Rolling in to Safe Driving

The results of technological advancements have shaped the way that the human race goes about their daily lives. From the lightbulb to the rocket, these inventions have given us perspective into the truly spectacular improvements that have been made to our daily lives. The car may be the most prominent and life-changing invention to exist. In fact, 89% of all American adults have a driver’s license. With that amount of drivers on the road, the importance of safety when driving is at an all-time high, and steps must be taken to decrease the number of deaths related to driving. These steps that should be taken every time you get into a vehicle were not followed by my friends and me in 2018.

Our high school football team had just won a playoff game which granted them entry to our state’s championship game. To celebrate, a large group of friends and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate. I rode in the front passenger seat while one of my friends drove and another sat in the back. Joyous from the thought of our school being crowned state champions, our spirits could not have been silenced. After the ride from our small suburb to the Buffalo Wild Wings located in the city adjacent to us, we met our other friends inside which only strengthened the intensity of the atmosphere. Laughing, smiling, high-fives, and fist bumps were a common sight in the couple of hours that we had spent in the restaurant. After devouring our food and paying our check, we headed outside to pile back into our cars. However, as soon as we stepped outside, we were stopped by one of the girls in our grade. She had a big sign with candy taped to it, and she used it to ask my friend (who drove me here) to Winter Formal. At this point in the night, there was an undeniable feeling of joy that highlighted our youth. The smell of wings and fries mixed with the howling wind of the night pierced my nose and gave me an oddly pleasant feeling. After conversing with the group of girls that surprised us, we decided to head back to our town to spend the night at a friend’s house. On the way back, our friend (who was driving) wanted to take us on a dirt road with many hills. The reason for this change in course, as the driver stated, was, “If you go really fast on this road it feels like a roller coaster”. Blinded with exuberance, the other passenger and I thought it was a great idea. While my friends in separate cars went back to our town on the highway, we departed to embark on our own treacherous journey. When we turned onto the gravel road, there were a few things I noticed almost immediately: no street lights, reduced visibility, surrounded by trees on both sides of the road, and snowy road conditions. However, none of these glaring deterrents stood out to us; we continued to move on. We got around half a mile away from the main road and that is when our driver started to really accelerate. I remember looking out my window to see the shadows of trees and bushes starting to pass by faster and faster. My stomach crept up to my throat as I awaited the first hill. We climbed the hill and accelerated down it within seconds. I felt a sense of relief and excitement, thinking that I was safe now. At that moment I looked back while laughing to see my friend in the back seat—unbuckled. This sent off an alarm in my head, and I thought about telling him to buckle up. Instead, I figured that if we made it safely over the first hill, the other hills would not be a problem either. As we approached the second hill, I was more excited than nervous. I enjoyed the rush of adrenaline I got the first time and craved the sensation again. We ascended once again, and I was filled with the same feeling of invincibility once again. However, it was different on the way down the hill than it was the first time. The back of the car started to slide to the left, and my friend who was driving quickly corrected it. However, his quick action did not solve the problem. He corrected too far, and the backside of the car started sliding towards the right, where there was a small ditch that connected to a tall line of trees. At this point, I looked across to the driver, only to see the pure panic in his face. He knew that he could not correct it this time. We continued to slide and at this point, the car was almost horizontal with the road, but still moving closer to the ditch. My mind went blank, unable to comprehend the blur of trees out of my window. Right before I closed my eyes, I was able to see my door charging directly into a mailbox. Then, for what felt like half a second, an overwhelming amount of sound drowned out all feeling and sensation. After that, I opened my eyes. The world around me was spinning, and I could not focus on a singular thing. I recognized a few things around me: airbags, windows, car, door handle. I was trying to piece together what just happened, but the only thing I could really focus on was the piercing ring in my ears. Eventually, I was able to understand that I needed to get out of the car. I reached for the handle and was able to grasp it. When I looked at my hand, I saw blood dripping down onto the door. Ignoring my injury, I opened the door and stepped outside. It was cold, but the wind felt numb against my skin. Around the same time I stepped out, the driver did as well. Both dizzy, we stumbled to the side of the street and sat down to look at the car. All the windows were broken into shards of glass; the front windshield was hanging on the edge of the frame, with streaks of cracks scattered like rapid lightning strikes during a storm; the back tire of the car was completely separated from the car, and the top of the car was dented deep into the center of the vehicle. The driver and I looked back up the hill, and came to the conclusion that we had rolled into a mailbox and down the ditch. After examining the car for around a minute, my friend in the back seat stumbles out of the car. Then, I could recall seeing that same friend without a seatbelt on right before the crash. My mind instantly went dark with grim thoughts of injuries he might have sustained. He was barely able to walk over to us and fell over in the snow-covered grass next to us. We were able to sit him upright and allow him to gather his bearings. Amazingly, he only had minor injuries to his head and back. I located my phone and called emergency services. I was able to process more of what happened as we waited for the paramedics to arrive. The blood on my hand came from a cut on the outside of my left pinky. Upon further examination, I was able to make out a little flake of something that looked like metal at the source of the cut. I took my right hand and was able to grab the piece of metal; due to shock, I felt no pain at all. Not long after my friend from the back sat by us, the ambulance arrived. We were all checked for damage to the head and spine, but the daze caused by the crash continued pulsating through my body which caused these checks to be fuzzy in my head. The rest of the night felt almost surreal, and comprehending the fact that no one was seriously injured is something that still baffles me to this day.

Although the crash was something that I never want to experience again, I am thankful for the multitude of lessons it has taught me. Some of these include thinking before partaking in dangerous activities, buckling up, and valuing my life—because it very well could have been taken that day. However, I believe the most important lesson that I learned is to never be afraid to speak up—especially if it means relieving someone of potential injury or danger. Three years later, I am still disappointed in myself for not telling my friend to buckle up, especially since I knew he could be hurt badly in that situation. Luck is the only reason my friend was not seriously injured, but luck is not something that you can count on. Therefore, do not make the same mistake as me. Tell that friend to buckle up, think about the decisions you make behind the wheel before you make them, and always remember that life is too short for it to end behind the wheel.