In The Driver’s Seat

Carina Balcacer

17 November 2020

Preventing Before Regretting

As a kid you can’t wait to be behind the wheel, to be able to explore new places, go wherever you want, to hangout with friends and family, to feel in control and to have that freedom that you’ve been craving for. But like Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect”. As a young driver myself I was eager to start driving and to do something for myself, little did I know how big of a responsibility I had put on myself. Every day I, a 120-pound 17-year-old girl, get into a machine that weighs over 3,000 pounds on a road with thousands of other machines and people and trust that no one, including myself, will negatively impact my life or the life of others that day.

Driving and all of the risks are not only experienced and learned as you keep driving but they’re also taught through driver education, in the process of obtaining a license you have to go through months of practice and studying to be the safest and best driver you can be to be ready and trusted on the road, you are taught the laws and rules of the road, all of the safety measures and all the knowledge we need to obtain a driver’s license, after the process we then understand all the logic and basics of driving but it’s not until we experience all of the everyday irresponsibility and careless acts that happen every day on the road, then we understand how much of a responsibility a driver has over not only ourselves but everyone and everything around us. I’ve been in car accidents with my family before and no matter how big or small, an accident is still an accident and in a lot of cases, they could have been prevented. Personally, I trust myself a lot when driving, which can be a good or bad thing but small things such as focusing, reducing distractions such as avoiding texting, drinking, being awake and aware of things in my car, help me be a safer driver every time I’m behind the wheel because I much rather prevent something than regret later.

Driving also has so many positives and perks to it. I absolutely love my car, I’ve named it and personalized it because it’s my own space, and I’ve spent so much time in it that I’ve grown to feel comfortable and attached, and it has gotten me to so many beautiful places and allowed me to experience new things. But as much as I love my freedom and love my car, I always know that I am the one controlling this 3,000-pound machine and I am the one responsible for the wellbeing of myself, my vehicle, and others, so to avoid distractions, collisions, road rage, and even in some cases death, everyone needs to feel prepared to take on their responsibility, and feel prepared and safe enough to have people’s lives in our hands to make sure everyone can come home that day safely and be able to have many more.