In
the Blink of an Eye

I
blinked. Boom. “What just happened,” I thought to
myself, “Oh, no...”

On September 10,
2019, I was driving my regular route to work when a driver performed
an illegal U-turn directly in front of me striking my front passenger
side. Immediately, I felt a flood of emotions…

“Was
this my fault?” “Is he OK?” “Am I OK?” “How much is this
going to cost…?”

I
made sure the other driver was alright and then the police came. We
shared insurance information with each other. A tow truck arrived and
took my car away. I called my wife and told her what had happened. I
called out from work. A flurry of business all around me and then
nothing. The world was back to normal. But not for me.

I drove a different
route to work for weeks. I was embarrassed. I was mad. I was
confused. I was in pain—a lot of pain. My son was born a week after
the accident and I couldn’t hold him without being in pain. I spent
a long time in recovery. Only now, 6 months later, do I finally feel
like I’m returning to normal, and even then, sometimes not so much.

I know firsthand
the effects of ignorant driving. In the state that I was living in at
the time, it is legal to perform a U-turn at any place on the
road—any place as long as it doesn’t interfere with traffic.
You see, not many people pay attention to that last part. I think at
times that my crash could have been avoided if the other driver were
better educated on the rules of the road. That is why driver
education is so important. Whether it’s a small mistake that leads
to a broken fender or a lost loved one it’s still caused by
something that is avoidable.

I believe that
education is the key to reducing the number of deaths due to motor
vehicle accidents. As in my scenario, some people simply don’t
understand the rules. If it were required in all states that drivers
take an education course before getting a driver’s license, it
would greatly reduce the number of deaths related to accidents. But
also, because legislation changes frequently, it is possible for a
driver to earn their license at a young age and then have the rules
of the road change several times around them throughout the years
while never getting up-to-date. It should be required of those in all
areas who receive citations to attend refresher courses so that they
don’t fall behind.

But until that
happens, we must learn for ourselves to be defensive drivers and
anticipate where problems could occur on the road. My hope is that
all drivers seek to educate themselves as well as drive defensively
so that they can be safe. After all, life can change in the blink of
an eye.