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Everyone remembers how boring Driver’s Ed was as a teenager. Especially at the bright age of 14, when we thought that we already knew everything. Personally, I went through Driver’s Ed online (thank you COVID), so my experience was a little different than any other class. I did all of the book work at home, then went into the real world to drive with an instructor. Of course, I had practiced with my parents telling me a million things at once, but driving with a complete stranger was a new experience. At the time, I thought that Driver’s Ed was a waste of time, and was something that my parents could have taught me over a weekend. Little did I know that it would completely impact the rest of my life.
Traffic fatalities are one of the leading causes of death in America. In 2023, over 40,000 people died in car crashes. Knowing how to drive safely can be one of the most crucial aspects in preventing crashes. Driving is how adults spend a large portion of their days. Whether that be driving to and from work, dropping off and picking up kids at school, or simply just driving home from a social event, adults are always driving. Driving safety starts at the beginning. Learning to drive safely from the start is the easiest way to prevent crashes. Kids start learning to drive at a very young age. If those kids learn that driving safety is important at such a young age, they will carry that throughout their adult lives. On the other end of that, adults being aware of teaching the importance of safe driving is just as important as the kids learning about it. I also believe that the technology in cars has the potential to prevent traffic fatalities. We are already seeing technological improvements in vehicles, such as the blind spot monitors that are in newer vehicle’s side mirrors, as well as a seat vibration if your vehicle is getting too close to the edge of a lane. These new technological advancements are being put into cars with the goal of improving safety, and I think that they need to be in any new cars being made, presently and in the future.
I also believe that Driver’s Education should not only be a one time thing. Just because someone can pass a test at the young age of 15, it doesn’t mean that those rules will stick in their heads for the rest of their lives. Think about it. Do you remember the topics you took tests on in elementary school? The same thing can happen throughout adulthood. Those drivers' safety rules are slowly leaving your brain as you grow up, and eventually you might not be able to drive as safely as you could when you were a new driver. As well as not being able to remember those rules from however many years ago, things can change. I believe that when your license expires, you should have to retake the driver’s ed test to confirm that you still remember all of the rules. This will keep the rules fresh in your brain, ensuring the safety of yourself and the people around you.
I have been in a few crashes in my life. When I was about 12 years old, we were rear ended coming home from grocery shopping. I don't remember too much about that crash, because it was at such a young age, but I just remember the rental car we had to drive around while the car was getting fixed. The other crash I was in was with my grandma and my brother. We were driving home from an art museum, I was getting ready to go to a sleepover, my brother and I were looking down at our iPads, when we heard a loud crashing noise. I remember taking a few seconds to process what had just happened before I looked up to see that a deer had run out in front of us. While I am aware that living in a small country town does produce the risk of having animals run out in front of a vehicle while driving, you never think that it is going to happen to you. I remember seeing the deer’s leg hanging from the shattered windshield, that picture will never be able to leave my mind. I also remember the terrible smell. A nice man stopped and gave us water and helped make sure everyone was okay, then I had to tell my friends that I would be late to the sleepover because we had hit a deer. While these two experiences did not cause any fatalities, besides the deer, my small town went through something much bigger two years ago.
February 4, 2023 is a day that the residents of Andale, Kansas will never forget. That was the day that we lost Wyatt Sobba. Wyatt was a boy in my class who was full of light, humor, and also sarcasm. He was in a car crash on February 2, 2023. I remember seeing pictures of the crash being posted on social media, but I did not know who was involved, so it stayed in the back of my mind. When I had heard that a boy that I had known my entire life was a victim, I remember my heart sinking into my stomach. It was a feeling that I never want to experience again. Everyone started talking about it. We didn’t know the full story of what actually happened, and I still personally don’t know what actually happened that day, but the rumors started spreading around the town. I knew that he was in the hospital, and that he was stable, but at the time we all thought he was going to survive. The next day, you could feel the shift in everyone’s mood. We learned that his condition was getting worse, and that he most likely was not going to make it. The Sobba family gave his classmates and friends time to come up to the hospital to see him, and then they were going to take him off of life support on February 4th. At the time, I didn’t want to go see him, because I knew that it would be too hard for me not only to see him, but to see his family going through that. Not going to see him is one of my biggest regrets in life. The entire community was there to support his family at his funeral, and not a day goes by that we don’t think about him. He was honored at events, and was memorialized at our graduation. We had an empty chair with his picture and a graduation cap, and when his picture came up during a slideshow, there was not a dry eye in the room. February 4th, 2023 will forever be the day that our community lost a piece of ourselves.
After losing Wyatt, I was terrified to drive. I drove my few minutes to school and home, and that was all that I could do. I also was nervous anytime I knew the people around me were driving anywhere. I wanted them to let me know when they got to their destination, and the few times I never got that message, I would think of the absolute worst case scenario, and picture the entire town going through that for a second time. I think everyone that has the ability to drive needs to be aware of the physical, mental, and emotional harm that can be caused by reckless driving. Driver’s Ed is such a crucial beginning step to improving the safety of driving. If new driver’s start from day one having the importance of safe driving in the back of their heads, I believe that it will result in their safety on the road. Being aware of my surroundings and following safe driving habits is what keeps myself and others safe on the road. As well as being a good driver, you also have to be a good passenger. Not distracting the driver while they are driving is also extremely important in keeping everyone in the vehicle safe. Traffic fatalities can happen in the blink of an eye, so staying focused on the road for the entire duration of a trip is crucial.