In the Driver's Seat

Last winter I was forced to endure the lengthy and boring classes known as Driver Education. At the time, I never really paid attention because I was just focused on going home after a long day at school. What I didn’t know at the time was that the information that was bestowed upon me at these Drivers ed classes would one day save not only my life, but the lives of other drivers as well.

Everyone always thinks that they will never be the people who are involved in a car crash, myself included. But I am here to tell you that everyone will be a part of a car crash throughout their lifetime.

My first crash was a clear, sunny day in April right after my birthday. I was meeting my mom at the local shoe store after school to pick out a pair of shoes for my birthday present. I went to park my car and I ran the car straight into one of the cement poles that they keep in the parking lots to light them up at night. I was okay but my car was not, and I didn’t want to admit to my parents what had happened. Finally, when my mom arrived she noticed the dent and yellow paint on the front right of my bumper and assured me that everything was going to be okay and that my safety was the most important thing.

Fast forward a couple of months, and I had a near miss car crash. It was the first snowfall of the year and I was on my way to pick up my friends for school. I was headed towards a big intersection and I did not realize how icy and slick the roads actually were. I was gaining speed approaching the red light and could not get my vehicle to stop. I finally decided to swerve off the road to avoid the car in front of me because it seemed like it was the better option.

A couple of days after my near miss, I was called to the principal’s office and informed that my car had been hit in the school parking lot and a witness had reported it. My car had been hit in the exact same spot that I had hit the pole in. While in the principal’s office, the student who hit my car was in there as well. Our school’s resource officer had to explain to her the consequences and repercussions of what she did because it was considered a hit and run since she was not the individual that reported the accident. Thankfully I was not in any trouble, but it put me into another scary situation.

In all of these instances, there were examples of unsafe driving that could have ended up worse than it did. Thanks to the Drivers ed class, I knew what to do and how to handle myself and other people in all of these situations.