The World Turned Upside Down: A Close Family Member's Traffic Accident and How It Has Affected My Road Safety

On August 23rd, 2018, I was a junior in high school. I was about to get ready for bed when my family and I got the news that my cousin, Coby, had gotten in a car accident on his way home from soccer practice. At first, it felt like the worst could not happen. I figured he would come out with a few scrapes and bruises and be the same Coby we know and love in a few days. Unfortunately, this was not the case. That night, my family and I spent the night on the floor of the Grant Medical Center waiting room, awaiting news on Coby's condition. What I hoped to be a short recovery ended up being an extensive recovery that consisted of several surgeries and watching Coby stay unconscious for months. Needless to say, the experience took a toll on not only me, but everyone around me. To this day, Coby is continuing to recover from this accident and the traumatic brain injury that resulted from it.

Coby's case is like many others who have sustained extensive injuries from vehicular accidents. However, a large number are not as lucky as Coby to have survived such an accident. While Coby's case may not have been due to unsafe driving, safe driving plays a vital role in preventing accidents like this from happening. This begins with safe driving education; this does not just include drivers education, but also leading by example. Personally, I watched my brother, Elijah, drive like a maniac immediately when he got his license. He has gotten multiple tickets and has run off the road multiple times as a result. It is vital that safe driving education includes the normalization of safe, controlled driving, rather than driving like Elijah's. Strong driving education is the root of safe driving, and its result will naturally be fewer vehicular deaths.

Personally, I just began driving. As a beginner, I recognize the importance of awareness of drivers around you. It is easy to memorize the dos and don'ts of driving, but most accidents are not the fault of safe drivers, but rather the ones that are not aware. It is important to be aware of others around you, always be cautious, and follow traffic laws that are in place for the protection of drivers.