Driving — The Simple Things Matter

Sofia De Los Santos Gallegos

7/27/2020

Driving — The Simple Things Matter

Some of the simplest forms of precaution could save someone’s life. During this pandemic, for example, wearing a mask could potentially decrease the chances of infecting someone by more than ninety percent. With driving, on the other hand, putting on one’s seat belt or driving under the speed limit are simple driving rules that several people forget about, costing their lives.

This year, 2020, was not what anyone expected it to be. Just a few days after quarantine began, I found out through friends, faculty, and the news, that my former mentor, Dr. James, passed away due to a car accident. According to FOX10 news, troopers found that Dr. James was not wearing his seatbelt and was the only one killed in the crash. It was devastating to hear this, especially after hearing that the only reason Dr. James was in that car during a pandemic was that he was on his way to the school to help a student with her research project. It shocked me that this perfectly healthy and excellent teacher had just died, just after a few days I had seen him in his laboratory with a wide smile.

Dr. James’s death taught me and my classmates that everything – including the simple things like putting on your seatbelt – matters when it comes to driving. In driving school, the basic elements of driving are taught on the first day: putting on one’s seatbelt, driving under the speed limit, do not DUI (drive under the influence), nor text while driving; however, even though these basic elements of driving should be second nature for all drivers, it is taken for granted by many. As a result, it is essential for Driving School to place special emphasis during tests and lessons on these basic driving rules and the potential consequences if they are broken.

As a community, informing our peers around us can be the best way to protect them. When one sees a family member dismissing his or her seatbelt, let them know the importance of having it on and the consequences of having it off. When it comes to DUI, one has to make sure that those around that are intoxicated do not get their hands on the wheel. When it comes to driving with friends, speak up whenever one of them contemplates how speeding could be fun, even when they say it is at an “empty road”.

Life is a fleeting moment, and after seeing how even the simplest mistake while driving can cost someone’s life, I have promised myself to be an advocate to those around me about the importance of safety measures while driving.