The Seconds in the Driver’s Seat

In the driver’s seat, there’s a knob for the radio for blasting your favorite music, a mirror for fixing your makeup, and cruise control to check a few text messages during the long stretch of highway. “It’s only just for a second” one might say to themselves before taking their eyes off the road, however, life can change in only a second.

As statistics show, an average of 34,000 people die while operating a vehicle each year. In this twelve month span, the deaths surpass the number of American soldiers who have died from war in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, which have spanned for over two decades. In order for the soldier and the driver to make it home safe, many of the same skills must be shared.

Similar to a soldier guarding their post, a safe driver must always give their full attention and focus. It’s the duty of the soldier to protect the members of their battalion, just as a safe driver must protect themselves, others in the vehicle, and those around them. Many forget about the risk brought onto others as a result of their own actions, such as a friend of mine who was an innocent passenger, as his friend carelessly sped around corners in his brand new Jeep to celebrate graduating high school, before flipping the vehicle. The wreckage not only totaled his new found freedom, but sent one of the passenger’s head against the roll bar of the vehicle, requiring extensive medical procedures, and cost the driver his license for years. The driver failed to protect my friend who still struggles with the aftermath of the incident, and carries around the guilt of his actions, wishing he could undo those few seconds of carelessness.

A safe driver is not only one who avoids putting themselves into dangerous situations like reckless and distracted driving, but is able to identify dangerous situations, such as the blind spot of a semi truck, driving next to someone on their phone, or a pickup truck with an unsecured load, anticipate these potential threats, and remove themselves from the equation before danger even occurs. Just as a soldier in a combat zone is constantly in danger, therefore it is imperative to always be taking action to minimize risk by identifying danger before it occurs. While the inattentive drivers in these scenarios may be the only ones deemed at-fault in the eyes of insurance, liability does not negate the potentially life-threatening outcome of these situations.

It is crucial for the soldier and the safe driver to be disciplined. The driver is governed by the rules of the road, such as speed limits, traffic signals, and road signs, while the soldier must follow protocol, procedures, and commands; Many of the most dangerous scenarios come from those failing to follow the same rules as others, such as drivers not stopping at a red light. These fundamentals were set in place to increase the safety in almost every scenario. Though, when atypical scenarios occur, it is yet another similarity of a safe driver and soldier to have the ability to adapt. A soldier must alter their strategy to fit different battlefield conditions, and enemy attacks; The navy’s camouflage would do more harm than good in the incorrect setting, much like anticipating the usual braking distance in ideal conditions behind the wheel would go poorly for a driver in the snow. A safe driver must be able to adapt their driving style to different road conditions, weather, and traffic, usually by reducing speed and anticipating larger stopping distances.

While a soldier outside of combat may be as harmless as listening to music, applying makeup, or texting friends outside the car, a vehicle operated by an inattentive driver is just as deadly as a loaded weapon; Failure to hit the brakes coming to a red light equates to pulling the trigger of a rifle, both in fractions of a second. It is the responsibility of a safe driver to give their full attention, protect themselves and others, identify danger and minimize risk, be disciplined, and be able to adapt to change, which are all skills held to high importance in driver education that seem to be overlooked by new drivers eager to get their license. “Accidents” are never planned, however they can be largely avoided with safe driving. If these aspects were upheld by every driver, the number of deaths as a result of driving could be reduced, and rather than wishing mere seconds of inattention could be undone, the dangers would be negated before they even happen.