Ramping Up

“Ramping
Up” by Kojo Aurelien

In
the back seat: Growing up, I had complete faith in the driving
ability of my parents. My brothers and I engaged in pretend play for
countless hours during family road trips in our Toyota Sienna. When I
wasn’t playing, I spent time observing the roadside landscape or
admiring the designs of different cars. I exercised caution when
crossing the street and was curious about road signs, but I never
really felt any fear when we were actually driving, whether it was
spring or winter, day or night. I would learn that my parents had
their own close calls, and just because I personally was not
involved, that did not mean that I should ignore the potential for an
accident to take place.

In
the passenger’s seat: Sitting in the front of the car was a much
different experience. Even though my parents were still driving me
around and my trust in them had remained unchanged, I felt more tense
being so close to the action. This was especially the case in
vehicles with low ground clearance; I could feel every bump and
pothole. Simultaneously, I became more aware of the power of the car
itself. On one hand, it was an impressive work of engineering, and on
the other, it was a machine capable of incredible damage. As such, I
began to pay closer attention to the techniques used by my parents.
Also, I made a mental note of their mistakes. More than anything, I
realized the importance of education in road safety. I heard about
the severity of car accidents and the steps that could be taken to
avoid them on the news and other media. I was, of course, taught
“Wear your Seatbelt”, “Don’t Drink and Drive”, and “Don’t
Text and Drive”. The importance of such messages cannot be
understated when so many choose to disobey at the expense of their
own lives and the lives of others. One of the most important, but
less talked about factors is sleep. I learned about the significance
of sleep in driving and the correlation between daylight savings time
and car accidents in my Psychology class.

In
the driver’s seat: I have never been in an accident before and I
had only seen a few in person, none of which were too bad,
fortunately. However, as someone who is soon-to-be a driver, it is
important that I take the necessary precautions and am able to
understand and follow the law. I will continue to take advice from my
parents, both of which have extensive experience driving. For
example, I will connect my phone to my car via Bluetooth to respond
to calls without the risk of having to look down at my phone. That
being said, I will also make an effort to seek advice from
professionals and continue to educate myself in order to ensure my
own safety and that of other drivers.