The Blink of an Eye

It’s the day of your road test, butterflies are fluttering in your stomach, the examiner is taking notes, all you hear is the gentle hum of the engine and the click of their pen. You carefully park the vehicle and sit in silence, while the suspense of those life-changing results lingers in the air, but the question no one seems to be asking is, “Do you fully understand the heavy responsibility that it takes to be a safe driver?” As we know, driving is not simply about starting the engine and maneuvering from A to B. It is about focus, multitasking, and awareness. Education is very important when it comes to driving. Although one does not learn how to drive through courses, they can learn everything they need to know and apply this knowledge on the road. Traffic incidents occur because of human error, learning the rules of the road is a key factor in preventing these incidents. There are many laws that new drivers do not learn, due to improper education. For example, if a new driver has never encountered a police car pulled over to the side of the highway with their lights on, how else would they know to change lanes when they are alone and do not have access to parental guidance? We do not know how every family operates when it comes to educating new drivers, therefore, I believe that everyone, regardless of age, should take a drivers ed course before taking the exam to further reduce the chance of death behind the wheel. It is impossible to properly educate someone on every encounter they could have while driving by simply running errands together. Therefore, by requiring everyone to take a drivers ed course, we can guarantee that there will not be any surprises on the road. All the laws would have been exposed, the dangers of driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol will be taught, and everyone can learn the basic roadway etiquette to further prevent conflict on the road. Although I have never been involved in a car accident, I see friends, family, and even other drivers driving irresponsibly on the road very frequently. Whether it is turning without using your turn signals or applying makeup, people tend to forget that driving has very little room for human error. A simple mistake can cost you your life or the life of another; but why do we forget these things when we are behind the wheel? Is it arrogance or overconfidence? Why do we as humans lose sight of what is important when we most need it? To maintain good driving habits, I always tell myself anything can occur in the blink of an eye. All it takes is one second for your entire life to change. So, the next time my phone beeps next to me, I leave it exactly where it is; and I remember the responsibility I possess at that moment.