Caley
Servin 3


Slowing
Down to Speed Up
It​
​took​ ​Jen​ ​and​ ​I​ ​a​ ​few​ ​weeks​
after​ the accident ​to​ ​get​ ​back​ ​out​ ​there​
​and​ ​drive​ ​more​ ​but​ ​we​ ​both​
understood what​ ​we​ ​needed​ ​to​ work​ ​on​
​and​ ​what​ ​we excelled at.​ I​ ​never​ realized
​how​ ​much​ ​focus and​ ​how​ many​ ​factors​
​went​ ​into​ ​driving.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​
​astonished​ ​by​ ​all​ ​the​ ​different​ minor
elements​ ​of​ ​driving​ ​that​ ​drivers​ ​even​
​with​ ​a​ miniscule ​amount​ ​of​ ​experience​
​seem​ ​to​ ​pull​ ​off effortlessly.​ ​I​t’s
important to realize ​that​ ​learning​ ​to​ ​drive​
​is​ ​no​ ​different​ ​than​ ​learning​ ​to​
​do​ ​anything​ ​else,​ if you slow down, you will
eventually speed up.​ ​After​ ​having​ ​my​ ​permit​
​for​ ​almost​ ​4​ ​months,​ ​I​ ​only​
​have​ ​7​ hours​ ​of​ ​driving​ ​time out​
​of​ ​50​ ​hours​ ​that​ ​I​ ​need​ ​and​
​5​ ​minutes​ ​of​ ​night​ ​driving​ ​out​
of​ ​10​ ​hours​ ​I​ ​need.​ ​I​ ​realize​
​I should​ ​have​ ​more​ ​hours​ ​but​ ​most​
​of​ ​that​ ​driving​ ​time​ has​ ​been​
​spent​ ​on​ ​smaller​ ​roads,​ ​back roads,​
​or​ ​in​ ​parking​ ​lots​ ​because​ ​I’m​
​terrified​ ​to​ be​ ​next​ ​to​ ​other​ ​cars​
​and​ risk ​forgetting​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the millions​
​of​ ​things​ ​you​ ​need​ ​to​ ​keep​
​track​ ​of​ while​ ​driving.​ ​I​ ​don’t​
imagine many ​people​ ​see​ ​how​ ​much control​
​you​ ​have​ ​over​ ​those​ around​ ​you​
​when​ ​you’re​ ​driving.​ ​A car could kill someone
just as easily as a gun could. ​You​ ​could​ ​seriously​
​injure​ ​someone and ​even​ ​kill​ ​them​ ​or​
yourself​ ​just​ ​by​ ​making​ ​one​ ​wrong​
​move​ ​or​ ​having​ poor ​judgment​ ​while
driving.​ ​Many people​ ​also​ ​take​ ​driving​
​for​ ​granted​ ​because​ ​they​ ​have​ ​had​
​it​ ​or​ ​as​ ​long​ ​as​ ​they can remember.​
​It’s​ ​extremely​ significant ​to​ ​take​ ​a​
​step​ ​back​ ​and​ truly ​evaluate​ ​what​ ​you​
have and​ ​how​ ​much​ ​power​ ​seemingly​
insignificant ​things,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​driving,​
​might​ ​hold.​ Learning​ ​to​ ​drive​ ​is
probably​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​hardest​ ​skills​
​I’ve​ ​had​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​in​ ​my​ ​life.
It's​ ​hard​ ​for​ ​you​ ​​ ​to​ perceive ​what
drivers​ ​around​ ​you​ ​are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​do​
​and​ ​it's​ ​hard​ ​for​ those​ ​people​ ​to​
understand ​you're​ ​still​ ​learning​ ​and they​
​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​careful​ ​unless​ ​they​
​have​ ​a​ student​ ​driver​ ​sticker.
