In the Driver’s Seat

In the Driver’s Seat

“Hello, Mom? I’ve been in a car accident. I am fine, but my car is a mess. Can you or dad come and get me?” This was the start of my phone conversation on the morning of May 28^th, 2020.

I had been driving since I was nine; first the Club Cadet used to feed calves on our dairy farm. Then it was on to a pickup and tractor on the farm, after which, my Dad even taught me to drive the pay loader. In my state of South Dakota you can get a drivers permit at age 14. My parents enrolled me in the Drivers ed classes at our high school. There I learned the rules of the road, safety procedures, and was given more driving experience. So, this particular morning on the way to my summer job was not my first time in the driver’s seat. I was on a quiet, paved, county road when suddenly the driver in a pickup made an illegal U-turn in front of me. Immediately I chose to drive in the ditch to avoid contact with the other vehicle. I would rather smash my car then cause injury or death to someone.

My car crossed the lane, flew over the culvert, hit a large fence post and got hung up in the guide wires of a power line pole. I was thankful I had my seat belt fastened. As I took my clenched hands off the steering wheel, I found I was able to get out of the car without a scratch. The driver of the other car came over to me and was relieved that I was alright. She admitted the accident was her fault. She called the Highway Patrol and within minutes he was there to assess the problem. The Patrol officer concluded that the pickup driver was at fault and the driver confessed this as well. My parents arrived at the scene and the Patrol man expressed to them how lucky I was to be uninjured. “You should play the lottery today,” he told me. My car, however, was a total loss but I was thankful to be alive.

Drivers ed classes always helped me understand the importance of watching out for other drivers and being alert. The Patrol man checked my phone to see if I had been using it and found out that I had not. I was also drug tested and that came back negative. The number of deaths related to driving can be reversed by staying off your cellphone, not using drugs or alcohol while in the driver’s seat.

The privilege to drive wherever and whenever we choose is an essential part of our daily lives. Yet many do not live to see another day because of someone’s bad decisions. I have made it my priority since the accident to be more aware of other drivers and to stay focused on the road. Be aware; be safe in the driver’s seat.