Living in America, cars have been more than just a means of transportation—they’ve been a constant presence in my life, from the car seat to the driver’s seat. But it wasn’t until I got behind the wheel myself that I truly understood how easily the routine of driving can lull us into a false sense of security. My parents were my chauffer's, my mom being the most memorable. From a young age she would fill my head with stories of the gruesome events on the road, from beheadings to people flying through the windshield. This, as one would expect, had a lasting impact on me. But her stories did the trick. Not a day goes by that I don’t wear a seatbelt.
Despite the horror stories, I never truly felt scared of driving. Not only were my parents' drivers I could trust, but I was also confident in the idea that if one always followed the rules of safety, they would avoid the tragedies that could happen. But as I grew older, I began to wonder why exactly so many car accidents happened. My question was answered when I first got my permit.
I discovered just how easy it is to forget how dangerous driving can be, especially when it is so embedded into our routines. Being reckless, intoxicated, and even just distracted can put one's life in jeopardy. One of the most common distractions on the road is cellphones. Cellphones have been around since I was born, with the technology constantly evolving to keep us absorbed in them. I realized just how dangerous this was when I got behind the wheel. Suddenly the small rectangle I had always used without fear could lead me to my death. A simple text message and I might not see tomorrow. Using your cellphone has also been proven to slow reaction time - something that is critical when you have control of a 2-ton vehicle. But what is even more terrifying is even with this fact, cellphone use is common on the roads. Stoplights, neighborhoods, and even freeways. People use their phones not because they are unaware of the dangers, but because they have faith in their abilities. “Its just for a second”, “I am glancing up at the road every few seconds”, “Nothing happens in this neighborhood”. These seemingly harmless thoughts lead to tragedies every day.
There have been times when I too have faced the consequences of distracted driving. My dad always tells me to read traffic, but I quickly realized it wasn’t just the freeway that I needed to be cautious on. About a month after I got my license I got into a small accident. I backed out of my Grandparents driveway onto a hill. My siblings were distracting me, and I didn’t hit the brakes fast enough. I bumped into a parked car. Though that was definitely not a fun way to start my Sunday, I am grateful it happened. It reaffirmed one of the first things my mom taught me – accidents happen in familiar places. I needed to be cautious no matter where I was. The second lesson I learned when the stakes were much higher. I was preparing to pull out into a main road from a neighborhood. At that point I was focused on getting home so I neglected to truly observe my surroundings. If I had I would have seen a car coming from my left just a bit too fast. To this day I am not sure how I managed to avoid the car, along with the one coming from my right a few seconds after. As I drove home shaking, I was met with the terrifying realization that I could have died. I realized I couldn’t afford to be neglectful. Every time I got into my car there was a risk of not getting out of it. But I was lucky - I learned these lessons without facing worse consequences.
I have heard many stories of people who have suffered the repercussions of unsafe driving. I remember hearing about a woman who got into an accident in the freeway with her young son. The entire car flipped just because she had checked her phone. They were lucky though. One of the worst stories I heard was when an entire family was killed due to reckless driving. The other car had been going in the opposite direction trying to pass. The only survivor was in critical condition, and did not know that his wife, kids, and brother were gone. In the blink of an eye, their lives were lost. All the life they had lived up to that point was snuffed out.
I began to realize that I was woefully unprepared for the worst-case scenarios. I signed up for a driver's education course. In just one day, I learned essential skills I had never even considered—how to stay calm in an emergency, how to control a skid, how to avoid road debris. These things that I had no preparation for were suddenly clear and simple. This course made me realize just how unhelpful most of my knowledge was. My parents were good sources of information, but many people didn’t have access to the same knowledge as I do. In my state of Nevada there are not nearly enough accessible drivers ed courses. This fact means that there are tons of preventable crashes every day.
It is worth noting though, that as many crashes happen every day, there are even more crashes that don’t happen. That is because people are safe, cautious, and prepared. I myself have been able to avoid some terrible accidents because of what I have learned. Drivers' education is essential for protecting people, and it is important to keep pushing for it. It has saved lives before and will certainly continue to do so. I am someone who truly loves to drive, and I am grateful that I have been taught how.