When
I was only a few years old, my grandmother would squeeze my hand as
she placed me in my booster seat. We drove everywhere- Friendly’s,
the park, and my favorite place, the supermarket. I remember
listening to music in the car and laughing as the breeze through the
window would blow my hair in all directions. I thought this feeling
of bliss would last forever. Until it didn’t. One day my
grandmother had a terrible fall which damaged her back forever. All
of a sudden, our weekend drives around the town ended, and she was
committed to her bed. It broke my heart that I could not support her
the way she had supported me for so many years. I realized that I
would now take on the responsibility as the driver.
I
was extremely hesitant to get behind the wheel with my grandmother
after passing my permit test. I was fearful that even the slightest
hesitation would result in a fatal crash. This was when I decided to
ask my parents to enroll me in drivers ed. In drivers ed, I
was able to develop my driving skills in a group setting that was
directed by a professional. Many focus on ways not to drive
irresponsibly, however, I think the most valuable lessons were how to
drive responsibility. Driving with my grandmother no longer seemed
as daunting as I strengthened my skills as a driver on a regular
basis. Drivers ed reduces the number of deaths as the result of
driving because it teaches essential skills to new drivers: awareness
and the evaluation of your surroundings.
Fatal
car accidents can and should be prevented. Drivers ed gave me the
confidence to get behind the wheel because I came to a major
realization. I can tip the odds of an accident in my favor by taking
precautionary measures such as driving sober and following driving
cues around me. I think my initial fears come from the tragic
accident involving the death of my beloved golden retriever, Barney.
He was in the car with my parents when a woman, texting while
driving, crashed into our car. I did not know it then, but that
would be the last time I saw Barney. This was definitely a wake-up
call. I was not going to participate or allow another tragedy like
this to happen again. There are things that are out of our control,
however, I truly believe that with the proper skills, all new drivers
can own their driving abilities and proactively prevent car
accidents.
At
first, I thought my grandmother’s injury would permanently change
both of our lives. Fortunately, I realized that I have the ability
to alter what I thought was fate. I am forever grateful for my
instructor and peers at drivers ed that have helped me learn how
to feel confident and safe behind the wheel. I don’t think my
grandmother and I could have gone another weekend without an ice
cream sundae from Friendly’s! :)