When you turn 16 the whole world changes. All you think about is freedom and fun. Dreams of adventure and challenges that await. I was hoping that my parents would get me a car to drive and that I would impress my friends. But now 7 years later I see driving very differently. I understand it is a responsibility and privilege and while the car can take me places, I could end up where I never wanted to go if I am not careful. Hopefully I can give a little window into my journey that will explain how I arrived where I am today.
I would like to start at the beginning. I was 15 taking a driver’s education course at school and not really paying attention. They were talking about the dangers of driving and I thought they were just trying to scare me. I thought it’d be easy and didn’t need the teacher to tell me anything, but luckily some of the class stuck with me and I made it through. My parents kept pushing safety and paying attention. In the beginning when I started driving, I was really scared but didn’t want to admit it so off I went. I was pretty unhappy when I learned I wasn’t allowed to have friends in the car for the first 6 months and that I was stuck driving my little sisters around. But time passed. I look back and see now that I was pretty lucky that I didn’t get into any trouble.
I am grateful for that driver’s education class. I am grateful for parents who hammered the basics. What kids don’t know is what a big thing driving is. There is more to it than hitting the gas and brakes and the lessons learned in the beginning have made an impact.
One of the issues in driving was distraction, there is radio noise and siblings yelling, I would need to be somewhere on time and there was worry about schedules. Every drive was a first. First left turn in traffic, first fire truck barreling down the street, first crosswalk in front of a school. When you pile that all together, I remember not knowing where to focus. But my parents told me to go slow and take my time and I got through it. A bigger issue was the phone. My parents had strict rules about not using my phone while driving but everybody was doing it. And sometimes it was just a quick look. But that made it easier to do more often. But then we moved. We lived in a cul-de-sac, our neighbors house on the corner had some kids that were a little older than I was. They were pretty well known and there was always a group going somewhere. One night a group of them and their friends went out. They didn’t really do anything wrong but there was an accident. It wasn’t their fault but they paid the price anyway. The car that hit them broadsided them. Things might have happened differently for them, but no one was paying attention. Some weren’t wearing seat belts and all of them were laughing and playing on phones, one even had their feet kicked up on the dashboard. That girl lost her legs from the knees down, 2 others spent a week in the hospital after surgery. That night shattered families and our neighborhood. The next day I got in the car and looked at my phone. Suddenly I didn’t want to touch it. Suddenly all I could think about was turning the radio down and telling my sisters to cool it. I wanted it quiet and I was paying attention. I wish I had paid more attention all along. My mom told me to just relax and remember what I was already doing and for once I listened. It was a turning point in my driving. Now I drive but it isn’t the same. I take it seriously. I it isn’t an adventure but a privilege that gets me where I need to go. I drive to college and work and home to visit my mom and dad. I still wish I had a cool car, I don’t, but that is for down the road.
Learning to drive and starting this journey is important for the teens doing it but also for our whole community. We need to have education that really hits home for teens. More real stories for everyone to hear. We need public awareness before the accident not after. I am still sorry that girl lost her legs and sorry I didn’t take it seriously till after she did. I want to be part of the solution, not the problem. I don’t use my phone in the car and made sure my sisters didn’t either when they were learning. It’s my hope that more kids will learn this before they get hurt or hurt someone. I also think adults need to set the example too. If they are breaking the rules, how can we expect teens to follow them. If we all work together the road can be safer for everyone.