We Are Not Invincible

Imagine having your heart race anytime someone changes a lane on the highway beside you, or anytime the person driving you somewhere looks at their phone rather than the road, or you express anxiety because your friend is driving recklessly, and they go even further just to freak you out thinking it is funny. All of these situations and more have happened to me, some of them happen on a daily basis because of car accidents I have been in due to my own, and other people’s carelessness. While I wish nobody has to have experienced severe car accidents to recognize the importance of being educated on safe driving, it is something that has truly affected me. Overall, it has made me passionate about being a safe driver and educating others to be the same.

When going through drivers ed, you hear the spiel from your teachers or your parents to not look at your phone while driving. You learn to only go the speed limit, maybe a little bit over on the interstate, and always double check the mirrors and blind spots before switching lanes. However, just after I got my license, I was on my way to volunteer at an animal shelter when I got lost and decided to look at my phone for directions. Following this action, I was sucked down into the deep ditches of the country road and slammed into a power pole, snapping it in half and totaling my car in the process. Though I was lucky to survive without a scratch, the impact this has had on me as far as intrusive thoughts while driving, and freak outs when there is even the slightest possibility of losing control and going off the road, persist almost every time I drive. I would love to say this is the only accident to haunt me, but my first year of college, another experience has contributed to my anxiety about other drivers.

When going to volunteer to socialize with some dogs being trained to help with disabilities, someone else was driving us on the interstate. We were in the third lane from right, typically known as the fast lane. There was super slow traffic in the two lanes next to us, but none of us were super worried. However, we began to slow down as the driver noticed up ahead that someone’s wheel was turned, as if about to drive into the lane we were in. She slowed down a couple mph, but not enough to stop when the car pulled out just as we were about to pass her. I was in the passenger seat when we made impact with the car on our right side. We ricocheted into the barrier in the middle of the road and slid back into the lane. Once again, a car was totaled and I was blessed enough to make it out alive, not even a scratch. But, like the other accident, I am almost hyperaware to a detriment about other drivers and the actions they are taking because of it.

From these situations, I have learned what I can do to be a better and safer driver. One, always looking at the road, no matter what, is so important. If I do not like the song that is playing off of my playlist, I stick through and listen to it, have another person in my car change it, or only change it when I am at a complete stop; the same goes for if I need directions. Another way I have learned to become a safe driver is by looking ahead to prepare for anything that comes my way. While I do not think it is helpful to make myself so anxious and hyperaware of other people on the road, making sure I am consciously paying attention and taking note of anything serious is super important in case anything happens. For example, in the second major accident I was in, it could have been a lot worse if the driver did not notice that wheel being turned and slowed down a bit – if I do that, it could help lessen anything serious. By enforcing these things in my own car, it can serve as a model for others who drive with me. I can also bring these ideals into any car that I am a passenger in by calling out people who look at their phone or by being quiet when I notice a heavy traffic situation to allow the driver to focus.

Drivers education is so important in order to reduce driving deaths, but some steps can be taken to improve the education and reduce the number of deaths. As a psychology major, I have learned about how adolescent brains develop and why it is that teenagers are more likely to take risks and drive dangerously. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teenagers aged 16-19 are most at risk for car accidents and are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash (CDC, 2021). Through adolescence, teenagers are developing the ability to think logically and abstractly, but also have flaws in their thinking due to egocentrism leading to things like the imaginary audience, personal fable, and the invincibility fable. The invincibility fable is the idea that teenagers often think of themselves as immortal, that while bad things are real and happen to people, it could not possibly happen to them. This leads to speeding and reckless driving, as well as other risky behaviors like substance and drug use, unprotected sex, etc. without thinking about possible consequences (Berger, 2018). I myself have fallen into this fable, which is why I looked on my phone that day for directions. I know my friends and family have fallen into this in their own lives and have been in accidents or engaged in other risky behaviors. In order to truly educate and improve driver’s education, teenagers must be taught that they are in fact not invincible. By discussing what the invincibility fable is, it may help teenagers to become more aware of their thought processes and become safer drivers when they realize it is their brain trying to trick them into being reckless.

Driver’s education is important because the rules of the road and safety need to be taught in order to produce effective drivers. Not only do the books matter, but the hands-on required driving hours are also something to be taken seriously. Night driving hours and day driving hours should be plentiful and mandatory to report before receiving a license in order to ensure that teenagers are truly prepared to be driving on the roads with others!

Sources

Berger, K. S. (2018). Invitation to the Life Span [Fourth Edition]. Macmillan Learning. https://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/bergerinvitels4e/18846886#/ebook/item/MODULE_bsi__A78C2266__0247__48E1__BD1C__BF862CF16562

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention & National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2021, October 12). Teen Drivers: Get the Facts. Transportation Safety. https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/teen_drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html