A Bad Habit

Reckless drivers take and change many lives every day. I remember when I stated driving back in high school. This was my mom’s worse nightmare, not because she didn’t trust me, but because she didn’t trust others. She was always so scared that, once I was on my own, she would get a phone call. I remember she would always say that I had to drive for myself and for others. What she meant by that is, I need to be focused on the road to be able to act fast in case something happened.

I, personally, have never been in a serious accident, but my parents have. My mom tells me this story of when I was little. My dad and her were going to visit my paternal grandparents at the countryside of Brazil, where my family and I are from. I had stayed home with my brother and maternal grandmother. Dad had a really bad habit; he would always put his seatbelt on while the car was already moving. On this day, mom and dad decided to stop at a coffee shop for a warm cup of coffee midway in their trip, just outside of a small town. Like always, dad was already on the road when he started to put on his seatbelt. As he was putting his seatbelt on, he let go of the steering wheel just for a second. Something startled my mom; she thought the car was going towards oncoming traffic. She grabbed the steering wheel and pulled towards her, to the right. Because of how fast the car was going and how hard mom pulled on the wheel, the car started to spin and go towards a ditch. All of a sudden, the car stops. It hit a light pole. Thank God it did, or they could have ended up in that ditch and it could have cost their lives.

My mom, after this accident, was never the same inside a car. She felt responsible since she was the one that pulled on the steering wheel causing my dad to lose control. However, I know my dad’s habits in the car would aways make her feel nervous. So, I say they are both to blame if we need to point a finger. After all, did he even have control of a car that he was not even steering? You can’t lose what you don’t have.

My dad learned his lesson but took him an accident to break free of this habit. Imagine how many bad habits had taken loved ones and left small children without their parents. Everything happens in a blink of an eye. It only takes one distraction, one text message, one drink. Bringing awareness to what can happen helps people be more responsible behind the wheel and teaches them the responsible way to operate a vehicle.

Because my mom was so nervous about me driving, I agreed to take a course that was being offered at my high school. During the lessons, the instructor focused on the importance of safe driving and what we can do to ensure everyone’s safety on the road. I remember how appalled I was at how little some students knew or cared about safety. I believe they were there because the parents wanted cheaper car insurance. But, by the end of the class, I could see how learning just a little about what can happen had changed many of my classmates’ point of view. Potentially many lives were saved by this class changing these teenagers attitude and making them more responsible.

I believe that everyone, especially teenagers, who are seeking a driver’s license, should have to take a mandatory driving safety class. Teenagers are usually reckless by nature. At that age, most of us were. Teens are easy to give in to peer pressure or be a showoff. Not to mention how little life experience we have at that age to be able to make good choices and are easily distracted. I believe these are the reasons why the majority of fatal accidents are involving teenagers.

When I’m on the road, I always consider the fellow drivers around me. I always try to let those that seem in a rush go ahead, use my signals, and obey limits and rules. Being late is a pet peeve of mine, so I always give myself extra minutes when I leave so I am not rushing on the road. Doing minor things like this makes a huge difference. Can you imagine a world where every driver always considered theirs and other’s safety? Of course, we would still have accidents, we are humans, but I do believe the number of accidents would decrease drastically.