That One Second

That One Second

One second is all it takes for your world to be turned upside down. That one glance at your phone to change the song or to read a text. That one too sharp of a turn late at night or one too many glances to your friends while driving. Once that short second passes, you wish with all your heart to turn back time. You tell yourself “if only.” That One Second has happened to too many people and it is time we make a change.

One late Friday night in May 2019, it was time for my friends to go on their 45-minute drive back home. They were going to be late for their curfew if they did not speed home, but I thought nothing of it because that is what they always did. Become reckless drivers’ in order to be home in time for their parents.

I woke up to a call at 2 AM from my friend in that group saying that on his way home, her boyfriend got into a car accident. While speeding home to meet curfew, he went too fast around a sharp corner and completely flipped the car. There was glass everywhere. By a miracle he walked away with only a few bruises and scratches. From that moment on I became fully aware of every action not only that I took behind the wheel but that my friends and family did as well.

I make sure that whoever is in the passenger seat has the auxiliary cord so I will never be tempted to look at my phone to switch a song. I ensure that the passenger gives me directions so I will never have to look away and I will never look at my phone for any notifications. I make sure that if my friends or family members are driving, I perform the same precautions with them. If I am alone, I only listen to the radio, I turn my phone on do not disturb, and if I need directions, I turn on the audio so there is no reason to look away from the road. So That One Second will never happen.

Drivers ed is crucial in lowering the number of driving resulted deaths. It awakens young drivers to the dangers and reality of the road. It prepares the next generation for possibilities that should never happen in the first place. It gives the new drivers information that is needed in order to stay safe on the road. Drivers ed saves lives.

It is imperative that drivers are prepared for anything. That means that distractions need to be the smallest amount possible. If talking with or driving friends, eyes only on the road and ensure that no story is enough to bring the drivers attention away. No phones for any notification. It can wait. Driving is one of the most tangible yet deadliest ways of transportation. We need to ensure that no more That One Second’s happen.