Your Responsibility and Others Lives

Driving is a peculiar benchmark as we age. We are not deemed legal adults till we turn 18, cannot drink alcohol till we turn 21, and cannot rent a car till we turn 25. Yet in my state, we can captain a three-thousand-pound metal capsule speeding down a road at 75mph. Now you might think this description is a bit overdramatic, but I can assure you that I do not mean to hyperbolize the dangers of driving; the facts speak for themselves. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there are approximately 6.75 million car accidents per year in the US which means 18,510 crashes per day. These facts may be mind-boggling, but they are reality. Every individual can make an impact on this statistic by making purposeful decisions to drive safely.

Drivers education is a vital part of preparing young drivers for the roads. Many times, experienced drivers see some rules of the road as obvious and neglect them while teaching beginner drivers. Things like you drive with only one of your feet, cars have blind spots, and simply starting the car. These facts may seem logical to more experienced drivers, but to someone who has never been behind the wheel before these small details are not so evident. Driver education helps teach young drivers the broad topics and the tiny intricacies of the rules of the road. Most people have to go through driver education before getting their license, so why are there so many fatal car accidents despite this? Driver education is around 30 hours of work to prepare you for a lifetime of driving. So, in these hours it is important to come in with a learning attitude and ready to absorb as much information as possible. Without intentionality to actively learn driver education courses are essentially pointless. Driver education is a helpful tool to become a better driver, but the students must choose to engage to reap the benefits. Driver education lays the fundamental groundwork which drivers will build upon as they gain experience. A strong foundation is necessary to help prevent unsafe driving which can lead to fatal car crashes.

When I first began driving alone, I would not even have music playing in the car. This is because I wanted 100% of my focus on the road. I was fully alert for every second I was behind the wheel, but now when I arrive home after my routine trip from school, I do not even remember the drive. My body goes into autopilot and this unconscious cruise control can lead to irresponsible driving and car accidents. Intentionality is the overarching theme of becoming a safer driver. Steps within this goal of intentionality can be removing distractions in the car, keeping yourself accountable, and simply reminding yourself of the responsibilities you have every time you get behind the wheel for the safety of not only yourself but others. These steps are only a few which may help reduce the number of fatal car accidents. There are more obvious things like being sober and clear minded, buckling your seat belt, and keeping up on your car’s maintenance, but I want to focus on the less apparent thing which we forget daily: being intentional.

In general, I am a very cautious person, and I do not say this to prove my incredible driving capabilities, but to show how anyone can make simple driving errors. One day I woke up at about 7:05 am needing to leave my house by 7:10 am. I was running out the door and decided to take a shortcut to my school, which I had never taken before. I approached a yield sign with a car in front of me. The car in front of me moved forward and I checked to see if anyone was coming to my left and tapped the gas. I was abruptly stopped by the rear bumper of the car in front of me. I assumed the car had gone because the road was clear, but I did not physically see the car merge into the lane. This assumption caused me to rear-end the car. Although the car accident caused no injuries and little damage on either vehicle it was a wake-up call for me as a driver. On the road, you cannot assume what other cars are going to do and I have learned this lesson the hard way.

Accountability and intentionality are two of the most important assets to have while driving. Before I start my car, I eliminate the distraction of my phone by making sure it’s on silent and out of reach, I take my time checking my mirrors and remind myself it’s better to be late than to drive unsafely, and even on my daily route, I recognize that despite the roads being familiar there are still risks. All of these things remind me of the responsibility I choose to take on by driving. As I drive around my siblings or friends, we keep each other accountable by not creating a distractive environment for the driver, as well as calling each other out if we begin to fall into bad driving habits. These simple things will obviously not eliminate all car accidents, but they could definitely minimize the risk of an accident occurring. Being alert and present while on the road is a simple task that saves lives.