Turning out of the school parking lot, I slammed on the brakes. A line of cars screeched to a halt just ahead. I remember thinking to myself: “What now?” A couple of minutes later, I saw “what.” Three high school students in their cars were parked on the side of the road. It was clear what had happened. One had slammed on the breaks, and the others had been following too closely, causing each to slam into the next. A shiver went down my spine, as I recognized one of the girls. Seeing this incident emphasized the importance of defensive driving, especially around new drivers.
I put my right turn signal on, looked left, right, left, and turned out of my neighborhood. Before my eyes, two cars hurdled straight for each other. I saw what was about to happen before it did. I braced myself for impact but got lucky. Two cars had entered the middle turn lane of my neighborhood at the same time. The Jeep Cherokee’s bumper was completely smashed in. The Chevrolet Silverado had slowed down a little, reducing the damage to the other vehicle. The truck itself had suffered little damage. More importantly, the drivers seemed to be ok. My heart stopped as I realized how lucky I had been to not be involved. A couple of hours later that could’ve been me, using the middle turn lane to pull into my neighborhood. After witnessing the accident, I noted to myself to drive at a safe speed, be defensive, and exercise caution when entering a middle turn lane.
These accidents I witnessed rattled me, but the incidents of my friends hit closest to home. Being one of the older students in my class, I was one of the first to get my license. Months later, others began to get theirs. Many of my friends drove recklessly and still drive recklessly to this day. During my Sophomore year of high school, Texas got a hard freeze. Luckily the roads by my house were not frozen over, but further north there were patches of what my mom calls “black ice” or ice that you can not see very well. My mom warned me to drive slowly, and I am still glad she did to this day. Even though there was no ice on my route to school, I was prepared and will be prepared in the future because of her.
Unfortunately, one of my friends was not prepared. Traveling South, on the way to school, she was speeding. Going at least 10 miles per hour above the speed limit, she hit the patch of ice. It caught her off guard, especially since she had only had her license for just over a week. She panicked, frantically turned the wheel, and ran into a roadside barrier. The airbags went off, perhaps saving her some bad injuries and her car was totaled. The next day we asked her what had happened. She explained the whole story, saying that she had panicked. She was frustrated as she had only driven the car for a week before totaling it. Her incident was proof that unfortunate things happen to unprepared people. Careful planning and driving can help prevent those situations.
The last story is about an even closer friend, my best friend. Pretty much as soon as she got her license, she began driving fast. I often approached her about the dangers of speeding, warning her that it was unsafe. No matter how many times I reminded her, she would keep driving fast saying, “ I’m driving fast safely.” However, there is really no such thing. Increasing your speed decreases the time you have to react in the event of an accident. I warned her again, saying that she would get a ticket or worse: get in an accident. Unfortunately, about 3 months later, she got a speeding ticket for driving 15 miles per hour over the speed limit in a construction zone, which is a double fine. She challenged the ticket and won, so it did not affect her insurance rates. I still question it, though, was that the right solution? Was the consequence enough to realize her mistake? She is more cautious around police but still drives fast. I warn her of the dangers of speeding frequently, but some people don't listen until it is too late.
All of these incidents reinforced the policy of defensive driving, which my mom introduced to me. “You can’t just be a safe driver, you have to be a defensive driver”, she would say to me. “What does that mean?”, I would ask. Being a safe driver is number 1, but looking out for other unsafe drivers is also important and could save your life. Time and time again, defensive driving has saved my life and I am glad my mom introduced the concept to me.
Today’s driver’s education is often not enough. Many drivers need rules reinforced through practice, parental guidance, and other activities. Some drivers don’t understand or ignore the importance of driving safely and defensively until they get into an accident. Not everyone listens or cares about driver’s education, but those who do know the rules, follow them, and as a result save lives.
The problem of those who don’t listen, how should that be approached? Safety is the center of driver’s education and is reinforced over and over again. Many take the warning, others do not. Often people have to make mistakes and learn the consequences before they get better, but this puts other drivers at great risk. In order to efficiently convey the importance of safety to learning or stubborn drivers, these drivers may need to clearly see and understand the consequences in real time. Whether that be through a sad video, a simulation of sorts, writing a safety essay, or attending a presentation, there are many different learning options. Different people learn in different ways. Parental support is the first step to safe driving for teenagers. My mom used to say to me, “You know what the most dangerous thing we do every day is? Driving!” And it is true, which is why safety is a critical part of driver’s education and should not be taken lightly by friends, parents, or other family members.
As a teenager and a driver, I do my best every day to contribute to the population of teenagers who drive safely. Teenagers have a bad name when it comes to driving and I hope to change that. I follow speed limits, keep a safe distance, stay off my phone, and scan my surroundings. I try to be prepared for bad weather and traffic by checking my phone beforehand. More importantly, I don’t just drive, I defensively drive. I monitor other drivers, ensuring my safety as well as my passengers’ safety. To close out my driving story, I would like to give my thanks to my supportive parents, driver’s education, and everyone who has helped me stay safe on the roads. Thank you! Without them, I would have never learned the lessons that have made me into a safer driver today. Drive safe, drive defensively!