Are You Sure?

Driving, the thing we all look forward to when turning 16. No more parent to your right, and no more nagging from that backseat driver who might be known as your sibling. But what does this mean now? Does this mean freedom or the opposite, fear? Can you be sure of yourself and those who surround you? Are you even certain you're ready? While these are all questions that we are faced with when we’re ready to get behind the wheel, should we be asking ourselves even more? 

My dad taught me how to drive. He taught me the ins and outs of the road and even the dreaded parallel parking. The one thing I can remember him telling me in one of those long lessons is, “You can only be sure of yourself and not others.” To me, this meant keeping my eyes on the road, obeying all traffic laws, and being a Good Samaritan. Later on, however, I realized this meant to keep control of myself. To only get on the road when I was sure I could drive to the fullest of my abilities. This meant getting behind the wheel only when capable. No distracted driving, no drunk driving, and no late-night driving when you felt like sleeping. Relatively easy for me, but how about others?

The reality of this situation is harsh. Not everybody is so capable of following these rules and obeying the laws. Deaths due to impaired driving accidents are on the rise, and that’s a scary thing to think about. If you obey the rules, how can you be sure those around you are also obeying the same set of rules? After all, you’re the only one in charge behind the wheel. You’re only responsible for yourself; you can only predict what you’re going to do in a given situation. You’re the only one that makes the choice to get in a vehicle and behind the wheel. This leaves the question of how others can be certain about their own judgment. I believe that this answer lies in the courses of driver’s education and traffic safety. 

In driver’s education and traffic safety courses, this harsh reality is shown. Whether this be in the form of videos or law enforcement coming in to talk about their personal experiences, you can truly grasp what consequences come with impaired driving. From my own driver’s education course, I can distinctly remember watching a video about distracted driving. This teen had been out driving with friends, not wearing a seatbelt and on their phone. They had crashed, and they had been the only one to survive. This video made me realize how quickly everything could change, how something so seemingly unimportant could cost someone their life. This video then came back to mind when my dad said his infamous quote, “You can only be sure of yourself and not others.” That quote and this video still stick with me when I enter my own vehicle.

Having my own vehicle has also made me a more aware driver. I bought my car by myself after long summers of working, and impaired driving means a potential accident. Due to this, I know to drive only when I am confident in my abilities. For me the most prevalent form of impaired driving is fatigued driving. I believe this is the most common form of impaired driving because it is somewhat expected in today’s society. Whether this be high schoolers coming home from away games late at night or employees coming home from a long day of work, fatigue is common and often expected. While it’s expected, I believe you should know your limits. I believe you should know if you're capable of making it home or to your next destination. If you feel like you can’t make it where you need to, don’t get behind the wheel and find someone else to take you. If you're not sure of yourself, you are putting others in harm’s way.

In all, I believe that driver’s training and traffic safety courses are necessary to keep the roads safe. These courses show the consequences of poor choices and teach you how to make well-informed decisions. These decisions not only keep you safe but also those around you as well. My dad always says, “You can only be sure of yourself and not others,” and this stands true. You're only in control of yourself on the road; you can’t control others, and you can't be sure that others are sure of themselves. This means only getting behind the wheel when you are confident and capable. Being aware of your limits and always having a backup plan.