Not Just a Statistic

I am sitting on the couch, unsure of what I just read. The words cycle past my eyes but I just can’t seem to understand. I try to read the whole sentence but my eyes keep jumping back to the words “car accident” and “hospital.” My friend texted me on June 7th, 2020, to tell me two of my best friends had been in a car accident and they have been sent to the hospital. My head is boggled and I sit in uncertainty,

“Maybe it’s just a broken arm?” I think to myself hopefully, “It has to just be a broken arm. It has to be.” My mind would not accept the fact that my friends could be hurt worse than that. I am waiting for the good news telling me that their injuries will prove to be a small bump in the road, but nothing major. I see another text explaining one of my friends’ condition, a bruised rib and a concussion. A little worse than I thought, but something he could recover from. “How’s Dylan?” I text my friend, wondering why she didn’t update me on his injuries.

“Not good,” My friend replies. My heart drops and my hands are shaking. “He was airlifted to the Children’s Hospital, he has brain damage.” She tells me. The whole community rallied around Dylan Falling.

I read the statistics, “30 Minnesotan teens (16-19 years old) die from car accidents per year.” I would not let myself believe Dylan would become one of these statistics. Dylan was my best friend, he was a good driver, he ALWAYS wore his seatbelt; he was only 16, this can’t happen to someone that young.

A day later I got the word that he would not survive these fatal injuries. I couldn’t stop thinking “Why him? He was only SIXTEEN! He was wearing his seatbelt.” When the time came to say goodbye, I had to facetime because of the ongoing pandemic. I said my goodbyes and my I love yous for the last time, although he was unresponsive and made no reaction to my words, I had a feeling he could hear me.

It was this event that showed me the power I have behind the wheel. It’s ALWAYS a life or death situation;one small mistake can be fatal. All drivers need to understand the importance of their actions. One “Teen Driver Risk Factor” listed in the Minnesota Department of Commerce website is “Risk Taking.” Teenagers tend to take more risks, many teens have a high ego when it comes to driving. They think they know what is right or they think they are better than the average driver, leading them to take more risks. I believe a way to combat this is to teach new drivers to be respectful of the road, and to respect other drivers.

Many times it’s not even the driver’s fault, it’s the other car. One skill that comes with experience behind the wheel is knowing how to drive around others. Once you learn how to handle dangerous situations, or handle other bad drivers, the risk for accidents decreases substantially. Knowing when to hit a deer or when to hit a ditch is an important piece of knowledge. Drivers need to constantly seek new knowledge of the road.

New drivers also need to be taught that driving is a blessing, but without proper instruction it can become a curse. My high school holds a driver’s education program, this should be attended by every new driver prior to even touching the wheel. It needs to be stressed how important it is to pay attention to these classes, one hour of not paying attention could turn into a fatal mistake on the roads. These education classes also need to teach any and every possible situation that could happen on the road, so new drivers are more familiar with possible situations.

Another important lesson that needs to be taught is seatbelts. Seatbelts are a newer piece of technology, they have only been around for 50 years. This small piece of fabric will save many lives if worn properly. If someone is in the situation of a car crash, their seatbelt will be their first safety mechanism. Seatbelts need to be a habit, if everyone forms this habit the roads will be a much safer place.

Another important lesson to know is the risk of driving under the influence. This should never be done, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is ultimately never a good decision. Drivers should know their alternative options when considering getting behind the wheel while intoxicated. There are always other options like calling an uber, calling a friend or parent, or walking. Driving under the influence is never an option.

Dylan Falling was not just a statistic. He was my best friend. He was a son. He was a grandson. He was a brother. Most importantly, he was a child. At the age of sixteen his life was taken from him because of a car accident. If parents don’t want their children to become a statistic it is important that they get them proper education of driving. I can not stress enough how hard it was to go through the events of losing a loved one to a car crash and would never want anybody else to have to go through that. Everytime I get behind the wheel I look up at his picture on my dash and remember my responsibilities as a driver: Drive safe and drive smart. I drive for Dylan, I practice safe driving habits in remembrance of him.

Citation: Minnesota Department of Commerce “Teen Driving,” https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-vehicle/auto-insurance/teen-driving.jsp. Accessed 17 Nov 2021.