The room was silent. All students fixated on their teacher as her deep brown eyes began to water. She took short heavy breaths as words were forced out in a soft tone. A slow drip fell from her eye, then another, then another. The deep pain in her voice seemed to pierce the attention and hearts of even the ones who rarely paid attention. Head dropping and shoulders shrugged she began to tell the story of why her husband was no longer with her. Why she no longer was with the love of her life. Standing in front of the class, she shared that a drunk driver hit her husband, killing him on the scene. No warning, no time to say her last goodbye or give him one more tight hug. She never got to say “I love you” one last time. She had to raise her daughter alone, the one that will no longer have her biological dad walking her down the aisle on her wedding day. The teacher lifted her hand to show the ring on her finger, her reminder of the one no longer with her. She slept alone in her bed and came home to an empty household everyday after picking up her daughter from school. She had no support, and no man to love anymore. All of these things were striped away because of one selfish driver.
“...and that is why I am here standing in front of you today.”, said my driver's ed teacher.
Right then I realized that this wasn't just a class I could breeze through like most, but was struck with the reality that every time I get behind the wheel it could be my last. Her story taught me the severity of the responsibility of driving. She explained the importance of driver's education to us. It is not only useful in learning the meaning of signs, lights, and directions, but also teaches you awareness. It teaches you personal responsibility. We are all called to love one another as humans, and learning how to drive responsibly and cautiously is one way we can do so. Her passion for teaching the class was rooted in the story and loss of her husband, and drove her to teach the safety and importance of drivers education so no one has to experience what she and her daughter will always have the baggage of.
I believe that along with drivers ed, a course like B.R.A.K.E.S should be required before any driver gets behind the wheel. It is a free, defensive driving program. It is important to equip drivers how to drive well, but after hearing countless stories like the one my driver's ed teacher told me, I believe that it is just as important to learn awareness and how to react in situations with unsafe drivers around you. More speed monitors need to be set up, to reduce speeding, especially within school zones or around neighborhoods. More speed bumps should be put in place where pedestrians walk in cities and towns in order to create slower and more cautious drivers. Sensors should be placed on phones to detect when the car starts moving, and block drivers from using their phone during driving.
I have grown up with four siblings, two younger than me. I often take their friends and them out to ice cream or the store. When I don't buckle my seatbelt, speed, or even play really loud music, they pick up on those things because they look up to me. When they get their license one day, I don't want them to do the same. For the sake of my safety and theirs, I realize I have to be extra cautious not only to avoid getting in an accident or pulled over, but because I want them to be cautious when they get behind the wheel. Others look up to my example and I have to take that seriously. Things like making sure everyone is buckled, not picking up my phone, or being overly alert, not distracted by music or conversations going on in the car.
After weeks of meeting with my drivers ed class every week, it was time to get behind the wheel. I took a deep breath and remembered the heart wrenching story my teacher told us. I could be in her situation. My friends or siblings could be in her situation. You could be in her situation. Right then I promised myself to take driving seriously, because everytime I get behind the wheel, life can be taken away in the blink of an eye.