Think Before You Drive

Think Before You Drive

Screech! The sound of crunching metal fills my ears as my heart threatens to leap from my chest with each thunderous beat. Though the adrenaline dizzied my head, I knew what to do.

My driving classes had taught me to pull off the road, put on the hazard lights, and ask for the other driver’s insurance. I was extremely fortunate to know what to do, and was able to deescalate the situation without police involvement.

But even with the education, over sixty hours of driving practice, and no distractions, drivers are not ensured an accident-free transit. Car crashes happen every day at alarming rates. The weight of being in control of a multiton vehicle often passes us by as we go about our day. We do not think of the weight of our decision to drive tired, or to check that one text, or to change the radio station. The National Highway Traffic safety Administration cites that distracted driving led to 8.5 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes. We do not think about all of the lives we put in danger just by pulling out of the driveway.

I was rear ended a few months ago, just a few months after completing driving school and earning my license. I had done everything right. I was cautious, undistracted, and left ample room for the vehicle in front of me. However, the middle-aged driver behind me could not say the same.

Though drivers education cannot prevent all accidents, it allowed me to know exactly how to react when I was in an accident.

Driving has become an everyday phenomena, available to a high percentage of the American population, regardless of socioeconomic standing. The gravity of the act of getting in a car is overlooked as it has become such a commonplace occurrence. Holding the awareness of the responsibility one takes in operating a vehicle will lessen the instances of distracted driving and save lives. Utilizing social media platforms to make drivers more aware of the possible repercussions of getting behind the wheel will lead people to think before they drive.