The Cost of Keeping Pace

I remember when I first drove on the highway. Speed over 80km/hr, hands tightly gripping the wheel, eyes wide and smile bigger than it had ever been. At 17, it felt like independence, freedom, and the thrill was unimaginable. 

But at that moment, I recalled an important saying my dad had said to me when I was younger, “Speed thrills but it kills”. 

The examples are all around us: squirrels squished on the street, birds dead in the middle of the road, and the magnitude of human death as a result of driving. 

I strongly believe that many people on the road make driving more aggressive than it needs to be. In addition to causing careless mistakes, aggressive driving can pressure others to behave in the same way. On multiple occasions, I have noticed my parents and I slowly creeping up to higher speeds simply to match the traffic around us, proving how easily speeding becomes normalized. When everyone around you is driving faster, the speed that initially felt unsafe can suddenly feel normal. However, just because everyone else is doing something does not make it acceptable.

In Grade 10, my robotics teacher was involved in a collision between his bicycle and a car. Luckily, I didn’t see the collision happen, but I saw the aftermath of him lying under his bike, screaming in pain because of his dislocated shoulder. I wanted to stay to make sure he was okay but the firefighters told us to leave. Having missed our bus, my friend and I walked back in silence. He came back to class almost a month later, with a shoulder sling, and the same bright smile. Seeing someone I knew become a victim of a car collision made me realize how quickly an ordinary day can turn into an emergency. 

I believe that a part of the problem lies in how we educate new drivers and reinforce following these precautions among experienced ones. The essence of safe driving relies not only on following the rules of the road, but also on protecting others by recognizing hazards and resisting pressure from other drivers. Consequently, I believe that all drivers must be subject to receiving training that prepares them to avoid dangerous situations on the road. This should include recognizing hazards, and adjusting to changing road conditions, as well as resisting peer pressure and remaining calm. Drivers should also learn how rain, darkness, and fatigue affect their ability to react to hazards. Knowing the rules is important, but applying them when under pressure is what truly keeps people safe. 

Reducing driving-related deaths also requires drivers to obey speed limits, wear seat belts, avoid distractions, and never drive under the influence. Most importantly, fatigue should be a reason to stop and rest, not a challenge to push through. Driving while exhausted can impair an individual’s judgement and reaction time, even when someone believes they can stay awake. 

I experienced this firsthand when I was coming back from a karate competition. Though I wasn’t driving, the long ferry rides and tough competitions had taken their toll on me. Driving back from Horseshoe Bay at 2 AM, I struggled to keep my eyes open. Usually, I am the designated shotgun passenger as I easily resist falling asleep, but at that moment all I wanted to do was drift off. That experience made me realize how difficult it is to keep on driving when you’re exhausted. It also taught me that passengers also have a responsibility of keeping everyone safe, by helping their drivers with their driving needs. If I notice a driver struggling to stay awake, I can speak up and encourage them to pull over somewhere safe to rest rather than continue our journey. 

Although I have not personally experienced a serious car accident, I have seen how easily driving habits can be influenced by the people around us. Even my own family can gradually match the pace of surrounding traffic without consciously deciding to speed. This has made me realize that unsafe driving does not begin with intentional risky decisions, but with unintentional conformity.

As a young driver, I can take responsibility for keeping myself and others safe by checking my mirrors, maintaining a safe following distance, putting my phone away, and adjusting my speed to road conditions rather than the behaviour of other drivers. If someone tailgates me, I can remain calm instead of speeding up to their impatience. I can also encourage my passengers to wear seat belts, and speak up when someone drives unsafely. By following these habits I can help create safer driving for myself, as well as my loved ones. 

I hope I never lose my appreciation for the freedom driving gives me, but I also know that freedom comes with responsibility. I cannot control every danger on the road, but I can control how I respond and adapt to those situations. Seeing my teacher being treated by paramedics reminded me that the consequences of a collision are not just numbers in a report, but people we know, families we love, and lives that can be taken in seconds. When I think back to my first highway drive, I remember the excitement of finally feeling independent. Now I understand that the safety behind that confidence comes from keeping all road users safe, by doing something as simple as slowing down.