Taking the Power of the Wheel

What does it mean to be a good driver, a safe driver? I have ranked the best drivers I

have known from the adults I have ridden with. Ranked at the bottom is my mom’s coworker and

our friend’s mom, and at the top my dad. One fiddles with the radio constantly and the other has

been teaching me how to drive. My dad describes the situations he comes across when he

does, explains the signs and rules of the road, and gives reasons to the decisions he makes.

Driving is a task to be done with one’s brain on, it is a task that holds the power of life and

death. A power that young drivers must be made aware of when learning how to drive.

It is a very grown up thing to do, driving a car. I did not think I would ever be ready for it. Since I have had to deal with the fact that I will be driving one day, I have reasoned something

important: driving is a huge responsibility. That is no revelation, of course, I just did not have to

be told. As a passenger, I have seen trucks spin in front of me and I have had to sit out a dust

storm on the shoulder of the road. Then on the news you see people dying in crashes everyday.

I have had a fear of driving because of how unpredictable the people we share the road with

may occasionally be. My parents have endured being hit by both drunk and speeding drivers; it

was not their fault and yet it still happened. When you take drivers education courses they

hammer in the perils of driving unsafely and promote “defensive driving.” Defensive driving is

defined as being prepared for all sorts of risks on the road. Being a defensive driver means to

be aware of road conditions, be without distractions, and to be attentive to the road at all times,

especially at night.

To reduce the number of deaths on the road, dangerous habits must be reduced. The

strengths of a defensive driver include remaining focus, alert, and conscious of road conditions.

Staying focused means performing the task of driving with, not an absent mind, but a focused

one. Your wheels are not the only ones on the road, your mind is too. Reflexes must be refined

which means one must be distraction free- no food or phone. Our generation definitely has

attachment issues to the device. iPhones are lucky enough to have a “driving mode,” but in

general, to prevent texting and the use of social media, my method is to put the phone on

airplane mode and leave it in either the glove compartment or in a purse in the back seats.

Being alert means to have your wits about you and your eyes open. Drugs and alcohol impair

judgment, motor skills, reflex response time and in general, cause drowsiness and an overall

dulling of the senses. Lastly, watching out for the other guy. Your eyes must always be moving

and mirrors must be checked constantly. You can not control how other people drive, but being

mindful of their movements informs the choices you choose to make.

In the stead of daycare, my late grandma took care of me when I was younger. She

showed me our world, our city, by driving. It was her superpower. The people she helped in her

life, she did so through her ability to drive. I want to learn to drive and be able to drive safely

because of her. Though driving a car can be as dangerous as holding a gun and the

consequences if not used properly are dire, driving is a life skill that is needed on the daily. It is

a life skill that needs to be built upon with practice and with good habits. Using your turn signal,

following the speed limit, and keeping a good distance between vehicles, are all ways to be a

better driver. Habits inside the vehicle, like fastening your seatbelt and positioning yourself

where you can be comfortable and in control, are also critical choices made by a good driver.

Calling an Uber when drunk or otherwise inebriated, is something that shouldn’t be shamed, but

rather encouraged because it ensures that lives aren’t unnecessarily put in danger. Taking a break when drowsy and reminding yourself or being reminded to put your phone away, isn’t a bad thing. These are a routine to be honed.

Ultimately, driving can only ever be made safer by the hands of the people holding the keys.