Thank you, Mum

Kristin
Dick

Youth
Forward

“In
the Driver’s Seat”

1
April 2019

Thank
you, Mum

It
was around seven o’clock ten years ago when our home phone received
a call. Eight-year-old me was the first to pick up the phone, noting
that the caller ID was my mother. I remember saying ‘hello’ in a
cheery voice before listening to my mum on the other end.

“Kristin,
I need you to get the phone to dad, okay?” Her voice did not seem
out of the ordinary, but I remember being frightened by the feeling
that something wasn’t right. My heart raced as I ran across the
house to my parent’s room where my dad was folding laundry. I gave
him the phone, told him who called, then watched the color drain from
his face as he listened to her panicked voice. He nodded before
hanging up, grabbing his coat, and running out the door saying he
would be just down the street.

Later
that night, I learned that my mum had been in an accident. The
oncoming traffic had been too heavy to turn left, so she had to stop
on a 50-mph highway (which was not uncommon). However, the lady
behind my mother was on her phone and did not bother looking up to
see my mother’s brake lights until she was a few short feet behind
her. The lady swerved and hit my childhood car’s right side,
causing my mother to fly forward in her seatbelt. She had immediate
whiplash and is still going to chiropractors biweekly just to work
out the pain.

Since
the accident, I have taken a drivers ed class, gotten my
driver’s license, and bought a car. My mother was the first to
teach me to drive. I still remember getting in the driver’s seat
for the first time. My mum showed me the different instruments that
would make the car work. I remember feeling slightly overwhelmed, yet
safe with my mother so near to me. Before putting the car in reverse,
she looked me in the eye and said, “Kristin, I need you to promise
me to never, in any circumstance, touch your phone while you drive.
It’s not worth it, every text, every call, every notification can
wait. I would much rather you have your life than for you to neglect
a text for a little while.”

The
number of people that use their phone while driving (despite being
illegal) rises daily. I am grateful that I got to take a driver’s
education class so that I could become knowledgeable about the
dangers of driving. Driving is about being aware at all times.
Drivers ed taught me what to be aware of: darting animals, obscure
driving signs, phone-holding drivers, you name it. By taking this
class, I felt more informed about the dangers of the road. After
seeing how these dangers affected someone so close to me, I tell
those around me to stay off their phones or use Bluetooth instead! It
shouldn’t take an accident in a family to teach this. Stay safe,
stay focused, drive aware.