How Their Pain Can Change Us

Two accidents changed my driving drastically.

A few days before
Thanksgiving I was off to school. As I approached the stop sign, I
hurriedly looked right and left as I moved forward. Mid-intersection
I saw a black car that I had overlooked. I was already in the middle
of the intersection and the car was coming fast. Everything happened
so fast. Everything slowed down as the cars collided. Metal crushed.
I jerked forward. My brain was going crazy. I had just gotten in a
crash. I had ruined my brother’s baby-a red Tacoma. It was my fault
and my dad was gonna kill me. I just sat there and cried. The cops
came, which scared me. I had never talked to cops and I was in the
wrong. Luckily no one was hurt. However, I had crushed pride and
extreme guilt. The end result was two totalled cars, $2,500 in
damages, no car for three months, and a driving course. I learned a
lesson that I will never forget, one that couldn’t be taught any
more powerfully.

Two days before
Christmas, my cousin Jordin, her husband Devin and their two-year-old
daughter Lyla drove to a family Christmas celebration. This Christmas
season had been a good one-instantly that all changed. Their car was
hit head on. The car rolled four times across the entire highway. In
only seconds Jordin and Lyla´s lives were forever changed. The smell
of crushed metal and charred rubber filled the air. Glass and blood
were everywhere. As she sat there pinned to her seat, she watched her
husband gasp for his last breaths. The scene was chaotic and
horrific. As seconds became minutes, people rushed to try and help
this family. Sirens shrieked. Red and blue lights flashed. All three
of them were rushed away in an ambulance. Within a few minutes of her
being in a hospital a nurse came to tell the sad news, “I’m so
sorry he didn’t make it.¨ She learned that because of the impact
her husband’s organs had bled out. Christmas Eve she was released
from the hospital. Instead of planning New Year´s she now got to
plan a funeral. My cousin was hit by a drowsy driver and that changed
her life forever. Because of a careless decision on the road, she is
left to navigate this life alone with her daughter.

…

When it comes to
driving people need to be educated more than just a driver´s
manual.In Arizona, a driver´s ed class isn´t required, so that
would be a good start. More extensive driverś education is
important. Part of that education should be meeting those affected by
crashes. Hearing their stories and the negative consequences will
have powerful impacts. States need to set aside money for these
speakers to educate new drivers. Driving while distracted, drowsy, or
in a hurry causes too many accidents. The individual states need to
make it a priority to reduce the number of crashes due to these
factors.