Driving can be fun, calming, boring, sketchy, or absolutely terrifying. Regardless I drive like everyone I love is in the backseat. Throughout my life so far, I have been in some car wrecks, some spin outs, and a lot of close calls in the passenger seat. About two months ago I had gotten my first car; A blue 2013 Ford Fusion. I was so happy with that car, It couldn’t have been more perfect for me. I spent my money on the tags, insurance, and had to drive it back from Nebraska to my home in Kansas. I worked hard to get that car and was driving it good for a few days, but about a week before the legal tags came in the mail, I totaled it. On my way to school I had decided to only look one way at a yield sign and consequently hit the driver side of a white Chevy Cobalt driving through the intersection. I wasn’t even thinking about my car at that moment, because the second I felt the impact my hand jolted over to the passenger seat where my ten year old brother was sitting. Thankfully his seat belt was on, because I make sure to tell him to buckle every time we enter a vehicle. I remind him of motor vehicle safety and even tell him what the road signs mean as we drive. That one morning, however, I didn't follow my own advice. I should’ve known better.
That incident had brought back a memory from when I was around thirteen. I was sitting in the passenger seat of a Ford F150 with my dad driving at well past midnight. My younger brother and sister were fast asleep in the back seat so I had decided to do the same. However before I could close my eyes I peered over at my dad and noticed that he looked awfully tired. We were coming out of Wichita Ks, heading back to Marysville, Ks. Which was a three hour drive, and my dad was only just keeping his eyes open on the way out of the city. I made a mental note at that moment to remain awake and observe my dad’s driving. At one point I glanced towards the front windshield to see a turn on the highway quickly approaching. There was a metal guard around the side of the road and a semi coming our direction. We were taking a little too long to turn and that semi almost looked like it was in front of us. Turns out the semi wasn’t in front of us, but we were in front of the semi on the wrong side of the road. I visualized hitting that semi, and driving off the road through the metal guard. In my head I lost my dad and my two younger siblings in the back seat.That quick thought made me whirl and look at my dad again. He was sleeping. I froze for less than a second before yelling at him. He jolted awake, and once he saw what I was seeing, he whipped the truck to the right and around the turn just in time. My heart was beating so fast, and my dad seemed to be in a moment of shock. I turned back to check on my brother and sister, to see them confused in the back seat, but ultimately unaware of what had just happened. That memory left me with a reminder. A reminder that my family could’ve died. They could be gone right now. So I should've known better when driving through that intersection.
I had been through Drivers E.D and knew all the safety laws, but I didn’t believe the extreme importance of them. When I drive now, I think of my passengers, the other drivers, and the pedestrians on the street. I could’ve hit a kid riding his bike to school that day. It could’ve been someone I knew. Their parents would’ve been devastated. My brother would’ve had to witness it, and it would’ve been all my fault. I understand the responsibility I have when sitting behind the wheel of a vehicle. I’m responsible for many lives, and many people are responsible for mine. Driving is a privilege; Privilege given to people who should know better.
I could end this off with a lecture of rules and why you should safely drive, but it wouldn’t change much. It should be your own consciousness that tells you whether you deserve to drive or not. Think about the mindset you have when you drive. Can you be trusted with the life of another?