The Blink of an Eye

As quickly as a
blink of an eye, my car is being launched to the side of the road. I
have absolutely no control over the wheel as my car is flung from one
concrete wall to the next. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I call
for help even though no one can hear me. The airbags are starting to
block my vision as they bruise my body. I no longer know where I am
or how far I have travelled. I can hear the parts of my car falling
off and into the streets, praying that no one else is being injured
from my accident. As I look over to my left, I see I am on a highway
above an overpass- inches from falling off. The concrete walls beat
my car up, eventually knocking the engine out of place and allowing
my car to halt. I manage to escape the car as I climb through all the
airbags. My body is covered in bruises and it is hard to breathe. A
stranger pulled off to the side of the road to check if I was okay.
She then explained to me that she was driving right behind me and saw
the whole thing happen. My tire has popped and sent my car swerving
into the concrete walls. She also reassured me by saying I controlled
the situation well, hit no other cars, and did the best that I could
to be safe. This whole accident happened while driving safely and
focused on the road. I had absolutely no distractions to divert my
attention.

After that accident
I was petrified to ever drive again, because it was totally out of my
control and I was driving properly. I then realized how much worse it
could have been had I actually been distracted. I never text and
drive or have any other distracting factors in the vehicle while I am
on the road. Had I not been paying attention, I could have hit
another car or made the wreck worse and ended my life. The fear of
driving again grew as I realized how worse the situation could have
been if that accident had been due to my distracted driving. I
pondered how anyone can drive distracted while knowing the harm that
it can bring to themselves and others. To this day, I am still scared
to drive. As I drive by the location of the accident, I tightened
every part of my body, scared it will happen again. Anytime a car is
near me I freak out and worry that they will hit me due to
multitasking on the road.

For me, I am
usually a pretty safe driver. In order to ensure that I have
absolutely no distractions I can turn down the radio and limit the
number of people in my car so they do not distract me at all. I never
text while driving, so as long as I continue that habit I will
protect myself and others on the road. For others on the road I
obviously have less control over them; however, if anyone else is
driving me and doing any sort of activity that would take from their
focus, I will ask them to stop and stress the importance of safe
driving. I could even make campaigns or posters for my community to
show the true importance and ensure everyone’s safety. Making sure
the people around me are driving safe is a start to reducing the
number of deaths. Sharing true stories of accidents and scary driving
experiences can show the dangers of distracted driving. Along with
that, I think if it is recommended to have driving education then it
can lower the number of deaths as well. Driving education can not
only teach one how to drive properly but also what to avoid doing in
order to save lives. Practicing safe driving from the start of one’s
driving career can ensure safety and smart habits from the start.