Lessons in Safe Driving

I remember being in the car with my sister behind the wheel as she learned to drive. My mom was panicked, and my dad was tense. I was terrified. I didn’t have a lot of trust in my sister’s ability- or desire- to keep me alive in the back seat. This was long before cell phones were computers and texting killed innocent people. I had all the makings of a true ‘backseat driver”, pressing an imaginary brake pedal that I didn’t even fully understand. Driver’s education was mandatory at our high school, and rightfully so! The complaints were numerous among students, but I think every one of us secretly valued being taught the real and lawful rules of the road by someone other than a family member. The things I learned in that class are some of the standards I held my sister to, and the ones that made me feel safe when I began to drive two years later.

Driver’s education is for everyone. Not just so they can pass the written test to perform a practical exam, but to stay alive on the road. While Aeorphobia is a very real fear that affects over 25 million people every year, Amaxophobia, or the fear of driving or riding in a vehicle, is a fear less often discussed. It is, however, a far more rational fear as car accidents caused 31,720 deaths in 2021 in the US, compared to 134 deaths from plane crashes. We continue to get in our cars every day and drive to work, drive through the carpool line, drive through restaurants, and drive on vacations across the continental US. And about that education we got at age 16? I know I can’t remember all of the rules, and I would bet that most drivers don’t. What I know, though, is that knowing what to do at a flashing yellow or red light is information that we should be able to queue up in the blink of an eye when we need it, and that knowledge alone can save a life. Not using a turn signal, driving through vacant spaces in parking lots, and not knowing who has the right of way when turning left on a busy road are all things that are important to know and potentially save lives. Yet, a driver education refresher isn’t required after we pass that test at age 16. Drivers aged 16-95 are all relying on that initial class.

To be certified in Basic Life Support/CPR a person must take a class every 2 years, and pass a test. We renew our driver’s license and passports, but no one ever asks if we are still qualified to drive, without due cause. The same test that must be taken and passed to earn the opportunity to take the practical exam should be repeated with every license renewal. What would happen if we held drivers more accountable for knowing the rules? I have to believe they would be broken far less often. Perhaps punishments should be more severe? Instead of a fine for passing a school bus or running through a stop sign, the driver’s license is suspended for a month. Maybe the driver is assigned hundreds of hours of community service? With stakes this high there should be far fewer issues.

When I was fourteen years old my family of four was riding in a CJ7, an “old school” Jeep Wrangler. The top was down and the doors were off, and my dad was behind the wheel. While stopped and waiting to turn left into our driveway we were struck from behind by a car going 45 MPH. We were catapulted all the way to the next driveway, which was not close by. My parents were able to get out of the car, shaken but unharmed. I was temporarily paralyzed and was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital, 45 minutes away. When I was out of shock I too was unharmed, but the feeling of that impact is something I will never forget. As a result of this accident my sister’s wisdom teeth became impacted and she required surgery. It took years for my parents to get through court- the driver was not only drunk in the middle of the day, but was driving to an illegal bar to continue drinking when he rear-ended our car. I don’t know who he was, or what happened to him, but I do know that what I received as compensation from that injury in that accident paid for my first year of college. Drinking and driving is a separate topic that I will not comment on any further in this essay, but it has impacted my life many times with loss.

As a result of being asked the question, and a result of writing this essay I am going to review the laws of driving like I am my 16 year old self again, desperate to pass the written drivers’ test. I will continue to obey the rules of driving that I know by heart, and I will encourage my family and friends to do the same. With social media at my finger tips I will post some links to local laws and reminders for anyone who may be interested. I will continue to drive safely by avoiding driving when I am tired, and will never drink and drive. My family and friends know they can count on me for a ride when they need one.

I am not alone in being affected by unsafe drivers, and it happens too often that a loved one is gone as a result of a car accident. As a parent of two children I drive more cautiously than ever, and am a very critical judge of other drivers’ skills. Around me I see room for improvement from every angle. I hope that laws change to mandatory retesting to renew a license, and I will support any political candidate who pushes for that. In the meantime I will keep my hands at 10:00 and 2:00, my phone away from my person, and my eyes on the road.