Stopped at a Red Light

Stopped at a Red Light

I
was just fifteen years old when I got the call that my mother was in
a car accident. Stopped at a red light another driver slammed into
her car, thrusting her into the vehicle in front of her. The accident
crushed her car and her back. She never saw it coming. The car was
replaced but my mother’s health unfortunately cannot. My mother
recounts the story often to remind me how important it is to be
careful on the roadways.

A
year after my mother’s accident I took drivers ed only to
learn that accidents amongst teenage drivers were much higher than I
anticipated. The Drivers Ed instructor would show movies of car
accidents that still play in my head, I was scared straight. Because
of my mothers accident I am extra cautious when driving; I never text
while driving, never speed and follow the rules of the road. Drivers
Ed is important because it teaches you the rules of driving, not the
rules your friends tell you but the rules of the road that are legal.
Driving classes in conjunction with the classroom learning is
essential to safe driving, having a professional guiding through
turns, parking and the scary highway driving helps build confidence
behind the wheel.

Many
of my friends got cars upon getting their license and I would see
them bombing around our little town. There have been times I have
asked kids to slow down when I am in the car. Knowing that many kids
have had accidents and died in our town due to speeding. Small
winding roads and fast cars do not make for a good outcome. At
parties my friends would hand me their keys knowing that I would make
sure they didn’t drive drunk and I would get them home safely. I
became the designated driver amongst my friends and I am ok with
that. Because of my mothers accident I have a different perspective
on driving and what outcomes can happen even when just sitting at a
red light.