And My Life Has Never Been The Same

On May 16, 2022, at approximately 6:30 am, my father went for a bike ride and my life has never been the same. It was customary for my father to return home before I left for school, but that morning was different. I assumed he had taken a longer route, perhaps through the nearby hills. As I left for school, I didn’t give it a second thought.

Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence that driver education is an effective approach to reducing crashes or injuries across all age categories. However, this negative result might be due to ineffective teaching methods. To improve road safety, it appears necessary to change the method or content of driving education since the current approaches to driving education do not reduce traffic crashes or injuries. For example, a more systematic review reported that senior-aged drivers, with programs tailored to individual participants, improved their self-perceived driving ability, their behind-the-wheel performance, and reduced crashes.

My father rode his usual 12-mile bike route, which consists of several hills within our quiet residential neighborhood. It’s a path he’s ridden hundreds of times without issue. He prefers this route for its array of challenging hills,1-hour time commitment, and overall safety.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has noted several facts about auto collisions with bicyclists:

• The combined costs of bicycle injuries exceed $23 billion annually. This includes health care expenses and lost wages.

• 64% of bicyclist deaths occur on roads away from intersections.

• Deaths among male bicyclists are six times higher than among females.

• Most bicyclist deaths occur in urban areas.

• About 64% of bicyclist deaths occur on sections of roads away from intersections and 27% occur at intersections.

• About one-third of crashes that result in a bicyclist’s death involve alcohol by the motor vehicle driver and/or bicyclist.

The midpoint of my father’s ride led him up a half-mile hill, which crests sharply at the top. At the summit is a flat plateau extending the length of 10 houses. At the opposite end of the plateau is a cross street with a stop sign to my father’s left. As he descended the hill, the driver at the stop sign turned left behind him, and both accelerated as they hurtled towards the bottom of the hill.

The CDC provides extensive information on distracted driving in the USA, which includes texting, talking on the phone, eating, and adjusting music. Additionally, the CDC offers guidance on strategies to prevent distracted driving, such as educational campaigns and legislation enforcement.

At the bottom of the hill was an identical cross street, where another car eagerly waited to turn left in front of my father. As he coasted down the hill, the car at the bottom lurched forward, prompting my father to make a split-second decision. Upon seeing his hesitation, the driver quickly stopped. Decelerating, my father maneuvered between the left curb and the partially turned car ahead of him. However, to the surprise of all, the car initially behind my father was now barreling down the hill with plans of overtaking him on the wrong side of the road.

Based on the current state of our culture it may take years to reduce our addiction to loud music, drinking, and mobile technologies, which are the primary distractions for most motorists. The CDC claims the top 5 safeguards needed to keep motorists safe are the following:

1. Legislation Targeting Distracted Driving: Strengthening laws and penalties related to distracted driving, particularly concerning phone use while driving, can reduce accidents caused by driver distraction.

2. Investment in cycling infrastructure, building dedicated bike lanes, and separating bike paths from car paths will greatly improve cyclist safety.

3. Mandate safe driving practices to all high school students that illustrate the dangers of distracted driving. Enforce a zero policy for young drivers and hold parents accountable.

4. Provide targeted driving training to specifically help select categories of drivers (i.e., seniors, foreigners, drivers with infants/children, etc.), whereby targeted training has proven to reduce auto accidents

5. Investment in roadways, byways, railways, and highway infrastructure, utilizing larger and better reflecting signs, non-slip roads, and guardrails as appropriate.

As my father initiated his turn he was struck from behind. The collision knocked him off his bike and into the windshield. He crashed back onto the pavement cracking his helmet and leaving his exposed skin embedded into the pavement. My father asked the lady how she didn’t see him, and the lady replied, “I was talking on the phone, and the next thing I knew you came out of nowhere”. Eventually, he rose to his feet, and soon after, was taken to the hospital for a CT scan of his brain.

Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed terrible accidents and I’ve also been a passenger during multiple minor car accidents. Witnessing a near-fatal accident is a horrible site to see. The accident I witnessed gave me a very strong sense of sadness and anger. I felt extreme sadness witnessing an innocent driver get T-boned at an intersection by a driver well after the light turned red. Conversely, I felt anger and contempt for the driver who caused the accident when I realized the driver at fault walked away unscathed, but the victim was on life-support.

As my father exited the scanner, the radiologist handed him the phone. His doctor delivered the news that he had a large subdural hematoma, and his brain had experienced a perilous 8mm mid-line shift, whereas a 1mm shift is often fatal. What’s more, emergency brain surgery was scheduled to occur within the next 2-3 hours.

Two weeks later a follow-up CT scan was conducted and we were informed the hemorrhage had enlarged, indicating his brain surgery had failed.

My father embodied the epitome of a CDC poster child. He followed every rule and took all precautions. He always wore a high-quality helmet and navigated the streets with the utmost of caution. However, his scenario occurs so often that we must ask ourselves the ultimate question… “Is there anything our state and local governments can do, to prevent unpreventable accidents?” Perhaps such a question is rhetorical, but it does serve as a reminder that progress demands our perpetual attention.

Two weeks later, my father underwent a follow-up surgery known as an endovascular embolism. The goal of this procedure was to apply a “glue-like” substance to cauterize the hemorrhage. Subsequent CT scans revealed that the bleeding ceased, and his mid-line brain shift returned to normal.

Although my friends nicknamed me “Mr. Designated Driver”, I am one of many teenagers who champion this cause regularly. Hopefully, my generation will eventually change our current cultural and perpetual state of distracted driving. I think a much more aggressive penalty for utilizing a mobile device while driving should be enforced. I realize that hands free driving tools should mitigate the distraction, but I believe it only encourages drivers to become further distracted by trying to utilize the technology.

It has been nearly a year since my father’s bike accident, and he continues to fare well. Though he was compelled to retire and is unable to perform all his heroic endeavors, he remains alive, which is a testament to his good fortune in the face of adversity.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the DmvEdu.org scholarship team for highlighting this critical issue. The prospect of almost losing my father to a preventable auto accident is a daunting experience. If granted this scholarship, I solemnly vow to educate all drivers with unwavering dedication and resolute determination. Moreover, I shall continue to champion transformative safety measures, thereby safeguarding the lives of our loved ones and the teenage drivers of our future.