A Small Mistake

A
Small Mistake

A couple months
ago, my mother and my brother went to Costco to buy some groceries
for the month. A trip that usually takes them an hour, this time took
three. After an hour and a half had passed since they left the house,
I started worrying. It was not like my mom to go on a random shopping
spree without any planning. I tried calling and they would not pick
up. I had already started imagining the worst. Finally, another hour
and a half later, the doorbell of my house rang. I rushed to the door
to see my mother and brother. Both were safe and sound but were
carrying a serious expression of worry on their faces. My mom, still
scared and traumatized, sat on the couch. A few minutes later, she
explained that while they were getting out of Costco, her eye fell on
the mirror, and she spotted a lady speeding through the parking lot,
which is a no speeding zone. My mom panicked and tried to reverse the
car back into the parking space. When the lady realized the magnitude
of her car’s speed, she pushed the brakes as hard as she could. She
car slowed down aggressively with a loud squeal. However, the car was
not slow enough to stop and hit our car with my mother and brother
inside. Fortunately, our car’s side now had a minor scratch instead
of a deep dent that my mother was expecting. Since that day, I am
grateful that the accident did not cause any major damage to any
property, but more importantly any people involved. However, what
surprised me the most, is that the lady was speeding in a parking
lot, an area where families are strolling their carts full of an
assortment of items with their young kids. This showed that there is
certainly room for improvement in drivers ed. With the
reckless driving of the lady, she endangered her own life as well the
lives of other people in that Costco parking lot at the time. And she
is not the only one who is not aware of or does not follow important
rules when it comes to driving. It is important that we, as drivers,
learn how to responsibly handle a potentially fatal technology.
Education is key. Most accidents, just like this one, occur because
people ignore the red light or drive beyond the speed limit. Driver’s
education can help people understand the strong repercussions our
inattentive driving habits can have on not just us but others on the
road. We must take a step further by spreading awareness about the
harmful effects of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Abiding traffic laws is another big cause of accidents. People pick
up their phones for a “quick text” or “fun picture” or simply
to play a song to listen to as they drive. This problem can be solved
by enforcing stricter laws that prohibit the usage of phones when
driving, even if at a red light. To take a lighter approach, drivers
can be required to connect their phones to the Bluetooth system in
their cars so that they can use the controls on their steering wheels
on the go. My family was lucky that the lady that day stopped in
time. You never know when the negligence of one small mistake can
lead to a fatal accident.