We were at a red light, my dad was driving, mom in the passenger side, and my two sisters and I in the backseats. We were on our way to visit my uncle in New York when disaster struck. The light turned green and as drivers do, he pressed the accelerator. We didn't make it past that intersection; none of us saw the yellow Jeep that struck our family van coming. A pair of teenagers borrowing their parent's car had gone through a red light on a busy intersection, coming off the exit ramp of the highway. Their car collided with us, swerved and struck a traffic light, causing our van to veer into the center of the intersection, backing up traffic for miles. Airbags had deployed, glass shattered, my sisters were terrified, as was I. I remember it so vividly. I was sixteen at the time, and I knew I had to make sure everyone was OK. My parents were pinned behind the airbags, and I did everything I could to calm my sisters down who were crying hysterically. The engine was smoking, the windshield has cracked, they must've been going 60. I rushed to pull open the sliding door to help my family get out. I remember the sheer panic as I stepped out and saw a wall of honking cars, with drivers trying to drive around the accident, some of them zooming by with little regard to my safety. I didn't know it at the time, but I was in shock. I had suffered a concussion after my head had slammed into the rear window. But my dad was hurt the most; the jeep had struck the van on his side. I remember turning back to my mom. She was screaming for me to get my sisters to safety on the sidewalk. I also remember the pain and panic in her face. Her glasses had been knocked off by the airbags; she couldn't even see me. I think about it now, and realize how horrifying it must've been to not be able to see anything in a car accident. I helped both of my sisters out of their seat belts. Thankfully, some unknown faces and hands guided my sisters and I through the roaring traffic in the smoke, and over the debris all over the pavement. They were the hands of a couple of good Samaritans—people I could never thank enough—who rushed to help my parents. All five of us had suffered whiplash. My mom, dad, and I had received concussions. We were all in physical therapy for months thereafter. This memory could have been prevented, like most car accidents. Despite mechanical malfunctions, road conditions, and events out of our control, most car accidents are primarily the result of poor driver education and decision making. Insufficient patrolling of the roads only worsens the situation.
Daily, I drive with careful assessment of what is going on all around me; it requires a level of absolute focus and attention to detail. I obey all traffic laws, speed limits, and signage. Since I bought my first car, I have not been in a single accident which few drivers can claim. Even while following all signs and rules, a good driver can still be in danger; there are more drivers that do not follow that level of caution when driving. Every day I see common examples of reckless behaviors like, switching lanes without signaling and failure to yield. However, use of a cell phone while driving, despite being illegal, continues to plague our roads. I see adults, young and old, using their phones while the vehicle is in motion. It is an act of pure selfishness. Drivers believing they can otherwise manage both tasks at once is the root cause of these accidents. The results range from, overlooking a speed limit sign, swerving in traffic and thinking that they can make it past that yellow traffic light. Close calls have become the new normal. Patrols cannot catch every instance that these laws are disobeyed. The DMV does a great job of bringing attention to safety, but is it enough? There is a preliminary written test, along with a medical report, required to pass the drivers permit. This permit is then followed by the drivers test to achieve a drivers license, a milestone into adulthood. Where are the critical decision making skills taught? Where is the importance of being careful really driven into their thoughts? I don't think dark commercials of car accidents are the way to go. We need something new. There is something we can all do when driving to reduce the number of deaths on the roads, slow down. Not just the drivers, but local governments need to reduce speed limits on roads that are frequently plagued by car accidents.
Our phones should have some sort of protocol that can detect its usage while the vehicle is in motion and report it to nearby patrols. Maybe there should be a speed limit protocol that makes the phone completely inoperable besides an emergency call; anything that could draw attention to local law enforcement. Perhaps even, inform a brand new legal authority that specifically patrols the roads for safety.
Most importantly, I believe there should be an applied defensive drivers course requirement to all new drivers. This course should go into great detail in driving cautiously. Being alert isn't enough, You have to expect someone is going to jump out in front of you, or cut you off. This question of who is going to make a mistake here needs to be constantly considered when behind the wheel. There needs to be a forced real life simulation in a safe space where the drivers need to ask that question, requiring them to look at all their mirrors and using all the information they have learned to pass. Consider mandating this class before it time to renew a drivers license for existing drivers, to ensure all drivers are familiar with the latest safety practices. In conclusion, safer roads could become a reality with a rigorous course in applied defensive driving given to new and old drivers, a reduction of speed limits, and an increase in the patrol.