Stefany
Rodriguez


People
learn best from experience. Now, not everyone has been in a
near-fatal car accident, and I’m not saying that one has to in
order to know the importance of practicing safe driving; however,
when one nearly loses either their own life or the life of a loved
one due to a car accident, their perspective may change.

So
imagine this...

It
is a summer night. An 18-year-old girl is in her car driving,
cruising down the highway with three of her friends 一not
fully grasping the concept that their lives are in her hands. The
speed limit is 70 miles-per-hour 一but
to a group of teenagers, the speed limit is merely a suggestion. They
get stuck behind a line of 3 semi-trucks, so they move into the left
lane to pass. When passing the first semi-truck, the driver reaches
for her phone to change the song, occasionally glancing up to look at
the road. As she scrolls through her favorite Spotify playlist 一at
this point, her car is approaching the second semi一
she
gets a message from her mom. Responding to her mom keeps her from
focusing on the road. Still on her phone, she sneaks into the
semi-truck driver’s blind spot. Unable to see her car, the semi
begins to move into the left lane to pass the 3rd semi. The girl
doesn’t notice because she is still looking down at her phone.
Then, her friend realizes; she honks the horn and slams on her brakes
but it’s too late. The 2nd semi hits her side, and because she
slammed on the brakes, the semi she had successfully passed hits her
from behind. The car flies off the road, rolls 5 times and then comes
to a halt. Both semi-truck drivers were left in critical condition,
the three of her friends died on impact, and she was left in a coma.


Crazy
right? The changing of a song led to 3 deaths and 3 almost deaths.
Now, imagine the same situation except instead of the driver changing
the song, she asked her friend in the passenger seat to change it;
this allowed the driver to adjust her speed, focus on the road, and
drive responsibly; it allowed her to keep those she loved safe.


As
a teenager in high school, I hear a lot of stories about car races
that go on, or people doing donuts in parking lots, or any sort of
reckless driving for that matter. Kids my age think it’s thrilling,
the adrenaline rush is addicting, almost intoxicating, but it’s all
fun and games until someone gets hurt. We are constantly reminded to
not text and drive; to not drive under the influence of alcohol or
drugs, but it’s not enough. Educating young drivers on the possible
effects of reckless driving is crucial. Real-life testimonies of
accident survivors and 一although
they may be graphic一
real-life
footage of car accidents would impact young adults’ perspectives on
reckless and distracted driving. In taking these steps, I feel that
the number of deaths by car accidents would decrease immensely.


I
have been fortunate enough to never have lost a loved one due to a
car accident, but I have witnessed family members and friends driving
irresponsibly; cousins driving intoxicated after a family party, or
my sister reaching for her phone when driving. Drivers Ed. taught me
the rules and benefits of driving, but more importantly, it taught me
the risks. I know that the second that I get behind the wheel of any
vehicle, my life and the life of others are at stake. I make sure
that I practice safe and responsible driving. I refuse to use my
phone when driving. Yes, single-touch devices are legal but even
then, I refrain from touching my cellphone. My routine is the
following: get into the car, close the door, turn on the car, fasten
my seatbelt, connect my phone via Bluetooth, set my playlist, and
then I’m off. The most I speed is three to five mph above the speed
limit unless I’m passing a car. Then I go seven over. I enforce
these rules with myself as a driver, but when I am a passenger I tend
to lack. I will begin to enforce these rules when in a car as a
passenger; in doing this, I hope to influence others to be safer and
more responsible drivers when I’m not around.