Kate Weidig

Learning
the Hard Way
Wet.
Dark. Sleet. 7am. These are the words that sum up the conditions I
was placed in when I got into my first, and only, car accident. It
happened four weeks after I obtained my license and I was so thrilled
to finally gain a new level of freedom. I left the house that morning
in a rush, running to the driveway with my breakfast in one hand, and
my Ford car keys in the other. The snow was falling down hard, but
was quickly melting into water droplets as they coated the pot-hole
filled pavement. The commute to my local high school is only ten
minutes, but five minutes into the drive, I got into an accident. I
was making a right turn, going very slowly, but suddenly lost control
of the vehicle as the water underneath my tires took the reins. I
slided into a car that was speeding down the side street and tears
began to well in my eyes immediately. Fortunately, there was no
damage to my car, and very minimal damage done to his car. However,
other teenagers like me, and even adults who have been driving for
years, are not as lucky. After my accident, I have become
increasingly aware of my surroundings as well as weather conditions
before I even think of stepping into the driver's seat. One of the
easiest ways to ensure driver safety is to limit the amount of
distractions in the vehicle. Loud music, the amount of passengers,
and cellular devices are all objects that the driver has control
over. Many people use the car as a destination to hang out with
friends, and share stories in an intimate environment instead of its
intended purpose- transportation. Citizens can help increase driver
safety by promoting the consequences of texting and driving, drunk
driving, and having multiple distractions in the vehicle. Before I
enter a vehicle, I text my immediate family as well as my closest
friends and inform them that I am about to drive somewhere to ensure
they are not tempted to text and distract me. This has improved the
safety of my driving because I do not feel the urge to communicate
with people. I learned my lesson the hard way, and I want to inform
other drivers of the risk they take when the enter a vehicle.