Safe Driving

People say that high school is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. It wasn’t in my favor though; two years into high school (during my sophomore year) is when I started mourning the loss of my friend’s life. On September 29th of 2020, I was scrolling on Instagram and swiping through people’s stories. I came across someone’s account, where a post was made regarding a friend of mine. The words, “Rest in Peace,” plastered across my screen with a picture of him. I immediately thought it was a prank or a joke, because it couldn’t have really happened. The life of my friend was taken? My friend? Although I couldn’t believe it, it was true, Fidel Oseguera was killed. Fidel was riding on his bike, headed to our high school, when a truck made an illegal turn and killed him, where he was pronounced dead on the scene. To this day, I still continue to mourn the loss of his life, and I always wish the driver just followed the rules of the road- to simply just stay patient and wait for it’s turn. If they waited a few seconds longer, my friend would still be here. The reality is that people don’t take the rules of the road seriously, yet they’re pretty easy to abide by. Although, the only thing is, every state has a different set of laws regarding driving. There are some universal laws though- like not driving under the influence, no texting and driving (let alone being on your phone while driving), and to drive at the correct speed limit. As they’re universal, they’re also the leading causes in car accidents.

There are easy ways to avoid each situation. To help create a safer environment for drivers and for pedestrians. For instance, if you know you’re going to be under the influence and you know you’re supposed to drive, you can use the public transportation in your area, or Uber, Lyft, or call someone to drive you/pick you up. These alternatives can be used even if you didn’t intend or plan on being under the influence. Spending a few dollars on one of these choices is way better than risking your life along with other people’s too. You can always set up a pathway for your future, but you cannot alter your past- there’s no undoing a “mistake,” nor the ability to bring someone back to life.

There’s numerous alternatives regarding texting while driving, or using your phone in general while driving. You can always pull over to the side to answer someone- if it’s truly important; and if it isn’t that important, you can simply just wait til you get to your destination. Considering technology advanced, you can simply use your voice to text someone back (for instance, if you use Apple products, you can tell Siri to text someone a message). Just as much as you can use your voice, a majority of phones are now able to use a voice to read certain messages/notifications out loud to you. Although it might not be accurate pronunciation with certain words, it’s a lot better than looking down at your phone and distracting yourself from the road.

As for the last situation, driving the correct speed limit- this one involves a little more than just driving, it includes being mindful and aware of your surroundings. For instance, if the weather is bad, it does not mean you need to go the speed limit that’s posted, but more than likely a speed lower than that. You don’t want to risk sliding on ice during snowy weather, or risk hydroplaning when it’s raining. In these instances, it’s better to get to the slow lane and go at a comfortable speed. If you want to add additional safety, you can always turn on your emergency signal so others that are around you are aware of what you’re doing. Use your judgment well and apply it to your surroundings, it might influence someone to do the same- and they might slow down and create a safer environment.

I think back about the situation of my friend passing away, almost all the time. Especially when I’m driving, because it happened under the circumstance where someone else was driving. If the driver took a second to think, or even to say to themselves that what they were about to do is unsafe, Fidel would still be here. If they were safer rather than sorry, Fidel would’ve lived to be 19 years-old this year. But they didn’t; the guilt of someone else’s life is in their hands. It’s better to take a few more minutes out of your day to follow the law, if it meant that it kept you alive and those around you alive as well. Pull over if you honestly need to, or just wait. Call someone to get you, because someone is always willing to do it- instead of risking your life. Drive slower, because there’s someone that’s probably waiting on you to get home safely. Waiting on that, “I’m home,” text, so they can simply breathe. The safer is honestly the better.