The blinding shine of headlights yanked my face up from my phone. “Someone is going to die,” was the only thought in my mind as, seemingly in slow motion, my friend kept driving despite the red light gleaming in front of us. Fear had a tight grip on my throat, and, to my right, the other vehicle was already so close that I could see nothing but bright white. The red van showed no sign of stopping its momentum, and I knew it would slam its weight at 40 miles per hour right into the passenger side door if neither vehicle stopped. I realized all of this within a second, and I forced a shout from my lips, screaming my friend’s name. She slammed on the breaks, throwing my entire body forward, but not before the crunch of metal on metal could be heard. Thankfully, everyone was okay that night. My friend had not been focused, and accelerated through a red light after stopping. The front of her vehicle had caught the entire left side of the red van, which had been driven by a mother with two children in the backseats.
I learned many things from that one accident, one of them being how to keep the roads safe when I am not driving. I had been on my phone that night, and if it had been lit out with no need for headlights, neither I nor my friend would have seen the red van. It is important to be aware of what is happening outside of the vehicle whether you are driving or not. Now, as a passenger, I act as another pair of eyes to check blindspots and traffic signs to help make the roads safer. This may be judged as “backseat driving” and annoying, but I would rather be seen as too cautious than end up hurting someone, or getting hurt. I also learned how important it is to stay focused. My friend was sober, awake, and undistracted. She made the mistake of allowing her mind to drift instead of paying acute attention to the traffic signs and vehicles around her, and she could have killed or seriously injured someone. I learned how easy it is for driving to become dangerous, simply by becoming too confident in your subconscious mind. Now, as a driver, I am diligent about keeping my focus on my surroundings, and reining in any trains of thought or responses to an argument that I had only just thought of. Those things can wait until I get to my destination, not while I am in control of a few tons of metal containing flammables.
In my opinion, a key factor in preventing deaths from driving is not being overconfident. Whether that is in regards to relying on “muscle memory” behind the wheel, trusting your new tires on icy roads, only checking your mirrors before switching lanes, or believing that other drivers are abiding by road laws, drivers can prevent themselves from being in dangerous situations that escalate in death. While it is important to be confident in the movements and decisions you make when driving, it is just as important to not take unnecessary risks. I also think that road laws should be more heavily enforced. There are many “small” movements that drivers make in their everyday commutes that are dangerous, but not regularly enforced by police. When there are some drivers performing the correct movements and some not, and those who are not do not face punishment, it discourages other drivers from following laws that are meant to prevent car accidents.
Driver education is crucial in preventing injury and death as a result of driving. Not only does driver education teach road laws and traffic laws meant to ensure traffic safety, but it also teaches the importance of defensive driving. While not all accidents are necessarily a driver’s fault, many of them are in one way or another. Driver education teaches drivers how to identify a possibly dangerous driver, how to position themselves on the road so that they can move from a dangerous situation, and how to ensure that they are not putting others in danger while on the road. By learning many different tactics to use in high stress or emergency situations, drivers are more readily prepared to handle environments that cause panic, and panic behind the wheel can easily result in death. Driver education also teaches drivers about the serious consequences of driving recklessly. There are some individuals who care more about their own lives than others, and by teaching them about the fines, prison time, and license revocation that they can face, drivers education is able to encourage all types of drivers to be safe on the road.
In conclusion, the car accident that I was involved in opened my eyes to many aspects of driving. It made me realize that I have a responsibility as a passenger to make sure that the driver is being safe and responsible on the road. I also learned how quickly an accident can happen, even when both drivers are sober, awake, and calm. Death and injury as a result of traffic accidents can be mitigated by staying alert, cautious of all other drivers, and enforcing all traffic laws. Driver education plays a key role in keeping our roadways safe by giving drivers the tools and knowledge they need to handle any situation, and teaching drivers about the consequences of putting others at risk.