Don’t Forget Your Sunglasses!

My mom was six months pregnant with me and almost lost me when I was in my first car accident. I got in my second car accident on my way to school, all because of the bright sun blinding me through my windshield. Car accidents undoubtedly impact everyone everywhere, but sadly, many of these tragedies could have been prevented. As a young driver of almost two years, getting on the road can be exciting because it feels like an avenue toward independence. It is nearly every teenager’s dream to get their license the moment they turn 16, and I carried the same energy until I earned mine. But if I am honest, I could be more careful behind the wheel. One day in driver’s school, I remember the class objective focusing on the importance of having no distractions while driving. They shared the story of a young boy who became paralyzed because a distracted driver hit him. That story alone convinced me to take my new role seriously because if it were me, I would be devastated to have hit someone and shaken up the world of an innocent family. Of course, a quick song change, text back, or new notification on my phone is intriguing enough to pick it up and take a peak, but I learned that in the 3-4 seconds I take to read my message, I can drive as far as 500 yards. That is five football fields! In what seems like the quickest second or the shortest distance, my life could be changed forever. I fight the urge to pick up the phone by asking myself, “Is it worth it?” Which is usually enough to help me refocus. Even with the Bluetooth feature in my car, where I can verbalize my text messages, it still takes my mind off the road.

Unfortunately, not everyone, especially teenagers, takes driving as seriously as they should. I am undoubtedly guilty of rolling my eyes whenever my parents remind me not to speed right before I head out the door and behind the wheel. Still, those reminders have saved my life in many ways, like the story of the young boy, a million more involved teenagers whose accidents ended worse than his. In my community, during popular school year seasons like prom, I have seen some schools display a wrecked car in their front entrance to remind teens what could happen if they do not take precautions while driving. While their intention may not have been to scare us, it is a reminder that we have the luxury to choose how we behave behind the wheel and what the consequences may be if we don’t. We are prone to texting and driving, driving under the influence, or worse, because we are vulnerable to a world we have yet to understand without always realizing our temporary desire could cost us our lives. Along with the display, school systems should implement discussions with students to remind them of the importance of driver safety. Even if it only reaches one student, that is one less life lost due to negligent driving.

After my accident, I’ve experienced anxiety every time I drive, mainly because (technically) it was my fault. Thankfully, I and those impacted were not too physically harmed, but I did total my car, leaving me with immense guilt toward my parents. The sun was a killer that morning after coming around a wide bend in the road when it beamed me in the eyes. I put an arm up to block, but it was too late. I couldn’t see the brake lights of the car in front of me. All I was left with was the antagonizing smell of smoke, terrifying rounds of heart palpitations, and the sun still in my face like it was laughing at me. Ironically, I was listening to “Put On a Smile” by Silk Sonic before it was instantly cut when I slammed into the back of a Jeep (with a tire on the back!). How could I have prevented this? Sunglasses. Just 5 minutes before, I dropped my younger brother off at school– his birthday was coming up, so I helped him carry in a tray of about 30 cupcakes for his classmates, leaving my sunglasses on the passenger seat of my car. I didn’t put my sunglasses back on. I wasn’t under the influence or distracted by my phone. The accident was caused because I simply forgot to put my sunglasses back on.

I want to address a hidden distraction many drivers carry: impatience. I have countless moments of rushing out of the house to make it to an appointment, school, a birthday party, etc. What almost always is the culprit of speeding, a significant factor played in car accidents, is drivers running late. Easy solution– be more punctual! The impatience comes in when we approach a stop sign and decide not to make a complete stop. Suddenly, wherever we are going becomes more important than our safety. That is not to say we don’t care about our safety, but for a moment, a small part of it becomes diluted by a ticking clock. All too often, I see street corners and curbsides filled with flowers, candles, balloons, and teddy bears to mark the spot of a fatal car accident. I take it upon myself to not be responsible for those flowers and encourage others to do the same. When we rush, we become forgetful. Life is too precious for us to be careless on the road, but sometimes we just need a reminder!