It was only one second

I do not typically like long car rides, but today I was in the backseat of my mothers car very excited. We were on our way to a harvest festival. We went to this festival every year and pick apples. However, this year we were going to pick apples with my cousins. I remember us being on the highway and me thinking ,"I wish she would drive faster.”  Eight year old me wanted to get there fast and in a hurry. Suddenly, our car is pushed over, my body slams against the door, all the air bags go off,and I hear horns and brakes screeching. Our car is pinned up against the guard rail and my mom, who is pregnant at the time, is trying to get out of the car to get to me. Emergency vehicles came and they had to bring out “ the jaws of life” to get us out of the car. I remember hearing  the driver who hit us  tell one of the police officers “ I just looked down for one second.” We did not get to attend the harvest festival, but I am thankful that no one was injured on the highway that day. Seven years later I'm in the car with some of my friends. In the car one of my friends decided it would be funny to pull the driver's wig off, while she was driving. In a quick reaction the driver goes to grab for her hair and the car swerves and hits two parked cars. Now at this point 15 year old me is feeling like driving is not for me,and I did not want any part of it.  In my mind you could be the best driver but someone who " just took one second," while driving can drastically alter your life.Which is why today, I am the last in my friends group to obtain their license.

I will be 19 in less than a month and I have my drivers exam set for two weeks from today. Due to my past experience with car accidents and first hand witnessing the consequences of a driver not fully focusing on driving while driving;I have taken more than the required amount of driving lessons from certified driving instructors. My friends and family know phones are down or connected to the car while driving with me, because I am very vocal about people being distracted while driving. I promote driver education and knowing the statistics of accidents and the causes. In  my experience providing distracted drivers with the statistics on how many people die from being distracted by phone tends to be received well by the driver.  I believe driver education is extremely important. Providing drivers with the statistics can and does scare people into focusing on driving while driving. Drivers should encourage other drivers to drive responsibly. If you are a passenger in a car where a driver is being unsafe you should bring it to their attention so it can be rectified. Being educated on driving laws and safety and applying them is something that all drivers should hold to a high standard.

Now this may be against popular belief but I also  think that pulling people over for using their phone or having their phone in their hand is a good thing and should be heavily enforced. Using cameras to capture people on their phones or distracted and issue tickets I feel will help reduce the number of deaths due to driving. More sobriety checks will stop those who drive under the influence which would likely decrease the number of vehicular deaths. I also think a good idea would be to require  active drivers to take a written drivers exam every five years. Something similar to the test you take to receive your learners permit but a little more in depth. This would ensure that people are staying current with drivers laws and safety.

Overall, driving is a  huge responsibility and should not be taken lightly. When you get behind that wheel you hold your life and all those lives  you come in contact with while driving in your hands. You can choose to be a responsible driver and obey all laws and give your full attention to the task at hand, or you can be reckless and possibly harm yourself and others. Drivers education is extremely important and active drivers should strive to be better and safer drivers everyday.