I remember standing in my kitchen as my dad got the call from a local officer that my teenage brother had been in a car accident. He had just gotten his license about five months prior. Out for a drive over spring break, my brother and his friends had no idea what was coming for them. While traveling along Ocean Dr. an older gentleman took a left turn at a red light, right in front of them. My brother, Ty, had no way to stop from hitting this man and his wife given that he was traveling about forty miles per hour. After correcting as much as he could to avoid hitting their vehicle, our little convertible car took a full spin. The accident ended with him and his two friends t-boning the other car and hitting the concrete wall bordering a home alongside the road. After a few stitches and check-ups, everyone was sent on their way that night. In the end, my mom's Saab was the one that took the brunt of it. Although we were lucky that no one was severely harmed that day, the frightening experience stuck with my brother. He suffered from a countless amount of sleepless nights. The post-traumatic stress from the incident took a toll on him. He had to join therapy for the first time to be able to move forward. We may be the ones paying attention in the driver's seat, but ultimately our driving choices and habits have the power to affect us all. We have to choose to pay attention, choose to not look at our phones, and choose to follow road laws. It all boils down to whether you want to play it safe or not so safe.
I think we can all agree that driving is a big part of our everyday life. According to “Safe Roads USA,” an estimated 136 million Americans are on the roads each day across America. Without driving, the numerous tasks of the day would be nearly impossible to complete. Driving makes it possible for mom to get to the carpool line just in time before her eight am meeting. After her long day of work, she rushes off to four o’clock baseball and gymnastics practices just before hitting up the grocery store to grab last-minute dinner plans. Some drivers spend all day in the driver's seat due to their profession. With all of this being said, safe or not-so-safe driving habits affect everyone’s day-to-day life. This includes our mom, dad, kids, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends. Some of us may have siblings taking on the driver's seat for the first time.
I am lucky to live in the state of Texas, where a driver's education course is required for the ages of fourteen to twenty-five before obtaining a license. Our driver's education course includes a minimum of 32 hours of video and study materials to complete followed by observation hours in the backseat of a vehicle. Thirty hours of behind-the-wheel practice must also take place with an adult that is at-least twenty-one before arriving at the Department of Motor Vehicles Center to obtain your license. Drivers Education Courses are a great way for inexperienced drivers to learn the proper rules and precautions to take. Learning topics such as traffic laws, defensive driving, road signs, how to share the road, and the risks and consequences of drinking and driving are all points to prepare drivers and help to prevent lives from being lost on the road.
Some efforts I can take to be a safer driver would be keeping my music down at a lower volume so I can keep my full attention on the road. Turning my phone on do not disturb, silent, or focus mode is another productive step I could take before getting in my car. Offering to drive family or friends home after a night out is another great way I can help support safe driving.
Safer roadways start with less distracted driving. We have to be more intentional and careful with our driving habits and decisions. While efforts to make the roadway safer by installing more safety features such as guardrails or rumble strips may be a step in the right direction, they are not guaranteed to be effective with distracted drivers behind the wheel. Glancing down at your most recent phone notification, shuffling to the next song in your Spotify playlist, speeding to make it on time, or rushing through a yellow light instead of slowing down are all unsafe habits that most of us can admit to doing. We have to start asking ourselves if these actions are worth the consequences that could potentially follow? Our safest roadways yet may lie ahead but the road to get there takes a group effort. We have to vow to be more intentional, careful, and alert drivers. Are you going to choose to play it safe?