Driver Education Initiative – Your Actions Have Consequences

Name: Sarah
Pallister

From: New
Brunswick, Canada

Grade: Senior
in University

School: Université de Moncton

Your Actions Have Consequences

In my province
of New Brunswick, many young drivers and passengers have lost their
lives in car accidents. Drivers ed is an essential key to
understanding the dangers of driving a motorized vehicle. It helps
you form a basic understanding of certain situations you may face in
everyday life, while on the road. Whether it be hydroplaning, black
ice, fog or snowstorm, drivers ed gives you the tools and
knowledge you need to be prepared for such inevitable obstacles.

But here’s
the catch, diver education is only effective if you commit to
learning and storing the information given to you. While driving, do
not pick up your phone when you get a text message, do not blast your
music when your favorite song comes on and do not get in the car with
your buddy who has only had “a few drinks”. This may all seem
evident to you, but if you are not actively thinking about the
repercussions when you are making the decision, it may not. It is up
to you to be conscious of your decisions, it could save your life or
even someone else’s life.

Having only
obtained my driver’s permit at the age of 19, I have always been
very timid about getting behind the wheel. I was involved in a car
accident only 6 months after earning my license. I was turning left
onto an adjacent street when I was hit. The other vehicle was behind
me before I turned and tried to illegally pass me, causing us to
collide in the oncoming lane as I turned left. The lady in the other
vehicle had a two-year-old in the back seat. She was on her way to
pick up her other son at school. We pulled over and assessed the
situation. Bystanders came to help us. Being that I was a young girl
at the time, they assumed I was to blame for the accident. The mother
seemed very frantic, so I had to get her information and write down
my information for her. The damage to my car alone added up to over
CAD $5,500. Fortunately, there was a dashcam attached to the other
vehicle, showing I was not at fault for the collision.

This is a
great example of why drivers ed is so important. Had the other
driver known that attempting to pass me at that location was illegal,
she might not have tried it. Or better yet, had she considered the
repercussions of trying to pass illegally, maybe the entire situation
could have been avoided. From that accident, I have learned to always
be aware of my surroundings. I cannot control what others do, but I
can prepare myself for what may come by being aware. Overall, I
suggest we all consider the consequences of our actions and stay
conscious of what goes on around us.