The Accident That Didn't Happen

My mom and I were driving to Colorado to move me into college when we reached one of those stretches of highway that seems to go straight forever. There was not much around us, and after miles of the same road, it would have been easy to let my attention wander. Instead, out of the corner of my eye, I suddenly noticed something coming across the median. It was a large tire, and it was on fire. It was heading directly toward the driver's side of our vehicle, so I accelerated just enough to get us out of its path. Within seconds, it was behind us, and my mom and I were trying to process what had just happened.

We never found out where the tire came from. Neither of us was hurt, our car was fine, and we continued our drive to Colorado School of Mines. What stayed with me, though, was how quickly a completely normal drive could have turned into an accident. If I had been looking at my phone, changing a song, or simply not paying attention after miles of straight road, I might not have noticed the tire in time. It could have hit directly into my door and potentially caused an accident involving us and other vehicles around us.

I had heard all the usual warnings about distracted driving before that day. Like every new driver, I knew I should not text, speed, or take my eyes off the road. What I had not thought about as much was how important it is to stay focused when driving feels boring. Heavy traffic naturally gets your attention, but miles of open highway can almost do the opposite. That experience taught me that the road does not have to look dangerous for something dangerous to happen.

That is one reason I believe driver education is so important in reducing driving-related deaths. Learning to drive should involve more than memorizing traffic laws and knowing enough to pass a test. New drivers need to understand defensive driving, how to recognize possible hazards, how much distance to leave between vehicles, and how quickly conditions can change. Those habits need to become normal because there may not be time to think through every step when something unexpected happens. I could not control a burning tire coming across the median that day, but I could control whether I was paying attention when it did.

Cars have interested me for as long as I can remember. My dad and I have spent years working together on our 1970 Mustang Mach 1, and part of what I enjoy is understanding how all of its different systems work together. Working on cars has also given me respect for what I am controlling when I get behind the wheel. A car can be an incredible piece of engineering, but it is also thousands of pounds moving at highway speed. The technology inside our vehicles continues to improve, with features like automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warnings, and lane-departure systems, but none of those should replace an attentive driver.

There are also simple things every driver can do to reduce accidents and fatalities. I can keep my phone out of reach, leave enough distance between myself and other vehicles, wear my seat belt, avoid driving when I am overly tired, and never drive impaired. I can also pay attention beyond the vehicle directly in front of me so I have more time to recognize something unusual. I think driver education should emphasize these habits and defensive driving even more because getting a license should not be the end of learning how to drive safely.

Safe driving also means being willing to look out for other people. If I am a passenger and someone is texting, speeding, or driving dangerously, I should speak up instead of assuming everything will probably be fine. When I am the driver, I am responsible for more than myself. That became especially real to me with my mom sitting beside me on our way to Colorado. My decisions affected her too, just as they affect every friend, teammate, or family member who gets into my car.

I have never been involved in a serious car accident, and I am grateful for that. Still, I think the experience with the tire gave me a different perspective on what it means to be a safe driver. I did not have to experience an accident to understand how easily one could happen. Sometimes the danger is another driver's decision, sometimes it is your own mistake, and sometimes it is something completely unexpected coming across the median. The only part I can consistently control is how prepared and attentive I am when it happens.

My mom and I made it safely to Colorado that day, and I moved into my dorm to begin my freshman year. When I think back on that drive, I do not think the lesson was that I made some amazing move behind the wheel. I was simply paying attention when I needed to be. That is what I took away from the experience and what I think good driver education should ultimately teach. Safe driving is not only about knowing the rules. It is about developing habits that stay with you, even after miles of straight road when it feels like nothing is happening.