Name: Lydia Loupe
From: Gypsum, Colorado
Votes: 0
For
12 of the 18 years she was alive, Megan firmly held a spot as my best
friend, most trusted confidante, and partner in countless
competitions and creative endeavours. We saw each other nearly every
day; in person or over video calls; and no distance could stop us
from constantly being in touch. The day after Christmas she was
driving back from work to help me reorganize my room. It now seems
like a mundane task that could’ve been postponed for any other day.
But somehow, in pursuit of “reorganizing my room,” Megan rolled
her car off of the interstate and died that night. In the 3 years I
spent driving with her since she got her license, I had never noticed
any consistent reckless behaviors: speeding, not wearing a seatbelt,
or texting. And even now, 7 months later, I continue to ask myself
what could have happened in the moments leading up to the crash. Did
she drop something and lean over to retrieve it? Was she tired and
forgot to buckle her seatbelt? Was she responding to my multiple
texts asking where she was? Despite never knowing the answers to
these questions, I learned something equally important following
Megan’s death: driving is dangerous. It doesn’t matter if you’ve
been driving for 20 years or 2; if you’re in perfectly dry
conditions or a blizzard; if you’re driving alone or in a car full
of people. Things go wrong, and accidents happen. That’s why it’s
imperative that drivers are educated on the precautions necessary to
keep themselves and others safe.
My
memories of my Drivers Ed classes are blurred, to say the least. I
remember the meanings of different signs, what to do in
intersections, and how to follow basic traffic laws. The only thing I
remember learning about what not to do, however, was through a video
they showed us of car accident victims. A small, but profoundly
important, addition to these courses would be informing students of
the many apps available that turn off phone notifications while
driving; as well as encouraging students to remind themselves to
buckle their seatbelts the minute they get behind the wheel. Driver’s
Ed classes already contribute to a countless number of lives saved
through proper education, but there’s still steps we can take to
ensure that the driver, passengers, or pedestrians aren’t in harm’s
way.
I’ve
learned firsthand the importance of being a responsible driver, but
many people don’t have the same experience. It’s crucial that we
remind our friends, parents, coworkers, or anyone we get into a car
with that driving
is dangerous. Buckle
your seatbelt. Check your mirrors. Put down your phone. Follow the
speed limit. And remember why we take these safety measures in the
first place: not only to decrease the number of driving-related
deaths, but to ensure that no one has to feel the pain of losing
someone they love.
