When the Wheel is Mine

  The first time I got into the driver's seat, I remember how nervous but excited I was. The time had finally arrived for me to start driving. My dad sat in the passenger seat beside me and instructed me on what to do. The instructions were simple: make a left, go straight, turn right. But for some reason I was thinking about whether I was turning the wheel enough, whether I was going too fast and whether I was going to make a mistake. My dad on the other hand seemed to be very calm. All of a sudden getting in the car felt like a massive responsibility rather than just getting in and putting my seatbelt on. I remember thinking there was so much to keep track of; When to change gears, looking out for cars, staying in my lane and even making simple turns and that was when, I realized, driving was not just about getting a car and just driving off. It was about making split second decisions that yours and everyone else's lives depended on.

    Before I started learning how to drive, driving seemed almost invisible to me. I would get in the car, go somewhere and get out. I knew it took practice and some skill but I never put into context the amount of decisions that goes into even a 5 minute drive. Now that I am the one sitting behind the wheel, I notice everything differently. I notice how quickly cars move, how long it takes to stop the car, when to change lanes and how quickly the unexpected can happen. I understand now why my dad always tells me the same thing over and over again “ driving is not about just being behind the wheel it's about pretending like you're the only one that knows how to drive”. I used to think it was so annoying how he would constantly say that until I realized he was teaching me to think about what might happen next and not just what's happening now.

 This is why I think driver's education can make such a difference in reducing deaths on the road. It teaches people more than just memorizing rules for a test but teaches them how to recognize danger, think ahead and make responsible decisions before the situation becomes an accident. Knowing that you shouldn't speed is important but understanding why speeding is dangerous is the key to changing someone's behaviour. Knowing you should not use your phone while driving is important but understanding how much can change in seconds is what makes you a true driver. A driver needs to understand that the road does not give second chances.

   What scares me the most is that dangerous driving can feel so normal. A person can look at  text and think they will only be looking away for a second. Someone who is late might decide to drive faster because they think they can make up time. A driver might become annoyed with someone in front of them and follow too closely or pass aggressively. NOne of these decisions necessarily feels like a decision that could kill you or someone. That is why education matters. People need to understand that serious crashes don't always begin with someone thinking, “Hey, I am going to cause an accident today.” Sometimes they begin with a small decision that feels completely harmless. 

I have not experienced a serious car accident myself, and I am thankful that I have not had to. But learning to drive has made me more aware of the irresponsible choices, I see around me. Whether it's someone on their phone while driving or an impatient driver swerving through traffic, I see it all even when I'm not in a car. Before I was learning to drive, I might have thought those things were annoying but now all I see are the possibilities of what could go wrong. There are other people in that car. There are pedestrians crossing. There are families waiting at home for someone to come back. While the person driving is only thinking about getting to their destination faster. This is why I think reducing the deaths on the road has to involve more than just telling people to follow the rules. Drivers need better education, but they also need to take their education seriously. They need to understand that being safe might mean doing something inconvenient. It means waiting until you pull over to answer that text. It means leaving earlier instead of speeding. It means slowing down when the weather is bad. It means admitting you are too tired to drive. None of these makes someone a bad driver, it just means they are responsible. 

   My dad might be beside me now to help me remember to slow down, to pay attention to the light or even check my blind spots  but eventually, I will be sitting in the driver's seat alone and those decisions will be mine. Because at the end of the day, being a good driver is not about getting their first– it is about making sure everyone gets there.