender Bender First Offender

Driver education has proven time and time again that it is not only extremely beneficial, but crucial in the steps to earning a driver’s license. Although every new driver is forced to have somewhat of an education about driving, the most important step that a lot of people ignore is to actually implement the safety rules they learn in the books and classes taken to become a better driver. Especially at young ages like 15 and 16, most teenagers do not necessarily understand just how dangerous it can be to drive anywhere, regardless of what road or highway, and they put their lives at risk simply due to carelessness. I am aware of this carelessness because I was once a stupid careless teenage driver, and I can speak from personal experience that young drivers do not think, they just do and hope it works out.

When I first turned 15, I went to the DMV with my dad and took the test to receive my Driver’s Permit. I was extremely excited to start driving, because to me driving meant that I could really go anywhere and no one could stop me. Not only was there freedom in driving, but also a certain sense of “coolness” to it. Most people my age were going to get their parents’ old cars or a neighbor’s old fixer-upper, but my parents are divorced, so I had to travel 70 miles every friday and sunday to go stay with my mother at her house. This meant that my parents felt like they had to find me a nice, safe, reliable car that wouldn’t leave me stranded on the side of I-20. My step dad worked with a man who was selling his daughter’s old BMW for a reasonable price, and this vehicle was in pristine condition. The paint was untouched, there weren’t too many miles on it, and they kept it in the garage and had it serviced regularly. To me, this was the absolute coolest car in the whole world, and it was all mine. I cared about this car so much, and I got my license as soon as I could so I could start driving it. At 15 and a half years old driving a BMW, I felt extremely cool, which got the best of me at times. I loved seeing people stare at me while I drove, trying to imagine what they were thinking. “How is she old enough to drive? She looks about 12 years old! And she’s whippin a Beamer around too?!” Sometimes these thoughts took a bit too much of my attention, and caused me to be less vigilant on the roads.

There was one fateful day in March of 2023 where I was backing out of my friend’s driveway, which was shaped like a question mark and had many bends that were difficult to navigate. As I was backing out, I was very careless and did not pay attention that much, causing me to hit a bush and drive off of the driveway. I pulled forward to try and get back onto the driveway, ripping off a piece of the fender on my beautiful car. I got home and was heartbroken by the damage I had caused, and also the irresponsibility and carelessness I felt in the moment I was backing out. I realized that even with this really nice car that I cared about, I still was capable of making stupid decisions when it came to driving. If I had been slightly more vigilant, my fender could have stayed in one piece. After almost two years of saving, I was able to save the $1,600 it cost to have my fender replaced. Although this wasn’t a completely necessary thing to do and my car functioned perfectly fine with the broken fender, I could not stand to look at the reminder of my carelessness on the road every time I looked at my car that I loved so much. I will say, I am thankful I went through that experience in a driveway and not out on an open road.

Driver education is extremely important in teaching people how to be safe on the road, in order to reduce the amount of accidents that happen yearly. However, a lot of people just don’t understand the harsh reality that every time they enter the driver’s seat, their life could be at risk. Not just due to their own responsibility, but the carelessness of others. If driver education included more information about everyday accidents a little bit more in detail, the number of deaths and accidents could go down. Driver education always discusses the scary accidents about how people get killed going 100 miles an hour, but they don’t necessarily mention the fact that a person could also get killed going the speed limit, but just not paying full attention to everything in front of them, or not looking both ways even though the light is green. More awareness about unexpected accidents that could happen to a responsible driver need to be mentioned in driver safety courses because a person can’t really control the responsibility of other drivers around them, and you never know when someone around you might run a red light while you have the green.

The aftermath of an accident that did not cause extreme damage or death is also something not emphasized in driver education. If young drivers are told about how expensive it can be to fix a car, and how insurance can skyrocket based on the damage in the wreck, maybe they would take that into consideration when flying down the road, or backing out of a strangely shaped driveway like me. Some kids aren’t scared of death and it doesn’t bother them that they’re going so fast, but if they damage their car and have to start paying for it, they start to care just a little bit more. Coming from my personal experience, I definitely learned that paying for my car’s monthly insurance, gas, and repairs has taught me a valuable lesson about how cars are super expensive and should be treated as such. There are multiple ways to approach teens about driver safety, like maybe mentioning everyday accidents and how common they can be if the driver is not vigilant, and the expenses that can follow. I believe that discussing every possibility of the open road and the things that follow can significantly decrease the amount of accidents and deaths, especially of young teens. After having this realization in my own life, I always think before I do, especially when it comes to my car that I love.