Drive with Care

Drive with Care

It all happened so fast. I blinked and the fleeting moment was over, but my heart continued to pound out of my chest. My throat was dry, while my eyes were starting to water as my mind finally processed what had just occurred. I looked over at Dave, my boyfriend who was sitting in the driver’s seat, and when his frightened eyes locked with mine, I gulped down the acceptance that we had just gotten into a car accident.

While driving home from a band banquet with my boyfriend my sophomore year of high school, I experienced my first car accident. Dave was an excellent driver, and I had never felt unsafe as a passenger in his car. When we stopped to cross at a four-way stop, Dave acknowledged that it was his turn to go, but another driver did not decide to stop and wait for Dave to pass, and instead, she continued to drive at a fast rate towards our car. Fortunately, Dave slammed on the brakes as fast as possible, and the other driver only hit the front of the car and caused the bumper to fly off. If Dave had not been so alert and aware, far worse damage would have been inflicted not only on the car but on Dave and me.

A few days after the accident, I began to consider the consequences of poor driver education and the irresponsible, reckless drivers that are a result of this lack of instruction. The driver that hit us was not paying attention to the flashing red lights that were meant to make drivers aware that they must stop. The driver also did not seem to care that there was a moving car almost in the center of the intersection, as they decided that the rate of how quickly they traveled to their destination was more important than the safety of others around them. I feel as if during the driver’s education class that many students are required to take, students are filled with so much information about the meaning of the different signs or what rules to follow while on the road that they fail to realize the importance of constantly being aware of your surroundings while driving.

People can be so overwhelmed with the excitement of attaining a driver’s license that they instantly forget the dangers of driving a vehicle. I believe that it is vital to stress the importance of staying alert while driving by educating students about the result of driving recklessly. Students need to understand that with the freedom of driving a vehicle without supervision comes great responsibility and focus. By showing students what the consequences of reckless driving entail, they are more likely to drive with a sense of urgency and alertness that will create a safer experience for themselves and those around them.

Drive as if your loved ones are also in the vehicles surrounding you. Drive focused, drive alert, and most of all, drive responsibly.