Rush Hour Rules

Keziah Bowen

11/26/2020

Rush Hour Rules

The rules of rush hour on the road are very simple, drive with caution, drive with no distractions, and never turn left unless you are at a stoplight. These are things I wish someone had told me when I first got my license. It just so happened to be that I got my license and my car on the same day, a 2017 Nissan rouge, rated #2 in the united states for its safety features. I had just turned 16 and I was ecstatic for all of the new possibilities the road would bring me, working a minimum of 20 hours a week I deserved this new freedom.

Most people for their first drive in their first car try to make it memorable, however, the next morning I was due back at work for my regular 2 pm-10 pm shift, and come 5 o’clock it was time for my break. I said good-bye to my manager and headed out the door to get some lunch. I got in my car, buckled my seat belt, put my phone in the cup holder, and began to drive to the end of the parking lot. I work on one of the busiest roads in Kalamazoo, and I could feel my anxiety began to rise as I realized that if I were to go and get food I would need to make a left turn. I waited about seven or eight minutes before the road cleared and I turned, I think.

To this day I have no memory of what happened. My memory goes from sitting at the end of that parking lot to waking up in the grass with a totaled car and in a complete panic. The next five hours are a blur as well, I have a history of severe panic attacks and went into the worst anxiety attack I have ever experienced in my life. Eventually, I was taken to the hospital where I had chest x-rays, drug tests, and anxiety medications. The doctor asked me about my memory, but the issue was I was in such a panicked state I couldn’t even remember what I couldn’t remember.

It was not until days later that I learned what happened. The road was clear when I went to turn left, however, the car I hit began to turn left at the same time that I did. She had a car full of children, none with seatbelts, and even an infant without a car seat. She did not see me pulling out as she was turned around talking to the children in the back seat. When we crashed her front end came into my driver-side door trapping me inside. She was extremely angry, as anyone would be. Multiple employees from my work and other establishments had to come outside and physically hold her back from attempting to assault me. Jordan, My manager came outside and pulled me out of the car and onto the grass, but I couldn’t and still can’t remember any of this.

Although all of this seems unfortunate, I am extremely grateful. Everyone I encountered that day, police officers, medics, firefighters, towers, all told me, or my family members that I should have died that day. When my manager pulled me out of the car I was pinned between the car door and the center council. The only reason I lived through that day is because of the car’s safety features. And as for everyone else involved in the accident, they all came out with minimal injuries, nothing more than some bruises and a busted lip.

It wasn’t until later when I realized something. If our roles were switched, the driver nor the children in the back would have survived that crash, not without their seatbelts or car seat for the infant. Before I never really cared about how I or the people around me drove. It was just simply don’t get ticked or do anything to cause being pulled over.

One thing I wish they would have taught me in driver’s training is to look for alternative routes when you aren’t comfortable driving on the one that you are on. Now, I never turn left on to busy roads without a stoplight, not because I am not capable, but because I am not comfortable. I think this would be extremely beneficial for young drivers that are not comfortable with the roads yet. With the leading cause of death in teenagers being car accidents, we should teach kids when these rush hours are, and how to drive safer during them.

I urge all drivers, and especially new drivers to take a look and when, and where you are driving. If it is busy out, I suggest driving on smaller roads with less traffic, instead of the larger ones. If you are on a bigger road, and you have the time, wait the extra half an hour when the rush is over to drive on it. If you need to turn left onto a busy road during rush I am pleading with you, use the stoplights or turn right onto the road and use a parking lot to turn back around and head left. If there is something you are not comfortable driving there is always an alternative route you can take. This experience made me realize it really does matter how you drive, It’s not just driving safe so you don’t get a ticket, it’s driving safe so you stay alive