Defense is the Best Offense

Defense is the Offense by Halley Lowdermilk

When I was in elementary school, my family was involved in a four car wreck, which resulted in a truck on top of our minivan. I remember standing on the sidewalk feeling as if my entire body was vibrating and a woman asking my mother if she had seen what happened. My mother informed her that we had just been hit by another car that had flipped over the divider in the road. Following the wreck I was informed that the stretch of road we had been on was accident prone. Flash forward to high school, I was anxious to start driving. I took every precaution possible, read every word of my online drivers ed, and asked questions whenever I had any doubts. Even before I could start driving I still practiced car safety. I always required that my friends wore seatbelts, that balloons stayed out of the driver’s field of vision, turned off any light when asked, and respected the driver’s wishes to turn down the radio- or stop talking so loudly.

As texting became more popular I assisted my mom with responding on her Blackberry, so naturally, as a passenger, I offer to look up directions, answer messages, or change the music on the driver’s phone so that distraction is eliminated. As a driver, I put my phone on do not disturb while driving, and instead of texting I will use Siri to make a call if it is really that important. I also make it clear to my passengers that I may ask for quiet or tell them if the music is too loud, or for them to calm down if they are being too rambunctious. Despite all the precautions I take, I still think it is hard driving knowing that other people aren’t as cautious of a driver as I am. Slowing down at yellow lights, making eye contact with pedestrians, checking blindspots and mirrors, using blinkers all seem like common sense to me, but I have been a passenger in countless cars where the driver has ignored these actions altogether. If people were educated on how to be a defensive driver whilst learning the rules of the road, practicing safe road etiquette would become second nature. Educating drivers of the rules of the road is one important aspect of reducing accidents. Another important part of drivers ed is fostering good habits. I was required to practice driving with an adult for 6 months after receiving my permit in order to get my license, however, my friends that were 18+ did not need to spend any time with a driving instructor, nor did they need to wait to take their driving test. Even after 6 months of diligent practice I wasn’t quite ready to take on long drives or freeways, and I was even grateful for the no 21 and under passenger rule. I spent that whole year after receiving my permit practicing defensive driving and building my skills as a confident driver, but I can’t say the same for my friends who got their license with virtually no practice experience. I personally benefited from driving with an instructor that was able to point out weaknesses and tailor practice to my needs.