I’m sorry Mom…

The scariest moment of my life occurred when I was a passenger in a vehicle. Considering the data on traffic accidents and deaths caused by reckless driving, this should come as no surprise. 

We can reduce the number of driving-related deaths by enforcing the traffic laws that already exist, improving the integrity of the roads, and promoting safe driving through driver education. Driver education can reduce the number of driving-related deaths by teaching people how to be safe drivers, and how to avoid dangerous situations on the road. According to drive-safely.net, teens who don’t enroll in a driving school are 75% more likely to violate rules and get a ticket, 24% are more likely to be involved in fatal accidents or death, and 16% more likely to get into accidents.

While driver education can be effective, there will always be those few individuals that ignore its value and refuse to heed the warnings that so many of us have been taught, as was the case in my personal experience. It all started off when this cute guy asked me to go out with him. We had been dating for a few months when he told me that an old friend wanted to meet up for a game of pool. His friend (for the sake of protecting his identity, we’ll call him Ricky), would be accompanied by a girlfriend (we’ll call her Sandra). I thought this was a perfect idea, but the night ended up being anything other than perfect.

Sandra was behind the wheel when Ricky and she arrived to pick us up. Since I was underage, I was a little concerned when I saw a couple of cases of beer on the floorboard in the back, but I felt a little relief seeing their infant daughter in the back seat as well, secured in her car seat. I figured his friends must be of age and surely they weren’t under the influence with their daughter in tow. The drive to Sandra’s parents was not the safest. Aside from myself, nobody was wearing a seat belt, and Sandra’s driving was a bit risky, to say the least. After we dropped off her daughter, I realized that the baby’s presence was the only thing that held Sandra back from driving like a complete lunatic.

As we got onto the highway, Sandra started chunking empty beer bottles out of her window. Apparently, Sandra and Ricky had already been drinking before they came to pick us up. As if this wasn’t bad enough, they continued to drink and started smoking Marijuana as well. They were very nonchalant as if this was like any other day. Meanwhile, I felt petrified and trapped.

While this erratic behavior continued on for some time, I tried to come up with a plan to get to safety. I didn’t want to call the cops from her backseat but I also knew I needed to get out of this car as soon as possible. Some people may not view this as a difficult position to get out of, but I was young and didn’t know how to speak up for myself. At this time, we didn’t have GPS on our cellphones, so not knowing my location made things worse. There were also fears about the repercussions I would face if I texted my Mom for help. I feared that I would be punished, not allowed to hang out with friends anymore, and I’d probably lose my driving privileges. But that paled in comparison when Sandra nearly hit a child.

We had just made a pit stop at their apartment complex, and as we were leaving, a mother with her young child were walking away from their parked car and into an apartment. Sandra didn’t see them until the last second, thankfully she had enough sense to slam on her brakes, avoiding a life-changing and likely life-ending accident. She quickly rebounded from this close call and carried on as if nothing happened. I wasn’t able to shake what I had witnessed. My fear of dying or being in this car when she killed someone surpassed all of my other fears. I gave in and texted my lifeline. The last text my Mom received from me before our accident read: I’m sorry Mom… I know it’s kind of late, but I need you to come get me right now. 

Moments after I sent that text, Sandra ran yet another red light, this time it came with consequences. I remember feeling a split second of helplessness as there was nothing I could do to avoid what was about to occur. Then I remember the impact of the collision sending a jolt through my entire body, I remember feeling stunned and anxious. Though we were all pretty banged up, we were lucky to walk away with our lives.

It is crucial to remember that when you’re not in the driver’s seat, you have no control over the situation. We can help others be safer on the road by being a good example. We can remind everyone to wear their seatbelts, discourage distracted driving and highlight the benefits of taking a driving education course. We also must not forget that driving responsibly not only means that we consider our own actions on the road, but we must also anticipate the actions of others.