Driving Disconnected

Driving is a right of passage as a teenager. We get a license, and suddenly, the world opens up, like finishing a game tutorial. However, many don’t take this responsibility, instead, they throw it out the metaphorical window and choose to let others get out of their way. We tend to forget that inside the 2016 Honda Accord is a man or woman who is trying to get home to see their kids. That disconnect is visible. I have seen drivers who will yell and flip off other cars, but when they stop at a light together. Where the two drivers can see each other, the anger subsides. I have been in many car accidents. I have not been a driver in one, thankfully, but I have had some where our car was at fault, their car was, and I have even had a hit and run. I have been in the car with people who refuse to wear their seatbelt, and I have heard the horror stories of why they don’t. My dad is one of them. My dad will not wear a seatbelt in the car, no matter how much I ask. When I asked him why, he told me the story of a friend he had in high school who wore their seatbelt, and had a car accident. The item supposed to protect him, his seatbelt, trapped him inside his own car, and he died because of that. That fear has no place in driving. The fear and the overall overconfidence in our own abilities causes more accidents than anything.

Fear is a powerful thing. It can manipulate the mind and convince it that even the most helpful things are dangerous and deadly. This can be true with driving as well. There are two types of drivers. The fearful, and the overconfident. The fearful hear the terrible tales of those who passed, or were seriously injured, because of speed, or alcohol intoxication. This causes them to be fearful. While a bit of fear is a good thing, too much fear can lead you down a dangerous path. For example, when I was learning to drive, my dad took me out on the highway. I was terrified, I had heard the awful things that came with driving, and I had someone with me who I could seriously hurt. So, when time came for me to get on the highway, it was a yield to the right. I was so scared I forgot to look, when my dad yelled, telling me that a car was coming, I panicked. I stopped. I stopped dead in the middle of the road on a busy highway with a car coming at me. Once again, my dad yelled at me to go, and I punched the gas. I really don’t know how we weren’t hit, but I will count my blessings. That kind of driving can lead to dangerous things. We could have been hit, I could’ve hurt someone, and that is scary. I know that when I get into my car, I am driving a couple thousand pound killing machine. And I surround myself with others, just to get from point A, to point B. That is scary. However, unlike some, I learned from that day. I drive that road almost six times just about every week. I am still cautious, but I understand that if I begin to close down, and say no while driving, I am going to do exactly what I am afraid of. Hurt someone.

The other kind of driver is the overconfident one. These are the ones you hear about wrapping their cars around trees, or killing themselves in horrible car accidents. I have a classmate who was like this. They were driving home one day and were on a road they drove everyday. Nothing was different. The speed limit was 45, but there were never any cops in that area, so they weren’t going the speed limit. Later, when they were telling the story, they said that they were going about 100 miles an hour. They rounded a curve, sliding into the other lane so they didn’t have to slow down, and suddenly, another car rounded the curve into their view. My classmate slammed on his brakes and swerved to miss the car, but overcorrected. They flew off the road, flipped in the car, and hit a telephone pole roof first. Thankfully, my classmate, and the other car were both safe, and neither were injured in the accident. However, my classmate to this day, will tell you that he will never speed like that again. He was terrified that day, and almost stopped driving.

In conclusion, there is a balance, like all things in life, when you drive. If you are too fearful of what could happen, you could disconnect from reality and crash, if you throw caution to the wind and drive like there is no tomorrow, there really might not be one for you.