Imagine that you are driving past a scenery of broken car fragments scattered across the road, flashing blue and red lights, and the anxious faces of people frantically yelling into their phones. I bet that the only thing that pops into your mind is, “Thank God that isn’t me.” Now, I ask that you take a moment to picture switching places with the unfortunate individual in that situation. You stand outside of your car, looking at the horrid scenery before you. I mean, just minutes before you were listening to your favorite song on the radio. How could things take such a dramatic turn within seconds? Although your car is completely totaled, you still remain thankful that your family will not have to get a call from the police department about a far more devastating circumstance. What if I told you that the individual you just swapped places with was me? Although I was not the one driving, I witnessed things that day that altered my perspective forever.
The summer before my freshman year of high school, my uncle and I were involved in a car accident. What no one tells you about them is that a quick mistake on the road could change your life forever. It is the little things, such as just replying to that one text message, just going a few miles per hour above the speed limit, or just forgetting to wear your seatbelt that could have the huge potential of ruining your life or anyone else’s involved. My uncle and I were lucky that it was nothing too serious, but the financial and emotional scarring definitely continued to linger. When I started drivers ed class in high school, I noticed I was different from my peers. While others were excited for hands-on learning, I thought of it as a dreadful experience. The thought of being behind the wheel genuinely scared me because you never know if you could slip up, or even worse, others arounds you which is beyond your control. I had an underlying sense of PTSD from my past experiences that held me back from fully engaging in the content I was learning. It got even worse when it came time for the behind the wheel training. Driving unfortunately felt like a fear rather than a normal thing for me. The lingering thought of just one slip up possibly ending up in an accident kept me from driving confidently. I soon realized that I had driving anxiety, which I had to learn to overcome.
I decided to open up about this and talk to my mom who had been driving me everywhere since birth, so naturally, her words of advice held very strong to me. She said words that I will never forget: “Driving is a responsibility, yes. One that you should never take lightly. Even so, it is also a skill. A skill that takes practice, knowledge, and confidence to achieve.” This helped me understand that driving is nothing to be afraid of, even after my experience. It is a skill to hone, because when you are behind the wheel, you have not just your life in your hands, but also everyone involved as well. It was nerve racking to think about, but the nervousness only demonstrated that I cared. I took it as motivation to become a responsible driver that would never make people fear for their lives. Making sure I followed the laws, set aside distractions, and be mindful of my surroundings were all key factors that helped me. Knowing that I overcame the anxiety of the road by shifting my view on driving boosted my confidence in driving tremendously. The younger me that was so afraid would have been so proud of me right now.
I am entering my senior year of high school now, and I now have my driver’s license. When I look back at the photo of me displayed on that card, a wave of accomplishment washes over me. Now, I am the one driving my friends and I to places far and wide knowing that they will be safe as long as I am driving, because I make sure to be a safe driver that will not put their lives at stake. The next time you drive past the scene of a car accident, not only be thankful it is not you, but also think to yourself about how you can avoid being in that situation. Driving safe is the coolest thing that you can do. Not only are you taking accountability on the road, but you are setting an example for others to follow.