In the blink of an eye

In the blink of an eye

By: Najah Ali

There are laws that are created to keep us all safe on the road. Simple things such as wearing seatbelts, following traffic signs, refraining from texting, and not driving if you are under the influence saves thousands of lives a year. These are all things you learn when you take a basic drivers ed course. As you will realize though, there is a very big difference between driving a car and reading a pamphlet. The best drivers’ tend to be the more experienced ones. The only way you can gain experience driving is by actually being behind the wheel and operating the vehicle. It can be nerve-racking at first, but following the rules ensures that you will be safe along with your fellow passengers and drivers.

In 2010, my mother was involved in a disastrous car accident in Pittsburgh. A drunk driver had hit her car head on and the damage was so bad the car folded in on itself. Thankfully, her seatbelt saved her life and after dozens of surgeries performed on her she survived. In 2019, I was involved in my first accident as a new driver. I was taking my little brother to school in my mom’s work car and there was a mosquito in the car. I stupidly tried to kill the mosquito when it landed on the windshield. In the process I side-swiped a pickup truck. I completely totaled my mom’s work car and developed PTSD when it came to driving. I was so thankful that I, my brother, and the other party were all okay. I never would’ve forgiven myself if anything terrible had happened.

In the aftermath of my accident I took a break from driving. I was so scared of what would happen if I got behind the wheel again that I couldn’t even work up the nerve to try. After I felt emotionally recovered I reintroduced myself to the road by only driving on side streets and traveling to no destination that took longer than 15 minutes to get there. I avoided the highway like it was the plague. The accident reopened my eyes to the fact that driving is dangerous and in the blink of an eye everything can change. You are driving a vehicle that weighs a ton. You have to act like it! You must avoid distractions and pay attention. Do this, and you’ll help make the roads safer for all.