Name: Madreen Mousaw
From: Mishawaka, IN
Votes: 9
BOOM! CLACK!
BOOM! CLACK!
BOOM! CLACK! Must be that awesome Charlie XCX song! Instead it felt as though the sound of my heart was not beating on. The red in front of me blurred out of focus and faded to black. I shook my head, trying to keep myself conscious. My hand trembled from the wheel to the gear shift lever. I clutched it, struggling to engage any muscle to push it forward. “I have to get out of here.”, I thought. Out of my car. Out of this situation. My hand found its way to the door handle, but I was stuck. Cars flew by me at about the same speed as the person who hit me, as if they didn’t see the shards of glass and headlights scattered across the road. I approached her. I watched as an ounce of tension left her body, seeing that I was okay, physically. Her motherly instincts kicked in, and interrupted her phone call, swarming me with questions and words. Was I okay? She had called the police. Had I called my mom? “I- I don’t have my phone.”, I admitted. I had inconveniently forgotten it at home that morning. Frantically, she tapped her son, motioning for him to give his phone to me, as she listened to the dispatcher. He went to my school, less than a mile down the road. I dialed the number, my hands still shaking. “She’s never going to pick up, how will she know the number?”, I worried, but by some miracle, my mom answered.
“Hello?” Her voice sent me out of my state of shock.
“Hi…it’s Maddie. I-” my voice tremored. “I was just rear ended.” A single tear fell from my eye.
Being rear ended illustrated to me just how important it is to drive responsibly. The purpose of drivers education is to stress the importance of responsible driving, and to prepare the next generation of drivers. There are so many distractions in our environment when we are driving. We have to understand that there are so many things we must focus on when driving, and distractions add to that load. Drivers education works to prevent distracted driving and build good habits in new, responsible drivers.
Preventing distracted driving now prevents it in future generations of drivers, too. Children look up to their parents. What kind of message do we send to others, especially younger and impressionable passengers, if they see us driving distracted and irresponsibly? Actions speak louder than words. We are telling the future drivers that it’s okay to text while behind the wheel, or give more focus to your music than the road.
Fortunately, drivers education programs across the country are stressing just how much distractions in our driving environment can influence our focus. In some states, you can get your learners permit as young as fourteen. When you get your permit and start learning to drive, you begin to experience the great freedoms and powers of growing up. As Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “Great power involves great responsibility.” Drivers education forms responsible drivers. When I was taking drivers education, I had to watch several documentaries on the consequences of distracted driving. Many of the videos had testimonies. One wrong move, one moment with a little less focus than you could be putting in can change your life or other peoples lives forever. Driving is a big responsibility. Drivers literally hold the keys to our future. Cars allow us to get places quickly, but they can also cause irreversible damage, which is why it’s oh so important to handle a car responsibly, and focus on the road.
It can be difficult to control others decisions, but you and I can start the change. Turn your phone to mute, and even place it out of reach before you begin to drive. Make sure you are well rested so you can be alert and focused. Check that your seat and mirrors are positioned properly before you begin to drive so you can be more aware of your surroundings. We can set an example for others. Passengers will be more inclined to drive responsibly if they see us driving responsibly. We are forming the drivers of the future.
We can help others institute this change, too. We can gently offer to read and respond to a text, or answer the phone if someone else is in the drivers seat and seems distracted. We can ask to turn down the music, or give directions on where to go if they seem distracted by other things on the road. By doing small things such as these, we can redirect their attention to driving, and make the road a safer environment for everyone.