Fuel the Drive to Drive Safely

We
had left Nagercoil, India and were basically parked on the highway.
Lanes seemed to be obsolete as vehicles shifted directions, but then
the car jostled forward. Our taxi driver slammed the horn and threw
open his door. A massive bus with a bunch of teenagers standing in
the front had just bumped into us. I was in elementary school, but I
remember my parents and the driver yelling to the towering tons of
metal behind us‒I didn’t think it was that bad, but now I realize
the adults were so angry because of how much worse it could have
been. There are many steps we as individuals and society can take to
make sure we are all driving safely.

Driver’s
education made me terrified of operating a vehicle. After cementing
several texting and driving, drunk driving, and drowsy driving videos
into my mind, I shuddered at the thought of someone not following the
law or myself even getting distracted. However, the classes also
helped me become confident while driving as I learned the curriculum
and practiced more behind the wheel. Drivers ed courses need
to instill in their students respect for other drivers and the road
while also encouraging them as they become more experienced.
Following proper safety guidelines and being aware of one’s
surroundings goes a long way.

One
of my friends moved to my city because of a car accident. It was 8:30
pm, and she was in the car with her brother and parents travelling
westbound on the highway when a car going eastbound, trying to pass a
trailer, crashed into them head on. Both of her parents were killed.
The driver in the other car was also killed, and her husband was
later pronounced dead at the hospital. My friend and her brother were
transported to separate hospitals with serious injuries. By God’s
grace, however, the children survived, and my friend now lives with
her aunt’s family, and I’m so thankful to know her and believe with
her that she’ll see her parents again. But we can learn from these
tragedies.

It
is the responsibility of every driver to travel with caution and
without haste. When I was still afraid of driving, I would ask my
dad, “Can’t I just drive bumper cars?” But unfortunately
our vehicles are not cushioned with rubber bumpers, and there is no
invisible electrified ceiling‒in fact, I’m certain our cars are
closer related to tin cans. We should work to make sure everyone is
educated about safe driving choices: a safe driving awareness week in
school should be more prominent, similar to how Red Ribbon week is
introduced in grade school. Regarding laws, we need to advocate for a
lower Blood Alcohol Concentration level restriction to match other
developed nations; the same could be done for speed limits.

Nevertheless,
the driver is the one that makes the choice. We need to steer our
culture towards valuing the road and all drivers, so we can fuel the
drive to drive safely.