Getting
from Point A to Point B Safely: The Responsibility of All of Us
My
vision blurred as I gripped the brakes, my fist clenched tight over
them. I had less than twenty feet until I entered the
intersection--and, at the absolute last moment, a blue Prius pulled
out into the street, despite me having the right-of-way and it having
a stop sign. As the time froze and my mind raced, I realized there
was no going back--it was inevitable that I was about to get hit by a
car. Being on a narrow street without a traffic circle, there was
little room to swerve and there was no way to stop in that short of a
distance. There’s nothing to gain for the cyclist when a car hits a
bike, and I was shaken up and bruised after I got off the ground. My
bike was totaled but, luckily, I hadn’t broken anything--a true
miracle. Although I was shaken up, and I needed a few stitches, it
hadn't changed me through a life-changing injury--but it taught me
how devastating one small mistake can be on the road--and instilled
how important it is to be attentive and safe on the road.


Being
both a driver and a bicyclist, I understand the importance of safety
for all road users. We all have a responsibility to get from point A
to point B safely. As tempting as it can be to go just a few miles
over the speed limit, to roll through that one stop sign, to pass a
cyclist with less than three feet, or to drive right by a pedestrian
trying to cross at a crosswalk--no life is worth a few minutes of
saved time. Too many Americans, especially young Americans, lose
their lives to dangerous and reckless driving--according to the CDC,
more Americans die in car accidents than mass shootings, terrorist
attacks, and war casualties combined. I know too many of my peers who
think it’s acceptable to drive after drinking, to send snapchats
while they drive, or to run a red light if it’s late at night. Most
of the time, they will get home safe--but it’s the one time out of
a hundred where someone ends up in the hospital or in a grave that
makes any type of dangerous driving unacceptable.

Drivers
education is critical in instilling the right habits and mindset in
new drivers, teaching them to drive safely and to be skilled drivers.
Without education, we have little basis to go off of--and statistics
hold that up, with students who go through drivers ed
having significantly lower accident and fatality rates (Seattle
Times). It’s also important for parents and current drivers to
instill safe and effective driving habits--which starts by leading by
example. It’s important for drivers to follow the speed limit, keep
a safe following distance, stay focused on the road ahead of them as
well as on other vehicles and pedestrians, and to do whatever it
takes to prevent an accident. If the car had been going a little
faster or I had hit the ground at a different angle, my life could be
in a very different place--and that’s something I will never forget
as I hop in the car and drive every day. No life is worth getting
home a few minutes earlier or for taking an important call--and
that’s something all of us need to remember, as we work to reduce
the number of fatalities and injuries on our roads.