Getting From Point A to Point B

It seems obvious that driving should be taken seriously at all times. You’re in a heavy high-speed vehicle which could kill anyone in an instant at the slightest poor decision or lack of caution. Yet, when you stop and think about it, most of us throw caution to the wind when we step foot into a vehicle. We view it simply as a mode of transportation and nothing more–something convenient that swiftly carries us from point A to point B. We drive past car accidents on the interstate or an intersection and think “I’m going to be late for work if this wreck isn’t cleared soon.” The truth is we have become numb to the realities of driving, and for most of us we don’t fear it at all. This is something that must change because lives are at stake, yours included.

Driving education is one of the first and most beneficial ways that car-accident-related deaths can be minimized. If we take the time to ensure all student drivers take driver’s education, and take it seriously, so many accidents, injuries, and tragic losses can be avoided. Because I’m in high school and have been driving a while, I’ve witnessed countless uneducated driving errors the past few years. People cut one another off, neglect the use of blinkers, and fearlessly get as close to the car in front of them as possible. I’ve also seen many people texting, speeding, and exiting a broken-down car from the driver’s side on the interstate. If people would simply take the time and effort to be properly educated on driving, the roads would be so much safer for all of us. In driver’s education you not only learn how to operate a vehicle but how to handle certain situations such as what to do if your car begins to spin out on wet or icy roads. Although enforcing a more strict and thorough driver’s education course would not eliminate all accident-related deaths, it would certainly cut out many preventable accidents. People always have the choice of being a responsible or irresponsible driver, but if everyone is educated on driver safety, we at least give everyone the opportunity to be a responsible driver. Without the proper education, a driver automatically becomes irresponsible. This is a risk none of us should be taking because we can’t afford it.

In addition to enforcing proper driver’s education, there’s a multitude of steps that can be taken to prevent deaths related to driving. One step is also one of the most important lessons of driving that I’ve learned which came from my dad. He told me to never rush because of another driver and don’t do anything unless I feel safe. When I first started driving, I would get nervous at a stop sign or intersection and feel rushed to go if another car was behind me. I would feel the need to speed out into traffic so the person behind me wouldn’t be upset that I was taking too long for a clear spot on the road. Even now I often have to remind myself that someone honking at me out of impatience is better than turning onto a busy street and getting hit by another car. Although this lesson was meant to make me feel less anxious about turning onto a road, this same lesson could and should be applied to drivers who make hasty decisions in order to hurry and get to things like work, school, or a party. Our modern world moves at high speeds, and we have to remind ourselves that being a few minutes late to an event is nothing in comparison to losing your life or causing the death of someone else due to an irresponsible driving choice.

Another step that could be taken to prevent deaths related to driving is to turn off your cell phone notifications. In the modern world, technology is everywhere at all times. Cell phones are convenient and amazingly beneficial for an infinite list of situations, but driving is certainly not included in that. So many people drive distracted because they’re talking on the phone, texting someone back, or adjusting their music playlist. Something that has helped me and my friends with driving distracted is to put our phones on “Do Not Disturb” which is a feature on iPhones. People are still able to reach you if it’s an emergency, but texts from friends or family members that can wait until you safely arrive to wherever you’re going will be silenced to eliminate the temptation to use your phone while driving. Without that temptation, you can focus on driving and avoid a fatal accident making the road safer not just for you but for the drivers around you as well.

You might be thinking I’m simply writing this essay in the hopes of winning this scholarship. Although it would be helpful to pay for my college expenses, this essay hits a little bit deeper for me. A few years ago, my parents were on a weeklong business trip in Mexico, so my grandmother was taking care of me and my younger sister until they got back. One day after school, my sister had cheer practice, and my grandmother drove her. They asked if I wanted to ride along, but I had some homework, so I decided to stay home alone for a while. Not long after they left, I got a text from one of my friends saying there had been an accident. A teacher at my sister’s elementary school who knew my friend’s mom witnessed the accident and knew my parents were out of town. I remember thinking I was being pranked or that some information was wrong. What could have happened so quickly? It had to be someone else’s family members. There had to be some mistake. My friend called me and said she and her mom would come pick me up so I wouldn’t have to be alone, and I was told that only a few minutes down the road my grandmother’s car had flipped upside down with her and my sister inside. All I was told was my sister was okay, but they didn’t know if my grandmother would make it or even if she was still alive. I can still remember how shaky I was and suddenly ice cold. I sat in my room crying and praying that my sister and grandmother weren’t seriously hurt until my friend came to pick me up. Eventually I was able to visit my grandmother at the hospital, and she had a fractured sternum but was overall going to recover fine. My sister came out almost completely unscathed besides some bruises, but she was traumatized for a long time. People often think they will never be involved in an accident so serious or nearly fatal. We, as humans, think we’re invincible and that driving is simply going from point A to point B, but I’ve witnessed the consequences of driving accidents and their impacts on everything in life. My sister refused to go anywhere in a car, cried at the sound of sirens, and was often anxious or emotional after what she went through. I struggled with letting my sister out of my sight and later got anxiety at intersections when I began driving, worrying that any day I could be put in the same situation. My parents now have an extra dose of worrying whenever they go out of town without us, and my grandmother often feels guilty that my sister had to experience an accident that severe at such a young age. The repercussions of a car accident are worrisome and lasting not to mention the fact that the one my family went through wasn’t fatal. Fatalities due to car accidents and just car accidents in general are nothing close to lighthearted, so next time you step foot into a vehicle, force yourself to be responsible, patient, and focused. Driving is life or death. You can survive not checking your phone for twenty minutes or being a little late to work, but you can’t come back from a fatal car accident. Take driving seriously.