Avoiding Car Accidents

Avoiding Car Accidents

When I was in second grade my cousin, grandparents, and I were coming home from lunch. We were turning right at a traffic light and suddenly the car behind us slammed into the right side of the car where I was sitting. I remember looking around to make sure everyone was okay and then the tears started dripping down my face. I remember vividly the blood running down my grandpa’s face, as my cousin and I sat on the curb waiting for the police to come. We cried and cried, though no one was seriously injured, we were just in shock from what happened. My grandfather was fine, but we were nervous because he had Alzheimer’s and a serious blow to the head could be dangerous for him. Luckily, everything was fine and he was able to answer the police’s questions without hesitation. The little green truck that ran the stop light totaled my grandma’s red hatchback. I loved that car, riding in the back with my cousins and watching cartoons in the built in DVD players on the head rests. That day changed my life forever. Now whenever I get into a car I am very cautious with my surroundings and am always looking out for signs of possible trouble.

If the driver of that little green truck wasn’t in a rush and ran that red light, I would have never been in a serious accident- so I would be likely to make those mistakes as well. That day was a blessing and a curse. I learned the consequences of reckless driving, but only because I was in a significant collision. I have been driving for almost two years now and I have never had a ticket or been in a car accident. I am a very cautious driver, almost too cautious at times. I always get passed for going the speed limit or wait forever at stop signs because I don’t think I enough have time to turn. I know I will get better in time, but I will always be an overprotective driver because of that day. I actually got a perfect score on my driver’s test which the driving instructor says that almost never happens. A distracted driver is a reckless driver so I make sure to have my radio at a low enough volume so I listen to my surroundings. I also make sure I don’t drive when I am upset because that could make me aggressive and less focused on the road. I never use my phone while I am driving because that makes an accident 23 times more likely to occur (dosomething.org). By making sure I drive safely, I reduce the likelihood of getting into a car wreck on my part, but there is no way to make sure other drivers will do the same- which I have experienced first hand. Every driver needs to remind themselves of driver safety because it is easier to get distracted if they begin to forget the rules of the road.