Behind​
​the​ ​wheel​ ​for​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time,​
​palms​ ​sweating,​ ​heart​ ​racing.​ ​“When​
​you’re​ ​ready,​ put​ ​your foot​ ​on​ ​the​
​break​ ​and​ ​put​ ​the​ ​car​ ​in​ ​drive”​
​my​ ​dad​ declared ​calmly.​ ​I​ slowly​ ​pushed​
down​ ​on​ ​the​ ​break and​ ​put​ ​the​ ​car​
​in​ ​drive,​ ​still​ holding ​my​ ​foot​ ​on​
​the​ ​brake.​ ​“Ok”,​ ​I​ answered ​in​ ​a​
distressed ​tone​. My chest hurt from how rapidly my​ ​heart​
​was​​ ​drumming​ ​in​ ​my​ ​chest.​ ​I​
​eased​ my​ ​foot​ ​off​ ​the​ ​brake​ ​and​
​gripped​ ​the steering​ ​wheel​ as if ​my​ ​life​
​depended​ ​on​ ​it.​ ​“Ok​ Caley,​ ​try​
​to​ ​give​ ​it​ ​a​ ​little​ ​gas​ ​now”,​
​my​ ​dad​ offered ​in a​ ​low​ ​and​ ​mellow​
​tone.​ ​Setting my foot on the gas, slow and light like a
feather, I circled around the church parking lot.​ ​I​ ​went
around​ close to ​five​ ​times,​ each​ ​time​
becoming ​better​ ​than​ my ​last.​ ​Then​ ​it​
​was​ ​time​ I ​switch​ed ​spots with​ ​my​
​sister.​ ​I​ got​ ​out​ ​of​ ​the​ ​driver's​
​seat​ as ​she​ catapulted ​in.​ ​I​ ​was​
​feeling​ ​better​ ​already​ ​about learning​ ​to​
drive.​ ​Unfortunately​ ​for​ ​my​ ​sister,​
​Jenna,​ ​that​ ​wasn’t​ ​the​ ​case.​ ​We​
​went​ ​back​ ​and​ ​forth,​ ​switching​ spots
​every​ ​few​ ​circles​ approximately ​five more​
​times​ ​till​ ​it​ ​was​ ​Jenna's​ ​turn​
​again.​ ​​ ​She​ ​turned​ ​down​ ​one​
​section​ ​of​ ​the​ parking​ ​lot,​ ​between
two​ ​islands​ ​and​ ​it​ ​was​ ​going​ ​great​
​for​ ​a​ ​while.​ ​My​ ​dad​ ​encouragingly​
continued,“Ok​ ​Jen,​ ​go​ ​ahead​ ​and park​
​it​ ​now”.​ Jen​ ​was​ ​easing​ ​into​ ​a​
​parking​ ​spot​ ​right​ ​by​ ​an​ island​​
​and​ ​she​ ​didn’t​ ​look as if ​she​ ​was​
​gonna​ ​make​ ​it​ ​so​ ​my​ ​dad​ pleaded,​
​“Stop!​ Stop!​ ​Break!”​ ​in​ ​a​ ​stern​
​tone.​ ​Jen​ knew she​ ​should​ ​stop​ ​but​
​she​ ​panicked.​ ​It​ ​was​ our​ ​first​
​time​ ​driving​ ​and​ ​she​ ​tried​ ​to​
​react​ ​so​ promptly that​ ​she​ ​got​ ​the​
​brake​ ​confused​ with​ ​the​ ​gas.​ ​​The​
​car​ ​jumped onto​ the median, as a result​ ​killing​
​a sprinkler.​ My stomach erupted with a biter tingling, my mind
still attempting to absorb what had just happened. Luckily, it was
only a sprinkler that she hit.

I
believe drivers ed and practice could help limit accidents
like this. As kids we learn as we get older how to treat others and
go about our daily lives and much like learning to walk or talk, most
of us also learn to drive. Due to the large capacity of people on the
road, drivers ed is beneficial because it ensures everyone
follows the same rules. My dad always told me “you can’t always
predict what other people are going to do while driving but you can
anticipate the worst so you are prepared. Having this anticipation is
something I learned the hard way early on after rear ending someone a
couple weeks after getting my license because they slammed on their
brakes due to a pedestrian running unexpectedly into the road. This
situation could’ve been avoided if I had anticipated the chance of
the other cars stopping and left more room and if the other car could
have anticipated the unexpected obstacle. I believe anticipation and
awareness are two of the biggest factors in safe driving.
All
things considered, I was overwhelmed that day when my dad kept a
peaceful​ demeanor despite experiencing a slight accident. He
didn’t shout or get upset with Jenna, he just approached the
situation with caution, as if he was carrying an overflowing glass of
water. ​Since​ ​then,​ ​both​ Jenna​ ​and​ ​my​
​experience​ with ​driving​ is ​much​ ​better. I still​
possess an ​anxious​ ​grip on​ ​the​ ​steering wheel​​
​when​ ​other​ ​cars​ ​are​ ​around​ ​but​
​I​ ​trust​ ​myself​ ​in​ discerning ​what​ ​to
do​ ​and​ ​how​ ​to​ ​react​ ​to​ ​avoid​
​an​ ​accident.​ ​One​ ​thing​ ​that​ ​puts​
​me​​ ​at​ ​ease​ ​is​ realizing ​if​ ​I
feel​ ​unsafe​ ​or​ ​have​ ​a​ ​question​
​about​ ​what​ ​to​ ​do,​ ​I​ ​can​ ​pull​
​over and halt.​ I’ve learned until​ ​I’m​ ​100%​
​sure​ ​something​ ​is​ ​the right​ ​thing​ ​to​
​do,​ ​I​ should always:​ ​pull​ ​over,​ ​stop,​
​or​ ​ask​ ​my​ ​question​ ​before​ ​I​
​approach​ ​the​ ​situation.​ ​I​ ​can already
witness ​myself briskly ​becoming​ ​a​ superior ​and​
​confident​ ​driver;​ ​however,​ ​I​ ​still​
​have​ ​a lot of work ahead of me before​ ​I'll​ ​be​
​confidently​ ​driving​ ​wherever​ ​I​ desire.