It’s two in the morning, you have class in seven hours, and you’re driving to your dorm—with three hours still to go. It’s been a long day; you have never been much of a coffee person, so you’ve only had water throughout the day. Every minute drags on, every light floating by on the highway just a streak in your increasingly blurred vision. You try to turn the radio on louder, try opening the window to get a shock of cold air, try pinching your arm, jolting up in your seat. You try anything and everything in order to stay awake just enough for the next second, and the next, and the next. . .
I was a new driver myself not too long ago. I was nervous at first, but over time I felt myself getting more comfortable behind the wheel—perhaps too comfortable. Something that all drivers, especially new drivers, need to understand is that you cannot become a complacent driver. This is not at all limited to your actions in the car; this includes your actions before you even step into the driver’s seat. According to the CDC, people driving while tired resulted in 72,000 car crashes in 2013. Drivers, new or old, should always strive be educated on the risks that they take on while driving and should know what options they have to avoid risks. You cannot be complacent and drive tired. You cannot be complacent and text while driving. You cannot be complacent and drive intoxicated. You cannot be complacent and let your emotions dictate how you drive. You cannot be complacent and let your actions behind the wheel affect yourself or other people. You must find or create ways to eliminate taking risks while driving.
When I was quite young, I remember stepping outside to hear police sirens coming from somewhere down my road. I later learned that one of my neighbors in their late teens, who was driving under the influence and without a seatbelt, flew out of their front windshield as they crossed railroad tracks at a high speed. As a small child, I didn’t comprehend exactly what was going on; however, as I get older, I understand how prevalent complacent driving can be, and how dangerous it can be. Looking back on it now, at the risk that I took to drive at 2am, tired and without coffee, I understand that I should have stayed where I was, gotten rest I needed, and accepted missing a class. It scares me to think that one little slip could have led to myself or other people being seriously injured. Missing out on a class will always be preferable to missing out on a life, and I will remember that forever.