The more you know.

Drivers
education is very important on and off the road. It is important to
know how to be a safe driver as well as a safe pedestrian. The first
step to safe driving is to be aware of the surroundings and be
cautious not only of what you are doing but others around you also.
Accidents happen most of the time because of careless driving. Types
of careless driving might include texting, speeding, and passing when
it is not safe to do so. Practicing to be a safe and aware driver
will strongly reduce the number of deaths that result from driving.
On March 2, 2019 I was in a car accident. I was driving on the
highway wearing my seatbelt in inclement weather and I was giving one
hundred percent of my attention to the road because there was
freezing rain. I thought I was being very cautious and doing
everything right, but it came to my attention that even if I wasn’t
texting or speeding and I was going the speed limit that I was still
being irresponsible. But how was I being irresponsible? I was doing
everything I was supposed to. When there was ice on the road I should
have been going under the speed limit for safety precautions, instead
I was going the speed limit exactly. As a result, I slid on black ice
and rolled my 1996 white Grand Jeep Cherokee named Petey. It was
hands down the scariest moment of my life, I tried to correct when I
started to slide and eventually I felt Petey and myself go airborne.
Rolling happened so fast, yet it felt like slow motion. I opened my
eyes and I saw my windshield cave into me, glass and dirt flew
everywhere along with all of my belongings. When I opened my eyes I
was in a tight space. My windshield was caved in, my roof had caved
in and was resting on the top of my head leaving bruises on my skull,
my drivers side door was pushing on my legs, it was cold, and all I
could do was thank God. I thanked him that I was alive. I also
thanked my seatbelt. Without that one strap, my life would have
ended. I frantically searched for my phone and called my dad, and
told him. I was shivering in the cold and shaking with fear. Then
finally some strangers came to my window and helped me. They called
911 and the first person who arrived was my close friend Tyler. I was
so happy to see someone that I knew. I told him what happened and
then the ambulance, police, and firefighters came. They asked me a
billion questions at light speed. I was so overwhelmed, I could not
even think straight. They let me go home because I had no major
injuries, just bruising and a concussion. I had to miss a week of
school because of my head injury. To this day I refuse to drive when
it is snowy outside, I have nightmares from it. I am one in a
million, and extremely lucky. In my opinion the first step to being a
safe driver is to always wear a seatbelt, because you never know when
something bad can happen and how much it will protect you. I always
wear mine, even if I am driving a block because it saved my life. Put
your phone up, go the speed limit, be aware, and click your seatbelt
before you go anywhere in a car. You only get one life, live it
right, and live it safe.