Just ONE Second

Submitted 11.29.20

Just ONE Second

By Andie Dolven

It only takes one. One second of taking your eyes off the road. One time you think it’s okay to check your phone. One moment you decide to put your foot on the gas to make the light. It only takes one second, one time or one bad decision to cause a car accident. And in that one second, chances are it won’t be just your life that is impacted. It will also negatively affect those who are with and around you. At the very least, you’ll be left with bumps, bruises and scratches (on you and your car!). At the worst: internal injuries, brain damage, paralysis or death for you or someone else.

Driver’s education is critical to reducing the number of deaths associated with driving. In addition to learning to drive and control a car, you learn the rules of the road. Those rules – minding traffic signals, going the speed limit or passing another car safely, for example – are important to any driver’s safety. But driver’s education also stresses the importance of driving sober and driving only when you are in control of your emotions – not when you are angry or upset.

Everything learned in driver’s education classes can help prevent accidents and we have to practice what we learn every time we get in a car to help avoid one. Being aware of our surroundings, staying alert and driving cautiously (or “defensively,” as my mom calls it) can go a long way towards preventing incidents. This is especially important for young drivers like me. It’s easy to get distracted by my favorite song, friends in the car or the phone that is burning a hole in my pocket.

Fortunately, I haven’t been involved in a car accident and none of my friends or family have been seriously injured in an accident either. But just this year two of my friends were each in a car accident – one more serious than the other but both were unharmed. It is scary to think about what could have happened. I love them both so much I would hate to see them hurt and certainly can’t imagine life without them.

Of all the people I drive with I must say my mom is THE WORST. She seems to be constantly daydreaming, always seems to be over or under the speed limit and has the worst reaction time. My dad and I joke that when she sees red brake lights in front of her she speeds up! Worst of all, she thinks checking her phone at a stoplight is okay because she is “not driving.” It’s not okay, mom! If you are in the driver’s seat, you are driving! Do I sit quietly if she is under or over the speed limit? Or reaches for the phone? I sure don’t! I speak up when I’m with her and would do the same with my friends if I had to.

There are many things I can do and help others do to be a safe driver. First, I can insist that everyone in my car wears their seatbelt. While this won’t prevent an accident, it may prevent a death or serious injury if we are in one. Second, I can commit to never drinking and driving (which has been easy so far since I don’t drink!). With services like Uber and Lift it should be easier than ever to always have a designated driver. I can manage my time so that I don’t feel pressured to drive fast to make it somewhere on time. Lastly, I can put my phone in the glove box or back seat so that I’m not tempted to check it. All of these steps are easy to take and worth doing to prevent an accident.