There is Always a Solution

Susanna Oliver

There I was, flying through traffic in a metal box. We were on our way to the movie store to get ready for a long night of spooky movies and good friends. The driver, my friend’s aunt, was taking wild turns, making dangerous decisions and careless moves. She was scrolling between apps on her phone, texting, fiddling with the radio. It was the night before my sixteenth birthday and I remember thinking, “when I get my driver’s license, I will never put my passengers in this position. This position of anxiety, fear, and powerlessness.” As I sat there, I realized I cared deeply for the other 3 girls in the car, despite only recently meeting them, and that I would be devastated if anything were to happen to us as a result of the driver’s careless habits. I spoke up. I voiced my concern about the reckless driving by suggesting alternative options for the car ride. I asked if we could turn off the radio and I began talking to the driver about my day. She put her phone down to continue the lighthearted conversation. I felt safer and in control of the situation.

I never thought I would be in such an unsafe position, but I quickly gained the courage it took to overcome my fear. That courage will help me in uncomfortable and dangerous situations in the future and may help me save a life. I not only learned courage, but the importance of safe driving practices. It is vital to the lives of your passengers, pedestrians, and other drivers, that you are familiar with the driving rules that are taught in driver education programs.

Thorough, engaging and serious Drivers Education is important. The focus on limiting physical distractions is justified and reasonable. I personally witnessed the effects of physical distractions and was armed with the skills to deescalate the situation thanks to what I have learned through Drivers Ed. However, I propose an increased focus on the emotional and mental distractions that are posed to drivers. Emotions, if they are strong enough, can occupy a huge part of a driver’s focus, a focus that they should be using to be attentive, cautious and law-abiding drivers. Anger and road-rage are not the only distracting emotions. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, a shocking “9.4% of the U.S. population aged 12 to 17” had at least one major depressive episode with severe impairments (para 9). Many of these adolescents are of legal driving age. Depression can drastically affect the driver’s ability to perform basic tasks including making careful and logical driving choices. Lessening the shame around mental illnesses and encouraging emotional and mental awareness of young drivers has the potential to save lives. It is never too late to ask questions about the effects of mental health on driving, until someone is killed. Collisions are never accidents if we could have prevented them but chose not to. That is just plain carelessness. Let’s not wait until lives are lost to make a change.

Works Cited

“Major Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml#:~:text=An estimated 17.3 million adults,compared to males (5.3%).