Diligent Driving

When I first thought about driving, I did not understand why people were so excited about it. Getting behind the wheel seemed more like a responsibility than a privilege. I did not look forward to studying for my permit, practicing, or eventually having to drive myself places. I wondered why I needed to learn something that felt stressful and complicated when someone else could simply drive me. Over time, however, my perspective completely changed. I began to realize that driving is one of the greatest forms of independence a person can have. It allows you to get to school, work, practice, see friends, and experience places without depending on someone else. At the same time, I learned that this freedom comes with a responsibility that should never be taken lightly: being a safe driver.

One experience that changed the way I thought about driving was watching a movie involving Mackenzie Shirilla and the crash that took place. Seeing how quickly a decision behind the wheel could change multiple lives made me think differently about what driving actually means. Before, I mainly thought about driving in terms of convenience and independence. Afterward, I began thinking about the responsibility that comes with controlling a vehicle that can travel at high speeds and affect everyone around it. A car is not just a way to get from one place to another. It is a powerful machine, and the choices made inside it can have consequences far beyond the driver.

That realization became even more real when something happened involving one of my teammates. I witnessed how close a normal drive could come to becoming a tragedy because of reckless driving. My teammate was driving on the expressway when he swerved out of the express lane and hit two cars. His vehicle continued sliding across approximately five lanes before finally coming to a stop. His car was totaled. Seeing the aftermath was frightening because it made the consequences of reckless driving real to me. This was not something I was watching on a screen or hearing about in a news story. It involved someone I knew, someone I practiced with and saw regularly. For a moment, the possibility of losing a teammate became something I could actually imagine.

Thankfully, my teammate survived, but the experience changed the way I view driving. It showed me that being a good driver is not simply about knowing how to operate a car. A person can know how to accelerate, brake, turn, and change lanes while still being an unsafe driver. Driving safely requires judgment, patience, awareness, and the ability to control your decisions when other people might not. It means understanding that arriving a few minutes later is better than taking an unnecessary risk. It means recognizing that one impulsive decision can affect not only you, but also your passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and their families.

This is why I believe driver education should be taken more seriously. Learning to drive should not only be about passing a written test and demonstrating that you can operate a vehicle. New drivers should understand defensive driving, the dangers of speeding and reckless lane changes, how distractions affect reaction time, and how important it is to remain calm in unexpected situations. Driver education should also emphasize that having a license is not the same thing as being a responsible driver. A license gives someone permission to drive; it does not guarantee that they will make good decisions.

If I could design a driver safety course for students, I would want it to include real situations rather than only rules from a textbook. Students should be shown how quickly ordinary situations can become dangerous and be encouraged to think through the decisions they would make. They should learn to identify risks before they become emergencies. Most importantly, they should understand that safe driving is a habit that has to be practiced every time they get into a car.

My attitude toward driving has changed significantly. What I once saw as an inconvenience, I now see as a blessing and a major responsibility. Driving gives me freedom and independence, but those benefits only matter if I use them responsibly. The experiences I have had, from changing my own perspective to seeing the consequences of my teammate’s crash, have taught me that driving is not something to take for granted.

Ultimately, driver safety is about more than protecting yourself. Every time someone gets behind the wheel, they are sharing the road with countless other people who deserve to make it home safely too. I want to be the kind of driver who remembers that every decision matters. The goal should never simply be to get where you are going as quickly as possible. The goal should be to get there safely.