The interior of my car was a fiery inferno with the black seats and dash absorbing the intense Missouri sun. As I opened the door the heat hit me like a wall instantly causing me to break into a mild sweat. I slowly crawled in, the seats searing my thighs. The heat was so intense it made the air thick like syrup. I pulled the key out of my pocket and inserted it into the ignition port, making a satisfying mechanical clunk. I turned it over and my car roared to life, instantly cold air began to blast through the vents. As the new circulated air met my face I couldn’t help but to let out a smile. I sat for a bit and slowly the parking lot emptied, the cars trickling out like sand in an hourglass. I perched my left hand onto the blistering steering wheel, and gripped the gear shifter with my right. I slammed the car into drive and felt the engine engage the transmission. I released the break and began to make my way out of the parking lot. When I reached the exit I looked both ways before pulling out into the main street, there I began to accelerate rapidly. So rapidly that I could feel myself being pushed into the back of my seat. At last I was away from school and on the way home.
The shimmering sun shone brightly overhead as I cruised down the road taking turns with ease until I finally came to a long stretch of road. That is when I decided that this experience could be enhanced with some music. I gingerly reached over my center console to operate my radio, for some unknown reason my audio system was being unusually difficult on that particular day. Once I had finally reached the desired station I looked up from behind my wheel and for a moment, time seemed to have slowed down. My speedometer read forty eight miles an hour, the road was a blur of grays and browns. The unusually low sun illuminated the trees that lined a ditch on either side of the road. A single black Dodge Charger sat on the left side of the road waiting to merge into traffic. Only it did not wait, in only two or three moments the black car was pulling onto the road in front of me. I was approaching too rapidly to stop. So as he pulled onto the road I was forced to swerve on the edge of the ditch with the bottom of my car scraping across the asphalt producing a hideous screech of metal grinding on rock. The longest moment of all was when our three thousand pound metal beasts came exactly parallel to each other. I remember seeing the face of a man looking down at his phone completely unaware of the fact that I was centimeters away from death on either side. Finally the two or three moments were over. I sat shaking, my hands gripping the steering wheel with all my might, my heart beating like a thunderous drum and my chest rising and falling with each rapid breath. All the while my radio played, “Banana Pancakes” by Jack Johnson.
After that experience I came to the realization that it only takes a few moments to ruin or even end one's life while in a car. I think we all forget how dangerous driving really is. As humans we do not think about the reality of what driving is or at least do not grasp the full scope. For that reason we get too comfortable and start to do things like text while driving or just even take too long changing the station on the radio. I believe that it is imperative that everyone on the road is well educated on the rules of driving, in order to prevent crashes that involve ignorance of traffic rules or even the basic rules of seat belt safety and distractions. The only way to reduce the number of deaths related to driving is to hold yourself accountable and those around you. We must adhere strictly to the safety guidelines set in place even if it is not most convenient to us. I myself have taken accountability by storing my phone in the center console to ensure it will not become a distraction and prepare my music before I start driving. This way I have minimal distractions as I drive and limit the risk of an accident. The reason I hold myself accountable is not only to protect myself but others as well. Overall, we need to start realizing that it only takes a few moments to end someone's life. So ask the question,”Is this more important than life itself?” before indulging the next distraction while you're driving.