The day everything changed

The day everything changed

I
was boarding the plane at 10:32 p.m. when my phone rang. We were
about to take off, so I quickly answered my phone a little annoyed
that someone would want to talk to me when I’m about to take off.
Little did I know that that phone call was going to change
everything. “Diana, can you hear me? It’s Cindy, mom got into a
car accident with the two babies, grandma, and tia Victoria!” At
that moment the world started spinning around me, I was nauseous, and
it wasn’t because of the plane taking off but because of the
million thoughts that were racing in my head. Stunned, I asked “Is
mom ok, are the babies alive!? How’s grandma and Tia?!” but it
was already too late, the plane was in the air and my signal was cut
out. The last thing I heard was “Grandma is critical…”

On November 4th,
2019 my family got into a devastating car accident. My family got
T-boned by an SUV going at 75 mph, the car was totaled. My family was
so critical the paramedics had to take my grandma out in a helicopter
and transfer my baby brother to a second hospital due to his
injuries. Unfortunately, my grandmother didn’t make it as she had her
diaphragm torn and her intestines were badly displaced. The blame was
put on my aunt, as the driver, and also on the 18- wheeler that was
blocking my aunt’s view on other cars passing. Through this accident
I learned how important it is to be a safe driver.

Taking driver
education is extremely crucial because although many teenagers/ young
adults claim they know how to drive, it doesn’t necessarily mean
they are safe drivers. It’s this young ignorance that makes a
preventable situation into an unpreventable catastrophe. I say this
because I remember believing I was a great driver before taking
drivers ed, and after taking the course I realized how there are many
more components than just knowing how to accelerate, break, and turn.
Drivers ed has been proven to reduce the deaths caused by
driving, by enlightening students on the number of deaths and the
consequences of not driving safely.

A step I learned
while taking drivers ed was the IPDE acronym. This acronym has
allowed me to avoid many car accidents and be a safe driver by
constantly thinking of my surroundings. “Identify” is used for
being able to be aware of your surroundings while driving, the
“Predict” is used to prepare for what could possibly happen if
‘car A’ decides to swerve. “Decide” is meant for what one is
going to do in a certain situation, and “Execute” is for
completing the plan that has been set in place. Another step
necessary for reducing the deaths is not being distracted. By putting
the phone on “Do not Disturb” while driving or turning off the
ringer it eliminates many distractions. The last strategy would be
this: remind yourself that the moment you step into the car, there is
the responsibility of multiple human lives in your hands.

Through my personal
experience and drivers ed I have been able to value the
importance of being a safe and educated driver. I have seen the
devastating results of not being an attentive driver and the
physical, emotional, and mental damage it causes. Driving safely will
always reduce the number of deaths, and with this knowledge and
understanding we can progress into safer drivers.