I will never forget the night I learned how dangerous driving is. It was raining heavily, the kind of rain that makes it difficult to see even with the windshield wipers blowing full blast. I was riding in my cousin’s car, laughing at something on my phone, not very focused on the road. My cousin, already a few years of experience behind the wheel, was cocky, too cocky perhaps. He didn’t slow down when he reached the slick roads. “I’ve got this,” he told me when I asked him to slow down. But then, in the blink of an eye, he didn’t.
As we were approaching an intersection, he braked a bit too hard. The wheels spun, and before I could do anything, we were spinning. Time was slow motion. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. The car spun once, twice, then BAM. We hit a guardrail. The sound of metal crunching in my ears, and for an instant, there was nothing but silence except for the pounding rain. We were lucky. The airbags hadn’t deployed, which told me that we hadn’t hit as hard as I’d thought. We just sat there, staring at one another. If another car had been in that intersection at the time, if we’d been going just a little bit faster, I might not be here to sit and write this essay. My life changed that night. It showed me how quickly a normal drive can turn into a nightmare and how much safer we would all be if we took driving more seriously.
Prior to when I had that accident, driving was something I saw as something that was simply a part of life. You turn sixteen and get your driver’s license and then you can drive. I had heard, of course, all the warnings: “Don’t text and drive,” “Do not speed,” “Be careful in bad weather.” But it wasn’t until I came to understand the horror of losing control on the highway that I really understood the value of driver training. Driver’s education doesn’t just teach someone how to make a car go forward, it teaches them how to react in bad conditions, how to avoid situations from arising before they arise, and how to make intelligent decisions that can mean the difference between life and death. My cousin never learned how to drive from hydroplaning, and for that reason, he panicked when he lost traction. If he had only released the brake and steered into the skid, perhaps we could have avoided crashing. But driver education is not just about skill, it is also about attitude. A good driving school can instruct new drivers that being “experienced” does not necessarily equate to being invulnerable. Overconfident driving is a risk, and the more that individuals are aware of the risks, the better they will decide.
Education is the solution, but we need to do better to prevent lives from being lost on the highways. The laws need to be enforced more rigorously. Too many drivers still text and drive because they think they can multitask. Too many people think that it’s a good idea to have “just one drink” before getting behind the wheel. If they made the consequences of reckless driving stiffer, perhaps people would uphold these statutes with greater ferocity. Better roadwork helps too. Jumbled intersection setups and danger-curve turns along some routes pose hazards that may be curtailed through supplementary traffic signals, legible signposts, and upkeep. That intersection at my accident spot was poorly draining and slippery, thanks to those shortcomings. Minor tweaks like better roads could have prevented the skid in the first place. There’s also responsibility at the car manufacturers’ end. New cars are equipped with advanced safety features like lane drift alerts, automatic braking, and traction controls that can steer clear of accidents. Such should not be added features, such should be mandatory on all cars, especially among young drivers.
The accident with my cousin wasn’t the only time I’ve seen reckless driving up close. I’ve been in the passenger seat with friends who thought it was funny to speed down side streets like they were in a Fast and Furious movie. I’ve watched family members check their phones while driving, completely ignoring the road for seconds at a time. I’ve even had someone try to convince me that they could drive home after having “just a little.” All of these experiences made me realize how common unsafe driving is. Most people don’t realize they’re doing anything wrong until it’s too late. That’s why I’ve started speaking out. If I see someone texting and driving, I tell them to stop. If someone is speeding, I remind them that no one ever means to get into an accident, but sometimes accidents do happen. If I have a drinking friend, I offer to be their ride. At the end of the night, I’d rather be the “nagging” rider and annoy someone than keep my mouth shut and regret it later.
My experiences have created the type of driver I should be. As soon as I get my car, safety is going to be my top concern. I’m not going to let distractions become my eyes when I’m behind the wheel. I will always remind myself that just because I feel comfortable at the wheel, it doesn’t mean I am free to become reckless. I’ll drive slowly in bad weather, always wear my seatbelt, and never drive when I’m tired or distracted. But being a safe driver isn’t just about me, it’s also about keeping others safe. That’s why I plan to get my friends and loved ones to be safer on the road too. Whether that means offering to be a designated driver, reminding someone to drive slower, or simply not riding with someone who is driving irresponsibly, I will do what I need to do to keep myself and others safe.
I think schools can do more to promote safe driving. Guest lecturers who have lost a family member in an auto accident can present to teen drivers the real outcomes of careless driving. Defensive driving courses that provide hands-on instruction can instruct individuals on how to deal with real-life situations, like hydroplaning or skidding to an emergency stop. The more individuals are aware of the risks, the safer the roads will become.
My night of accident could have been a tragedy. I was lucky, but not everyone. Too many people lose their lives each year due to reckless driving, inadequate education, and preventable mistakes. We can do better. With improved driver education, more effective law enforcement, improved road safety, and personal responsibility, we can reduce the number of deaths on our roads. I vow that I will do my share, not only by being a responsible driver myself but also by encouraging those around me to be better. Because at the end of the day, no text message, no shortcut, and no moment of overconfidence is worth a life.