One Second, a Thousand Possibilites

One Second, a Thousand
Possibilities

We
were stopped at a red light on the street we pass every week. I was
humming to the music on the radio. My mom was tapping her finger
against the wheel. The roads were empty as they usually were on a
Sunday night. Everything was normal. Nothing out of the ordinary to
think otherwise. The light turned green and my mom took her foot off
the break and moved it to the accelerator. Boom! I screamed. My mom
screamed. My vision blurred. The car took control of its wheel and
led itself into a ditch, forcing us to a stop. Silence encaged us. 

I
felt tears pushing behind my eyes. My mom asked me if I was okay;
physically yes, but mentally, not so much. I nodded and repeated the
question. We were lucky, we got out without a scratch. No one
understood how but I will forever be grateful for that. For the next
few weeks, the accident replayed in my head. What if something was
different? The smallest change could have meant the greatest
difference. To me, to my mom, to the reckless driver that crashed
into us. The reckless driver who did not see us on the road. Who was
distracted by his phone, who thought he could make it past the red
light, and no one would notice.

Three
years later and my heart still races like it happened in that moment.
I always wondered, what if that driver decided to stop at the red
light, seeing from far that it was already yellow. What if he took
his eyes off of his phone and looked at the road. What if he saw us.
But I cannot control the past. I can, however, control my future.
When I drive, I will never keep my phone within eyesight. I will
always slow down and stop when I see a yellow light. Before I take my
foot off the break, I will look around me even if the roads seem
completely empty. To help others become safer on the road, I can tell
them my experience and hope that others who have been in a car
accident do the same. People tend to underestimate the ease of
getting into an accident and I believe sharing personal experiences
will caution drivers. 

However,
that being said, we must find the fine line between fear and caution.
While we cannot drive in fear as that will undermine our ability, we
can drive with caution. Drivers ed is crucial in reducing the
death rate from driving. Understanding the tactics of careful and
attentive driving is important. Every driver must always be aware of
their surroundings and never forget that they are driving not only
for themselves but for the people around them. We trust the drivers
around us without even thinking about it. We owe it to ourselves and
the rest of our friends in the world. Drive without fear, but not
without caution.