Respect On The Road

Throughout my experience in secondary school and as an undergraduate student, kids my age do not like to listen to rules. Even adults who have lived for fifty years on this earth do not always like to adhere to the rules. We all have seen news stories pop up about driving incidents, severe or just a little mistake. They scare us, they make us feel depressed, it’s just more evidence that there are individuals in this world who don’t care enough for the safety of themselves or others. Sometimes, it is just a misdemeanor or the fact that they were blinded by bushes so they couldn’t see around the corner. Teaching the correct ways of the road to incoming drivers ensures that the passenger, driver, and people driving around them are safe and unharmed. For most beginners, you can be a safe driver as long as the cars around you are doing what they are supposed to be doing, but not everyone follows the rules. As a result, we should not depend on others’ judgment.

A well-known driving issue with adolescents nowadays is either texting and driving or driving under the influence. It seems that everywhere I look on the internet, somehow a news story arises about someone’s child, around my age or older, dying from a car accident. I see it more now that I have become a driver myself. There are several steps to reduce the number of deaths related to driving like always wearing your seatbelt and not driving fast when it’s icy on the roads. But there are a few that young adults don’t take as seriously as they should. 

The first step to reduce mortality rates related to driving is to never get behind the wheel while impaired and or drowsy. From personal stories, no one can tolerate alcohol or drugs in their body system. You might believe you can because you drove home “safely” after a party, but eventually, it comes back to bite you. Second step, if applicable, reduce the number of individuals in the car while you are driving. Whether they are rowdy or not. One or two is okay, but a vehicle filled with eight people can be quite a distraction. They can be playing with the volume of music or kicking the seats. Depending on who is in your car, they can make you very anxious resulting in a lack of concentration on the road. Not many of us think about the third step often, but if you are in a very negative mindset, it’s not the best idea to be driving. If you are already driving and something happens or was said that puts you in that bad place, pull to the side of the road safely or into a parking lot nearby, turn the car off, and do something to help change your state of mind. Examples that have helped me are listening to my favorite music, looking back at sweet memories in my phone, or doing a quick breathing exercise to calm my heart rate. If none of those work, call a friend or family member and talk through how you are feeling at the moment. Your thoughts and feelings can either be really good at judging what will happen next or tangle you in an unwanted situation like a car accident. I have never viewed a car accident as just some little mistake. 

Although I have not been in a car crash, I have had family and close friends in that situation. During a confusing and heartbreaking time for my family, a family member crashed two of his cars in the past. The accidents were a result of falling asleep at the wheel during a long road trip. He was by himself, and wouldn’t allow rest in between so that wouldn’t happen. But it did happen. The late nights we received that call that he crashed and was in a different state and needed help. Our family always supported each other no matter how ugly the timing seemed. Thankfully, he was not severely injured during those crashes nor did he injure someone or wreck another car. 

There were other individuals who were hit harder and had to suffer the consequences. As an example, my friend, who is in his twenties and was under the influence, called me at midnight. He wasn’t on the phone but I could see his face. Just moments after picking up the call, his phone gets slammed to the floor, I can tell his airbag is out and he’s freaking out. I kept screaming his name and asking what happened. Eventually, the call ended. A day later, I was informed he had to stay in jail for eight hours, his car was totaled, he hit another person’s car, but they were not injured. He ended up having to pay a fine and was served with probation time. Thankfully, he was not severely injured either, nor did he have to go back to court. This is where we test our limits and realize they cannot always be pushed over the top. For my friend, he cannot tolerate alcohol in his system and for my family member, the next time he drives that far, he needs to rest for a couple hours before getting back on the road because drowsiness will impact your vision and movement greatly while driving.

To start off, it’s key that my phone or any other electronic devices are at a good distance away from me in the car, at least in my bag so I am not tempted to look at a text or notification. I have to make sure if I want music on, that I set it before leaving my parking spot so my hands are both on the wheel, this goes for heat or cool air as well. Another example that can make you a better and safer driver is when you are traveling to a new place and you have an idea where it is but not perfectly, don’t try and figure it out as you go. Put the address in before you start driving, and have the volume up so you can hear the GPS’s instructions. I have also noticed as I am at intersections, some are still a bit confusing as to who has the right of way and those areas can be deadly and most likely where an accident occurs. I like to ask my parents or siblings questions related to right-of-way, or what is the smartest decision to make if I am near construction or in a really long line due to an accident. Asking experienced drivers that you trust can help you gain a better understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong while driving. Overall, if you see or know someone who seems like they are driving unsafely, bring it to their attention and explain the risks of driving irresponsibly. In this world, we all should work together and remind each other how to be safe on and off the road.