What it Takes to be in the Driver’s Seat

About ten seconds of me turning left on my green turn signal, boom. Car crash. It all seemed like one of those slow motion scenes of a movie. The airbags had inflated in front of me, and had hit me in the nose with a large impact. I could feel a searing pain in my right wrist, my nose was swollen and my head was aching. Luckily my injuries, for the most part, weren’t too severe to the point where I wouldn’t be able to get myself out of the car. I remember being taken to the ER once the tow trucks came, and I began to cry and I kept trying to fall asleep and my mom told me “Look L’eric, there’s a rainbow. Your grandpa must have been looking over you.” Any minute after that becomes a blur and next thing you know, I’m in the hospital room and the PA told my parents and I that I had a fractured wrist and that they were going to put me in a splint until I go see an Orthopedic doctor. 

Car accidents happen too often and it’s time we take into account what we all can do to reduce the number of deaths that happen whilst driving. Because of driver education, we as a society can know what we can do as individuals to reduce accidents. For starters, we should make sure that we allow plenty of time to get to our destination so we are not tempted to speed. For some people this will come by as a difficult rule to follow because they don’t know how to manage and prioritize their time. 

We need to make sure that we are following traffic rules, keeping a safe distance between you and other drivers, keeping both hands on the wheel, and being aware of your surroundings. You should be putting on your seatbelt every time you get in the car, as well as always adjusting your mirrors. You shouldn’t be exceeding the speed limit nor should you be running red lights. It’s true, we can’t control other drivers, but the best we can do is play our part. That means that you need to be very observant and cautious when you are on the road. 

We need to limit everything that would be a distraction. People tend to get too distracted by things like texting, calling, changing music, being on their phones in general, substance abuse, eating and drinking, talking to a friend or even something that’s cognitive and occupying your mind while driving. If you’re going to stop by a place to pick up food, then park your car in a lot and eat it there. This somewhat aligns with giving yourself enough time to reach your destination on time. Plan as if you are going to stop and eat before you get on the road again. If you keep your phone nearby when driving, you need to tell yourself that nothing on your phone is important the moment you leave your driveway. Also think about how the person calling or texting your phone would feel if you don’t make it to your destination safe and alive and have that same mentality for other drivers and their friends and family. Even better, turn your phone off and leave it off until you get to your destination. You should never drive if you are not in the right headspace or if you find yourself being very emotional. This causes your mind to be occupied by other things and doesn’t allow you to be focused on driving. I feel like this is self-explanatory, but people seem to do it anyway. Do not drive under the influence. Whether it’s drugs, alcohol, etc. You shouldn’t even be using anything that’s illegal or you’re under the age. If you find yourself under the influence, it’s better for you to call someone to come pick you up and take you home. 

It only takes about 3 to 5 seconds for a car accident to occur once a driver becomes distracted, so we should all do our part to keep us away from easy distractions. We need to spread the message among our peers so that they can be educated on how to make driving a safer action for themselves and others.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my essay. I appreciate it and hope that it helps you and others focus on the necessity of safe driving.