Theres glass shattering, the world is spinning, my hands are hot, and I can’t hear anything. I get out of my car quickly and call my mom, “I just got in a really bad accident,” dropping to my knees in distress. How did one mistake create this situation? One moment I’m singing an old song I used to love, the next I’m twisting in the air towards a light pole in a giant metal box. The sheer force of my car hitting the pole caused the concrete anchor to reveal itself out of the ground and the only thing that kept me from dying was my seatbelt. That day could’ve ended in many ways for me, which is something I continue to think about years after the fact.
Not everyone has experienced a life-changing car accident, but it shouldn’t take one to be aware of your driving habits. Not only are you responsible for your own life, but other lives’ as well, relying on trust you cannot quantify. Fortunately, I was the only person involved in my accident, but the guilt of harming another due to my recklessness would haunt me forever. Nowadays I use a driving tracking app to improve my driving, hold myself accountable, and save some money on insurance. With an incentive to do so, people tend to be more accepting of rules and regulations. I recommend this to all my friends and family because what could be better than staying safe and saving money.
There are tons of little gadgets and apps to help you drive safer, the excuses are no longer reasonable. Whether it’s a phone mount, a voice activated robot, or hands-free audio, there are thousands of ways to stay off your phone and on the road. The most common mistake I see drivers making today is texting and driving or using their phone to change music while driving. One second can change your life, it’s a cliché, but so is a someone hitting another car because they were texting and driving.
My brother has been in a total of three accidents, two of them on motorcycles. He severely hurt himself but was able to stay alive due to his driving courses. He knew the safest way to crash because of his motorcycle course, which is mandatory if you want a license. When you get your motorcycle license, you must be tested beforehand with an instructor by your side, it’s a much more rigorous learning experience than your regular driver’s license. Drivers education classes are available, but aren’t mandatory, giving young teens the choice to skip through their license requirements. Most of the time, parents will not help, hours are changed, and corners are cut so that the teen is able to transport themselves sooner. No one wants to have those uncomfortable conversations, but no one wants their family member in a casket either.
Self-awareness is one of the best skills to have for driving because it allows you to expect things from all angles and aren’t focused solely on you and your destination. It is the knowledge that with one wrong move, you could end your life and others lives. It is extremely easy to get caught up in the routine of driving to work, driving home, driving to school, that your vehicle becomes an extension of oneself. As humans, we can bump into each other, fall, turn around, etc., with no issue but when that extends out to our cars, it is no longer true. Driving is a staple in our environment, meaning it should be regulated heavily with the affect it can have. You may think the three times you went around the neighborhood with your dad is adequate, but unless you are exposed to the true reality of the power given to you, you will most likely be more reckless. You don’t hand a baby a knife because it can’t comprehend the damage it could do, why hand your teen a four-thousand-pound hunk of metal that is able to go above 80 miles per hour without them understanding what it can do?
Danger comes with driving, no matter how many people you teach to drive properly. Mistakes are unpredictable, but teaching drivers how to stay aware will make those mistakes easier to fix. I’ve seen people have their license taken away and their cars impounded, and the reality of the consequence rarely gets realized. They will continue to replace what they lost and drive recklessly. We will never fully eliminate car accidents unfortunately, but you can mandate drivers education, provide tools to stay handsfree, and stay aware of your power to avoid those unnecessary fender benders.