As I turned the corner to exit my neighborhood, I sunk into the car cushions without a thought in my mind, for everything was at peace. My boyfriend was driving me to the gym, and I ate ice cream while we listened to music. Gazing out the window ahead of us, I heard my gasp before I felt it coming out of my mouth. Driving on the backroads behind my neighborhood, we stopped abruptly because we had both recognized the car ahead of us on the side of the road up ahead. It was my younger brother’s. I shouted and instantly ran out, dropping my ice cream. The entire front of the car was smashed in and leaking badly. Pooling at my feet, it spewed on the pavement, which was littered with fur. One headlight completely smashed in, and the car was destroyed. What made my heart sink, however, was the realization that there was no one in the driver’s seat. The vehicle being slightly tilted and off the road made it hard to see, but my brother was okay–and had moved to the passenger seat, crying. I had never seen him so scared in my life, and as a wave of relief washed over me I got in to ask what had happened. It turns out that a giant buck jumped in front of his car from the woods, concealed by the thick brush. Spotting it almost instantly, he hit the brakes but unfortunately was still unable to completely evade the deer. Hitting it, the buck managed to get away with no injuries besides some fur missing–whereas my brother’s car was completely disjointed. Though he was very shaken up, my brother was unscathed. Due to his alertness, he was able to act in a manner that spared him his life or further injury, as the road he was on was quite dangerous. With little shoulder and trees with a downhill on either side, he could have swerved into a tree; or rolled off of the road–which would be detremential because his car has a soft top. Thankfully, due to being undistracted, my brother was okay despite how much worse the deer jumping towards him could have gone.
Driving undistracted and vigilant is very important, and imperative to the safety of oneself and others on the road. While I stand here and preach this, I myself have at times not been the best at upholding this belief. Whether it be changing music or reading a text, sometimes I act dangerously and go on my phone while driving. Being in track and cross country all of high school as well also meant early morning practices, where I would roll out of bed five minutes prior to going on the road. This led to some risque speed sessions, where I would blink sleep away and rush to make it to the field house on time. These acts were not smart of me, and I am working to divert these habits into ways of safer and smarter driving.
One way I am working on limiting these behaviors is by not allowing myself to be on my phone while driving. I will place my phone in an unattainable spot that I can’t reach or see while driving so that I do not feel tempted to go on it. For example, I have put my phone inside of my bag on another seat so it would be nothing but an inconvenience to get it. Another way I urge myself to not go on my phone while driving is by having other people in the car. Accompanying myself with my friends or younger siblings in a way scares me into not touching my phone, as I do not want to risk harming them or seeming like an incompetent driver. With others in the car as well, I can ask them to change music or do any necessary tasks that I may have felt I needed to do while driving on my phone. As for morning practice, I have luckily graduated and now run on my own time. Had I been more caring while in season during high school I could have counteracted unsafe morning driving habits by waking up earlier, listening to louder music, or drinking a warm beverage.
Unsafe driving is dangerous for a copious amount of reasons, and it shocks me to see just how many people are affected by it daily. Personally, I have been in two car accidents that have been the result of someone texting while driving, and I got lucky. Some are not as lucky, which became evident to me in fourth grade. A distracted teenage driver was speeding on the backroads in my town and hit a runner who was jogging with her friends. The woman ended up being one of my past teachers and she had twin boys the same age as me. She was not as lucky as I have been and passed away due to the accident. Instances like these as well as my brother’s a week ago are a jarring wake-up call that emphasizes just how important it is that while one is on the road, it is their responsibility to be not distracted.
Driver education is very important in reducing the number of deaths that occur while driving. By pushing awareness on the dangers of distracted driving as well as driving in general, people will have a better sense of clarity on just how hazardous the roads can be. Emphasizing safety and ways one can evade dangerous situations could save the lives of so many people on a larger scale. Steps to limit the number of deaths while driving besides education could be having to retake a driver's test more often, always wearing a seat belt, never driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and restricting oneself from utilizing a phone when driving.
Through several ways, people can easily reduce their chance of being distracted and causing injury while driving. Be it moving your phone or driving with the company of others, some people may find other methods to make the roads a safer place for drivers, passengers, runners, bikers, and everyone else in between. It is up to the individual to make the choice and effort to drive safely.