Name: Melani Crone
From: Summerton, SC
Votes: 0
She
had just graduated high school. Young, hopeful, and I’m sure
excited about what the future might hold.
The
heartbreaking truth is that she wouldn’t be making it past today.
Our
car was rolling down the road on an average, sunny day. I was about 4
years old, dressed quite maturely in a ballet skirt and tap shoes. My
younger sister was also ready for dance class, and our baby brother
was contentedly snoozing away.
A
couple miles down the road, two best friends were heading in the
opposite direction. Unbeknownst to them that one girl would not be
surviving the next few minutes.
To
this day, I often flinch while safely riding in a car. It doesn’t
take very much to make me gasp and hold my breath. While I don’t
know if it’s due to the accident I was in as a small child, I do
know that the event is never very far from my thoughts.
The
girl who was driving drifted over to the shoulder of the road. She
jerked the steering wheel, trying to correct the vehicle, but instead
ran into our lane. The car hit us head-on, causing my mom to run off
the road and slam into a tree. Miraculously, not one of us had a
scratch or bruise to claim.
Sadly,
the front passenger in the other car was not as fortunate. With the
absence of her seat belt and the windows rolled down, she flew out of
the vehicle and died instantly.
She
could have been only 17 or 18.
When
I think of safe driving precautions, more comes to my mind than DUI
and seat belt laws.
I
think of all the lives that end harshly and abruptly, without a
chance to say good-bye.
Driving
is not a game. With that steering wheel we hold the ability to
destroy life. Our own… or others.
That’s
why it’s so important to not drive distractedly. With the trend of
dancing and mouthing lyrics for an Instagram story becoming rampant,
drivers are letting down their guard in favor of a fun social media
post.
When
we choose to place our attention on a camera instead of the road,
we’re placing ourselves in a deadly game.
As
Americans, we need a new perspective. Fast. With a rising number of
car crash fatalities, I think we can all agree that driving needs to
be given a new respect.
Being
alert and responsive is a great place to start. As is carefully
following traffic laws.
However,
I believe there is more to being a safe driver. That belief lies in
the solemn awareness that life is fragile and none of us are promised
tomorrow.
As
drivers, we’re in control of the most dangerous form of travel in
the world. It’s wise to remember this as we take the wheel, lest
one careless breath be our very last.
