On The Road

On the Road

I was only two minutes from home, coming back from a girl’s night with my friends. Nobody was in the passenger seat. “Pursuit of Happiness” by Kid Cudi was playing on the speakers. I waited at a red light in the left turn lane for around fifteen seconds. The beige car in front of me took the turn with a green arrow, and I followed closely behind. The next thing I remember was a black pick-up truck barreling at me at a speed upwards to forty-five miles per hour. It was the sound of the crunch that I will never forget.

I sat in shock before the tears started rolling down my face. Shaking uncontrollably, I picked up my phone from the cup holder and called my father on the phone. The entire front end of my car was in shreds, the air bag had been deployed, and my hazards were flashing as I sat in the middle of the intersection praying to God. A woman came to my car door to try to calm me down and everyone around stopped to make sure me and the other teenager in the accident were in safety. An ambulance took me to the hospital, and thankfully, I left with minor injuries and no concussion.

If I remember correctly, four doctors asked me the same question from before my trip in the ambulance until my release from the hospital room. The question was: “Were you wearing a seatbelt?” Fortunately, I answered affirmatively, but this only made me wonder what could have happened if I failed to fasten my restraint when I started my drive home. Everyone always talks about how important it is to strap in before any period of driving, yet I would fail to keep track of how many times I get in a friends’ car where they neglect fastening their seatbelt the length of the drive. I believe that step one to becoming a safer driver is to always wear a seatbelt whether it’s a two-minute drive to a friend’s house or a road trip across the country.

It is also crucial to keep music volume at a reasonable volume. Not only is it important to be able to hear cop cars or ambulances who maneuver around traffic, but loud music can be extremely distracting, especially when one of your favorite tunes is blasting. Lastly, do not speed. Speeding was a factor in twenty-six percent of all traffic fatalities in 2018, killing an average of twenty-five people per day (NHTSA.gov). No school dance or volleyball game is more important than the life of you or other drivers.

Furthermore, some steps that I personally take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road are placing my phone in the middle console of my car and restraining from eating or drinking while driving. Phone usage and eating/drinking are all sources of distraction that can easily cause an accident in mere seconds. Apple created a great tool for the iPhone called “Do Not Disturb while Driving” which can be turned on with the click of a button before starting a drive. This accessory sends a message to anyone trying to contact you and explains that you are driving and will answer at the end of your trip; also, it silences any new notifications which eliminates the urge to check your phone.

Though I was never excited for my Driver’s Education classes, they have proved such value throughout the eighteen months I’ve been driving. I notice the micromovements of cars which allows me to predict if they are about to switch lanes or take a turn without a turn signal. I never would have looked for these movements without my Driver’s Education course. To new drivers (and current drivers), it is so important to pay attention to the course you are taking and to focus your attention on the road rather than anything else while driving. While a car is something that can be replaced, the life of you, your family members, or fellow drivers cannot be replaced. Take the time to slow down, put away your phone, and wear your seatbelt to protect lives out on the road.