Safe Driving

Safe Driving

By: Caleb Oakes

Driving is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly. I would never want my carelessness to result in someone else’s pain. I have never personally been involved in a collision, but I have witnessed a few. Daily, I have witnessed careless driving. Sometimes, it is the driver on their cell phone while driving down the road. Other times, it the driver that is in too big of a rush that speed or pass in no pass zones. Every time drivers choose these behaviors, they are not only putting their own lives at risk but the lives of others.

Cell phones are not doing drivers any favors. Every text, phone call, and notification are in our grasp, and we can’t help but look or answer them. We are selfish. It doesn’t matter what age of the driver; we all do it. I witnessed a middle-aged lady pass my mother on the interstate. As she passed by, she was looking down at her cell phone. Unfortunately, she did not see the line of vehicles stopped in front of her. She rear-ended the driver in front of her, and the driver of that car left on a stretcher.

One rainy day, my mom and I were driving down the interstate. This minivan flew passed us. The driver hydro-planed and started spinning on the bridge. His van bounced off the wall of the bridge and started spinning. It narrowly missed our car. Fortunately, the driver, his newborn baby, his mother, and his wife were all okay after the incident. The people that the driver loves most were in that van. His carelessness nearly cost them their lives. Was his destination that important?

I am trying to learn from these experiences and be a more thoughtful driver. I try to allow myself enough time between destinations, so I don’t have to speed to get there. I have set my iPhone setting on do not disturb when I drive. This has stopped that urge for me to look down at my phone. I am also quick to put my friends in check if I am riding in the passenger in their cars. My mother also has Life 360 on our phones. It makes me more mindful of my speed because I know that it will send her a report of my driving habits. I never want to be the reason someone is hurt or loses their lives. I do realize that accidents happen that are out of my control, but I want to whole-heartedly know that I did everything in my power to prevent them.