Awareness in Driving

Awareness in Driving

I sat there staring at the white board in front of me. My last day of driver’s ed and I could feel the fear knowing I would be driving soon. I was so incredibly anxious about driving, probably from all the cautionary tales my parents would tell me from their work. Being first responders, my parents have always been very serious about driving safety. They saw firsthand what bad driving habits could do and how quickly death can occur with a motor vehicle accident. As I sat in the driver seat waiting for the instructor I thought about some of those stories. The instructor got in the car and told me I had passed the test. While I was relieved that I had passed, I still felt nervous thinking about driving. I began talking with my driver’s ed teacher, Coleen, about how to overcome this fear of driving and she offered some advice.

She said to me, “Gabriella, don’t focus on others around you, be aware of them and your surroundings, but focus on yourself. There is only so much you can do to prevent someone from hitting you, but you can work at being a good driver and promote others to be as well.”

I realized that she was right. I began focusing on my driving skills, while continuing to keep others in the back of my mind. I was aware of where other cars were driving, but did not stress as they approached my car. Her advice genuinely helped me. I later got to know Coleen as a mentor and teacher who constantly reminded me of the importance of being a safe driver. She made me realize that people should pay more attention to their driving and not be distracted. I remember this lesson even today when I am driving. I realize driving is a “privilege” and there are dangers involved with it.

I have often seen my friends get distracted while driving and talking, not to mention the close calls due to other factors such as bad weather or not paying attention. One particular moment I remember vividly was during a cold Colorado morning. My friend was driving us to school from my house which is in a relatively rural area. We were discussing an assignment due the next day. I remember reaching in front of me to turn up the heat when she rounded a corner. All of a sudden, we were sliding on black ice and uncontrollably spinning. We both shrieked but thankfully she didn’t jerk the wheel and just let the car slow down without hitting the brakes too hard. We then hit a big construction barrel and the car came to a sudden stop. We both just froze in fear of what had just happened. I then remembered hearing Coleen’s words in the back of my mind. Stay aware of the things happening around the exterior car, but focus on your own driving, and limit distractions. We realized later that she was going too fast to make the turn and possibly distracted by me talking to her.

While I think it’s unreasonable to never allow teens to have friends in the car, I think it’s important to remember that distractions can happen in an instant, whether by another person or a hazard on the road. I believe that we must have more awareness on the subject of driving safely especially with teens. I believe education could help prevent accidents and reduce the amount of deaths related to driving. Therefore, make sure that you aren’t a distracted driver AND that you aren’t distracting others when they are driving!