Ten Seconds

Meg Krapfl 

1 Sept. 2020 

Ten Seconds 

BAM! The door caves in and the airbag hits my body. Every muscle tenses, and, for a split second, gravity ceases to exist. Suddenly, the car comes to a stop. Not a single emotion hits me. The silence is deafening. I wait for something to happen, for someone to open the door, for another car to hit us. Nothing happens. Slowly, I open my eyes.  

In the early afternoon of Sunday, September 29, 2019, two friends and I were in a car accident. We were in a city none of us had driven in before and, in the chaos of navigating the streets, ran a red light. The other vehicle involved t-boned us, but no one in either vehicle was seriously injured. We caused an accident because we did not pay enough attention to what was actually important: safe driving. It has been a year now, and every time I sit down in a car and buckle up, my mind flashes back to that moment. Every single thought left my head once I realized, “That car is going to hit us.” And it all happened in ten seconds. That is how long it takes for an accident to happen. Ten seconds is how long it takes to change lives.  

People die every year from accidents that could have been prevented. Yet drivers still choose to text while driving, tailgate, and practice other dangerous driving habits. To reduce the fatalities caused by these actions, drivers can put their phones on silent, refuse to begin driving until all the passengers in their vehicle are wearing a seatbelt, practice defensive driving, look up routes before taking them, and keep their eyes on the road. But for these thoughts to be put into action, drivers need to be taught them.  

In the state of Iowa, new drivers are required to take a driver’s education course and pass a written test before they are allowed to drive. No driving test is required unless suggested by a driver’s ed. instructor. Students see videos  of parents grieving for their children, cars rolling, and firefighters rushing to the scene, and they practice safe habits in fear of dying in an accident. Yet a few of these students drive while texting, and some completely disregard the videos thinking, “This will never happen to me.” They feel invincible because they are “in their prime,” or nothing traumatic has ever happened to them. The invincibility mindset is extremely dangerous and cultivates unsafe driving habits (speeding, road racing, using Snapchat while driving, etc.). While the lessons from these courses may not remain cemented in the memory of every student, the impact on each student who remembers them is tremendous. These students are safer drivers who know what they are doing. With more knowledgeable, safe drivers on the road comes fewer driving related deaths. While some causes of accidents and deaths related to driving cannot be prevented, every driver can take steps to improve their own driving skills. Each time I buckle up behind the wheel, I try not to sing along to the radio. The radio may not divert my eyes from the road, but, when I sing along to it, I do not put my full effort into defensive driving. Another step I take to be a safer driver is constantly evaluating my driving. While I’m driving, I notice the parts of my driving skills I need to improve in order to become a better driver. By not singing along to the radio and constantly improving my driving skills, I hope to set an example of safe driving habits for my little brother. 

I do not wish those ten seconds on anybody. Realizing an accident is inevitable is terrifying. And the aftermath can be even worse. Safe driving is extremely important. It prevents accidents. It saves lives. That split-second choice does not result in a ten-second moment. Anyone can get into an accident, and anyone can cause one. I wish my friends and I would have paid more attention. Those ten seconds are my biggest regret.

Prompt: 

• What is the importance of driver education in reducing the number deaths as a result of driving? 

• What steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving? 

• Have you ever had an experience of being in car accident or have seen your friends or family members driving irresponsibly? 

• What steps can you take to be a better and safer driver as well as help others become safer on the road?