An Unknown Weapon

The car is a weapon. Those are the words that my mom always told me from the first time I started driving. When driving, we don’t only expose ourselves to dangerous situations, but we expose the ones around us as well. With thousands of teens dying each year due to car accidents, actions need to be taken.

The process to get a driver's licence or permit is to start by taking a drivers ed course. I remember when I personally had to take mine;the long hours of watching videos and taking quizzes over the readings, all seemed to take forever, but just recently I understood how important these classes can be when finally taking on the road. Just a week ago I got in a car accident, my first car accident ever. It was a very scary experience. I was driving home to go eat lunch, taking the route I always take. When I suddenly got hit. All that I can remember is opening my eyes and seeing all the smoke coming out of the trunk of my car. I looked down and saw that my airbag had exploded. Scared and full of adrenaline, I took off my seatbelt and got out of the car to see if I was okay. I was scared and remember thinking “did I pass the stop sign?” but looking back at the street I was driving on, I realized that it was the other vehicle that did not stop at the sign. The whole front of my car was wrecked. There was liquid coming out, and all I could hear was my ears ringing. It really looked like I was part of a movie that I did not want to be a part of. After long hours of being outside talking to my parents, police officers, firefighters, and the other driver, they towed my car and the other one out of the scene and gave the other driver a ticket for not stopping at the stop sign. Now I find myself reflecting on what could've happened if I wasn't wearing my seatbelt, or if I would have been speeding, or if I was driving while using my phone. All of these things. As obvious as they may sound, are things that are reinforced while taking a drivers ed course. I wouldn't even want to think of what could've happened to me if I haven't taken drivers ed.

Remembering the things learned during drivers ed, can save our lives and the people around us. Understanding the rules of driving before getting behind the wheel can change someone's life completely. I believe that if all drivers had to learn defensive driving we could minimize the common errors that cause car accidents and deaths. Another option I think would be good to reduce car accidents would be to put the phone on do not disturb while driving . Thousands of people die due to phone usage while driving. Putting the phone on Do not disturb can ensure that no distractions will be caused by the phone while driving. Something as simple as clicking on a button before driving can save tons of lives including ours. I hope that telling my story could influence others. Reminding myself to always be cautious when driving and of the consequences that can come when not driving responsibly, I can make myself a safer driver. In these past days of family and friends asking me if I'm okay, and me explaining what happened the day of the accident, makes me realize how my story influences others to drive more responsibly.

In a way, my car accident is also a reason why I decided to apply for this scholarship. It opened my eyes to realizing how powerful a vehicle can be and how important it is to use it the correct way.