Crashing Into Citizenship

Ava Serfling Bennett

Crashing Into Citizenship

The morning of December 26, 2019 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, it snowed. I was 16 years old, only recently purchasing a car, after working two part-time jobs to afford the down payment. That morning my Mother begged me to postpone my plans with friends, as the driving conditions were only worsening and a thick glossy ice was encapsulating the roads. Regardless, I took off completely unprepared for the drive ahead. While approaching a traffic light, I looked down at my phone to change the song- looking away for a second or two. Yet, when I refocused on the road it was too late. I can still feel the grinding of my brakes, I can still hear the loud crunch of my car made when it collided with the truck in front of me. Luckily, I only had a minor concussion, whiplash, a few tears, and a totaled vehicle. Although I drove distractedly that cold morning, causing a serious accident, I was startled into conscious citizenship and now understand the importance of driving responsibly.

In many ways, my experience of driving irresponsibly made me sensitive to the importance of driver education. After totaling my first vehicle, I learned the steps that I must take every single time I drive to come home safely. Firstly, before every drive I silence my phone and put it safely in the door pocket of my rear seats – far out of reach. Secondly, if anyone is to drive me I ask for them to take the same phone safety step I do. Often, this leads to awkward conversation as many believe they are capable of driving responsibly and driving distractedly. This disconnect exacerbates the astronomical amount of deaths as a result of driving seen today. As of 2012, the US Highway fatalities were well over 30,000 deaths, more casualties than the American Revolutionary War. Despite that number already seeming far too high, scarily 2012 is one of the lowest rates in the last 10 years. Perhaps if I would’ve known this statistic, I would’ve taken my Mother’s advice, and adjusted my driving habits. For new generations of drivers, constantly on their phone, it’s most important to make driving responsibly palatable to them by featuring more social media PSA’s targeting young people in a relevant manner, which could precipitate more lock features or apps that render phones useless while driving. Furthermore, encouraging young people’s parents to have conversations with their drivers and setting the example is paramount. The root of the problem for teenagers is technology, so technology must be the vehicle for safe driving education.

In many ways, my failure as a driver has propelled me into citizenship, which is understanding the steps we take to drive safely for ourselves and others. As the next generation of drivers we must establish a habit of putting away technologies when in the driver’s seat and make driver education widley comprehended. While our world is ever changing, and the presence of technology ever incorporated into our routines, on the road citizenship is a standard that should never be written off or underestimated. As a young person, a young driver, and a young learner I can only hope others do not share in mornings similar to December 26th, as you do not have to physically crash to crash into citizenship.