Be Alert, Accidents Hurt: Irresponsibilities of the Road

Safe driving is something that should be taken extremely seriously and could be a matter of life and death. When you are in control of a motor vehicle, you are tasked with numerous responsibilities. Simply put, you must be fully aware of your surroundings especially if you live in an area with winter driving conditions. During the cold winter months, car owners are faced with firmly packed frost and ice on their windshield. Oftentimes, drivers are in such a hurry that properly scraping windshields is neglected. The drivers who do this put everyone in jeopardy of being in an accident. Which is what happened to my dad in the year of 1994. It was a brisk winter day and my dad’s windshield became frosted over while he was working. He was in a hurry to get home to watch the Broncos football game, so he overlooked completely scraping the frost off his windshield. Little did he know in an instant, his life would change in the blink of an eye.

As he flew around the precipitous Colorado mountains, the sun beamed across his frost-covered windshield and blinded him. This already put him in danger: he was speeding through a sun glare. In order to be a responsible driver, the first rule of driving through a sun glare is to decelerate. Lack of visibility inhibits your ability to react quickly; therefore, if you slow your speed it can help you avoid an accident. Thankfully, nothing happened to my dad at this point. But, at the base of the mountain, was the start of the highway. Still deprived of vision from the gleaming frost—he drove directly into a center concrete median (highway divider) going approximately sixty miles per hour. Boom! He hit it head on. His chest crushed the steering wheel, and his head went straight through the windshield. As he soared through the windshield, he kept his eyes open. Glass became lodged in his eyes. While in a panic, he attempted to close his eyes and exit the vehicle. Traffic was coming at him left and right and he was in a delirious state. Generous people saw blood gushing out of his face, so they stopped to provide him with assistance. First, they pulled him out of the middle of the road and called an ambulance. The ambulance drove him to Valley View Hospital where they assessed his condition. At Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado he was given over 250 stitches in his face and they performed a great deal of plastic surgery. I am extremely blessed to have my dad in my life today. The accident could have been a lot more unfortunate.

When I am behind the wheel, I think about his accident quite frequently. I certainly do not want to end up in a similar situation. Although, I tend to follow the rules of the road to ensure my safety and the safety of others around me; I am not a flawless driver in any way. To even be considered a “good driver,” you must be absolutely alert all the time on the road. In fact, I have started to take notice of some of the irresponsible habits my friends and family possess. One of the biggest ones is distracted driving. You guessed it—I am talking about cell phones. Using a cell phone when driving makes it four times more likely you will have a collision. Talking on a cell-phone even in hands-free mode is a major issue, because it is a well known fact that multitasking is not possible in the car.

Another major irresponsibility while driving is improper lane movement. To watch two cars, each from opposing directions, harmoniously turn in the correct lane is automotive ballet. When automobiles do not turn in the correct lane, this can create a hazard for other drivers driving in their proper lanes. On a personal note, I am well aware of this hazard due to being pulled over with a warning from a local officer for improper lane change. When he first strolled up to my window he uttered, “Didn’t you learn about improper lane changes in Driver’s Education.” I did in fact learn about improper lane changes, and I certainly would not make that mistake again.

The final major irresponsibility when operating an automobile is driving without a seatbelt. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected will always be deadly. My parents continually remind me of how salient wearing a seatbelt is. I also have been reminded about it by a member of law enforcement. One evening, my friends and I were running late for a play. I was in the back seat with two other girls, another girl was in the passenger seat and one of my friends was driving. Unfortunately, we were pulled over for speeding. The officer took a glance in the backseat of our car and noticed two of my friends were not buckled. He threatened to give them a seat belt violation and told them the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt. My friends quickly buckled up and now we religiously wear seatbelts. In sum, a large number of responsibilities come with owning a drivers license. You must drive safely, respect the rights of others on the road and obey the laws. Be a smart driver, and follow the rules of the road!