The Power of a Car

My name is Oliver Packham, I am a junior at Davinci Academy and I plan to go into Materials engineering after taking all of my generals at snow college. I started driving about six months ago and have been lucky to make it this far without a crash. Mostly thanks to those who drive around me. However one day someone is going to mess up next to me and my goal is to be ready at that time. That means paying attention to everyone around me and being ready to act.

When I started driving I felt that my driving teacher was exaggerating the danger of driving and that as long as you weren’t stupid you wouldn’t get in a crash. However, as I’ve driven I have been exposed to many of the dangers from turning left onto a divided street to not watching as my lane made a swerve and even almost getting into a crash myself while looking at another car crash.

What people tell you in drivers ed is true. Cars are deadly when used carelessly. When you text in the driver’s seat or decide to drive drunk you are playing with a two-ton cage of steel moving at breakneck speeds and it’s not just your life you’re playing with. One glance at your phone can make you miss the car in front of you stopping for a dog. One late decision can cause you to blast through a red light and right into a minivan full of kids.

However, nothing has changed my perspective of driving more than seeing someone smash into a water barrier on a freeway divide from a glance at her phone. The power we have in a car is insane, she blew through four water barrels and flew across the lane skidding to a stop in the middle lane with her car crumpled in half and missing three wheels. She was ok that time but I can hardly imagine what would have happened if she had run into a wall or another car heading in the opposite direction.

Driving is a constant game of attention because an empty street in the woods can turn into a herd of deer faster than you can type gtg. Driving needs your attention and even texting your friend that you can’t talk now or taking a sip of your friend’s beer is poking a dog with a hot poker.

After seeing what I have seen I will never consume any amount of alcohol before driving or look at my phone and I implore you to take my word for the dangers of driving or watch a video of a crash and decide to do the same before it’s too late. I’m sure If I had seen the kind of power behind a car before taking to the roads I would have taken driving much more seriously.