Driver Education Initiative
The World Turned Upside Down: A Close Family Member's Traffic Accident and How It Has Affected My Road Safety
Addison Ann Campbell
Leesburg, OH
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.
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.
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