I Can Save My Life

I
Can Save My Life

The
bright screen glared in the dark drivers ed classroom. I
watched drivers progress from speeding, to hydroplaning, to crashing.
Time after time, I couldn’t help but wonder who was inside the car.
Where were they going? Who were they on their way to see? Who would
visit them in the hospital? Did they make it out alive? I couldn’t
help but shudder as I imagined myself hydroplaning. Ike, my beloved
used car, spinning out of control. Where would I be going? Who was
waiting for me? Who would be at the hospital if, heaven forbid, that
happened to me? The screen went dark, and the blinking ceiling lights
blinded us as the instructor began to speak again. “If you drive at
an appropriate speed for the weather conditions, and stay in your
lane, then what you just saw will never happen to you. You don’t
have to hydroplane. You can choose to stay safe.”

Those
words stuck with me. You don’t have to hydroplane. You can choose
to stay safe. My fears were quelled as it dawned on me: I am in
control. I can choose to stay safe. Those words reverberated through
my mind as I drove alone in the rain for the first time. I slowed
down. I stayed in my lane. I was careful on the turns. I turned the
radio down. I put all my focus on the road. When I finally pulled
into my driveway, I breathed a sigh of relief. I had done it.

I
was able to remain safe that day, because I was aware. Not only of
traffic conditions, but also of myself. Self awareness saves lives.
Understanding your individual shortfalls and tendencies can ensure
that you don’t fall into the same habits. Do you tend to get
distracted? Do the actions of other drivers irritate you? Do your
feelings transfer into reckless driving? Drivers ed made me aware
of my tendency to swing wide on turns. Since I am conscious of this
habit, I can ensure that I focus and stay in my lane, especially in
rainy conditions. A research study, based on the concept of
self-awareness, was performed on professional bus drivers. By giving
them a psychometric test, they could understand what might trigger
distracted or reckless driving for each participant. I think that a
similar test could also be very useful in the drivers ed setting.
Ultimately, making drivers more self aware will reduce deaths. Let’s
give students the tools to save themselves.