Safe Driving is a Habit, Not a Choice

Operating a vehicle is and will be one of the most dangerous things many individuals do on a daily basis, it wields a vast amount of power in the driver themselves as well as the people around them. One small careless mistake can possibly result in costing lives, and dawning a certain irrevocable pain among their loved ones. As a teen who has recently got her drivers permit, I understand that driving is a privilege and therefore I should treat it as such, not as something without importance. Unfortunately many people tragically lose loved ones to car accidents every single day, in which many can likely be prevented with simple acts.

I am fortunate and burdened to have known only one individual who was a victim of a head on collision and died in impact. I was fourteen years of age when I started to see a counselor once a week, Crystal Tena. She was a kind soul and one who had so much love for the world. She was someone who would take the worst of situations and make it seem like a beautiful experience. She was well loved, and had a large impact on many fortunate individuals' lives. She helped me more than she could possibly imagine over the five months I had been seeing her. Unfortunately, on October 23rd, 2025, she was killed in a collision when a driver had tried to pass her on a two way lane and hit her head on. I was only one of many patients that was affected by her passing, but that does not begin to include her children that were left without a mother.

The driver who had caused the collision was thankfully able to to be hospitalized and make a solid recovery, although there is a good chance that they will continue to live with survivors guilt. Many surviving drivers in similar instances have a large feeling of guilt, and many may continue to live with PTSD. In many car accidents, especially ones like these, it is hard not to imagine the “what if” scenarios, the different decisions that could have resulted in different outcomes. If Crystal had left a minute later would she still be here today with her children and patients? If she drove 2 miles faster? If she took a different route? The different possibilities are easy to get lost in, but that tragically will not bring her back. The only thing that can be done is people on the road driving more responsibly to prevent accidents as such happening again.

This starts with turning off your phone while driving, or making sure to avoid using it by using a hands-off navigation device. It continues with being aware while driving, if you begin to become too drowsy to stay focused on the road to find a place to stop and rest. It includes not being too hasty or aggressive that you make rash decisions that can cause reckless accidents. I have been in the car with drivers who do things like this, or too similar for comfort, and it makes me feel very unsafe. It can be hard to speak up as a teen, to explain how what they are doing can have a bigger consequence than they could possibly comprehend. When you are in the car with a friend, you are unlikely to voice your opinion or concern in their driving in worry of being rude or considered a “buzz-kill” so many teens often keep quiet. Although sometimes you do need to stand up and tell your friend or driver that going on their phone while driving can wield serious consequences. It is even more difficult to speak up to adults, but they should know more than to respond to messages while operating a vehicle. I unfortunately tend to keep quiet whenever I feel unsafe in a driver's hands in concern of being rude, and there are many times when I wish I would just speak up.

If I have learned anything from other drivers, personal experiences, and hearing about tragic accidents, it is that driving safely should be a habit, not a choice. I know to be aware of my surroundings, of other drivers, of kids, scooters, bicyclists, and anything else that may occur while on the road. I know to stay off my phone, that a message can wait fifteen minutes instead of taking lives. I know that if I feel too exhausted to continue driving, then to find a safe place I can stop for a break at. I know that driving is a privilege, and it must be done with safety as well as caution.