Deterrence Against Reckless Driving

When I was 9, my dad was in a car accident. He had been driving home in a navy blue Volkswagen bug after a long day of work. The came to a 4-way intersection, waited the necessary three seconds before moving, and still was in a wreck. I was with my mom when she got the call, with her as we drove to visit him. Now, the only things that I really remember about the event came when my dad came home. He laid in the bed, barely able to get up for the simplest tasks. My mother would do everything she could to make him more comfortable, but at the same time, he never was. It was terrifying for me, to see the infallible, indestructible person that I had had for my whole life to depend upon, to see him in such a state. It is an image that stuck with me for my entire life.

As soon as I got my driver’s license, I knew what I wanted to do, and what I didn’t. My mother’s driving had always scared me – she felt no shame or fear going 10 or 20 miles over the speed limit, of cutting people off, stating that they were going too slow. She would judge people for being in the wrong lane, and then go and text on her phone. It’s a joke in my family that we always need to budget for a speeding ticket if we ever plan to travel and have her drive. To this day, she refuses to wear a seatbelt. And I couldn’t help but always think back to my dad’s accident. My mother had never had such a severe accident – the worst that I can remember is her getting rear-ended at a stoplight on the way to school. But my dad’s accident made everything so much more difficult for our family – and he had been obeying all the laws. He is one of the safest drivers I know, and yet he still was still in an accident. And she was always so careless when driving, always thinking about the destinations, and not about what could happen on the journey.

And so, when I got my license, I knew what I wanted. I paid attention during each of the classes, even the 8-hour class that I went to while, unknowingly at the time, having the flu. I have always done my best to be aware of my surroundings while driving. I’ll be honest, I have made mistakes. There have been times where I was running late to school and ignored a stop sign that I “knew” no one would be at. I have responded to texts, saying I would put it down once the light turned green, and then finish the last few words as I pulled away. I forget. I forget about what could happen, what could go wrong, about the dangers that can come with distracted driving. But everytime, I try to do my best to correct myself later on. And in the end, it is important to try and correct ourselves. To see where we are failing, and change it. I have always strived for perfection when it comes to safety, to avoid breaking any of the rules laid out to avoid danger. And memories of the helplessness that I felt when I saw my dad in pain helps to drive that, and in times of imperfection, allows for me to always come back and try harder to remain a safe driver.