Every Choice Matters.

Getting your license can feel freeing and like a huge milestone you have been waiting your whole life for. No longer do you have to rely on anyone else for a ride or have to walk or bike to get you from place to place. While all of this is freedom is an exciting part of growing up, it comes with great responsibility. When you get behind the wheel of a car, you are responsible for not only your life but also for the other passengers in your car and those in the cars around you. If you do not feel the weight of that, there is an immaturity that needs to be dealt with before driving. Drivers education courses and the requirement to pass tests before driving on your own serve a purpose. They teach you how to be safe and responsible.

The importance of safe driving is often looked over in today’s society. It is something that needs to be taken more seriously, especially at the rate of fatalities that occur from either distracted or influenced driving. In the U.S. alone, there is either a death or a serious injury every 15 minutes from people not driving responsibly. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and not something that should be taken advantage of. One choice to get behind a wheel or in a car with someone who is not in the right state of mind to drive can be the difference between life and death. The same is true for wearing a seatbelt. They are not a suggestion but a law in place to keep you safe and to reduce the risk of injury if an accident occurs. Following speed limits, watching for traffic signs, wearing your seat belts and driving without distractions like phones and food are just a few of the simple ways to be reliable on the road.

A few weeks ago my school was part of a DUI accident simulation to showcase the importance of thinking before getting into a car. Our city’s law enforcement, fire department, local hospital, dispatch, sheriff deputy and others worked together to put on this event because they value the lasting effect this event has on students. They staged two cars hitting each other head on with three out of the four people not surviving. The only survivor was the driver who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol. While this was just a staged event, it taught a sobering lesson. If you are ever unsure about getting into a car or being the person to operate the vehicle, do not do it. Call for help. There is never a good excuse to drive or get in a car when you feel unsafe. Our district attorney reminded us that although this simulation was mainly focused on driving under the influence, it applies to all distracted driving. There are choices that can have consequences every time that you get behind the wheel, including texting and driving. This was a great way to reflect on the choices we make when driving and a good learning opportunity for not just students but staff as well.  I wish all school districts could participate in a program like this. This had a huge impact on every single person who witnessed this event and it led to people reflecting on their choices and how to avoid those circumstances in the future.

Drivers education is a powerful tool for learning the safety rules of driving as well as being informed of the potential dangers that come with it. I have been taught to be a “defensive driver” my whole life which means to be on alert and to pay attention to my surroundings, never assuming that other drivers will follow the law. With the surge of e-bikes on the road in recent years, a whole new level of awareness is required, especially since the majority of those riders act like they are invincible and ride with little awareness of cars around them. My mom and I were waiting behind a truck to turn out of our neighborhood one afternoon a few years ago.  A middle school girl came flying down the sidewalk on her e-bike and went straight into the street right in front of the truck, never even slowing down. The truck had already started to turn and ran right into her. Thankfully she was thrown off of her bike so she wasn’t crushed as the truck rolled up and over the bike. Understandably, the driver of the truck was very shaken up. He was not at fault yet will be affected by this incident for the rest of his life.  I think about that every time I come to that intersection. I know I need to be extremely vigilant to check all around me before turning out, not just for cars, but for bikes as well as pedestrians.  

Have the mindset when getting behind the wheel that your life and the lives of those around you are dependent on your good decisions. This should change the way you drive. Keep the music and noise from passengers in your car at a reasonable level so you aren’t distracted. Put your phone on silent and in the glove box until you have arrived to your destination if you are tempted to be on it. Keep up with regular service checks so that your car is operating as it should be.  Stay humble, teachable and patient. If someone cuts you off or is driving too slowly, it’s not your job to teach them a lesson. Follow the rules of the road and remember that arriving safely is the ultimate goal for everyone who gets behind a wheel.