Learning the Hard Way so You Don’t Have To

Around ten years ago, I was sitting in the passenger seat of the family van as my dad drove my brother and I home. We were in the right line, allowing us to keep going straight or turn right, when we were approaching the turn into a restaurant parking lot. We weren’t hungry, so we continued going straight at around thirty miles per hour; that’s when it happened. A car on the opposite side of the street, one my dad couldn’t see due to a truck blocking his view, attempted to turn left into the restaurant. Since we couldn’t stop in time, we ended up hitting the passenger side of the other car. Being young and scared of the world, I unbuckled as fast as I could and ran to the back of our van, repeating “am I going to die?” Luckily, I did not, the airbags didn’t even deploy, and I live to tell the tale today. Though I escaped with no physical injuries, the experience did take a toll on me mentally; I couldn’t bring myself to sit in the passenger seat for a while after that.

Years later, I took a driver’s education course at my school. To say it was memorable would be an understatement. There were plenty of videos of cars getting stuck on train tracks, news stories of people killing others because of road rage, and documentaries of people who lost loved ones from drunk driving accidents. I won’t even lie, the class made me extremely anxious about driving; however, it was clear how useful the course is when learning how to drive. Quizzes on road signs, what the lines on the road mean, and even more were extremely helpful when sitting in the driver’s seat for the first time. I wasn’t confused on who has the right of way, when to use my turn signal, or how to know if it’s safe to change lanes. Though these courses may put a little fear into the minds of future drivers, they also produce educated drivers with a mindset of caution that is invaluable in preventing loss of life on the road.

Other than driver’s education courses, there are plenty of steps that can be taken to reduce driving-related deaths. One would be advanced safety features in cars. Last year, my mom got a new car with multiple safety features, such as forward collision-avoidance assist (FCA). This feature includes an emergency brake that activates when you get too close to the car in front of you. This can help prevent you from hitting a car ahead of you or from hitting pedestrians walking across the street. My mom always gets annoyed when this feature activates in her car; however, looking back to ten years ago, I can see how FCA could have prevented or ameliorated my car accident. Though my dad was going a decent speed, FCA could have allowed him to slow down both sooner and quicker, helping minimize damage to the other vehicle. FCA could have also aided the other car by employing an emergency brake. Since they were turning, they were at a slower speed and could have stopped completely instead of driving in front of us. Even if the past cannot be changed, it’s vital that our experiences are used to help prevent future scenarios in the future. I have no doubt that FCA has helped stop car accidents from occurring, as it even helped my mom on multiple occasions. This feature will be useful for both drivers and pedestrians, attempting to prevent deaths before they happen.

Hindsight is the best sight, and it’s what taught me another step to reduce driving-related deaths; be careful of who sits in the passenger seat. Since I sat in the front seat during the accident, I could have been severely injured if the airbags deployed. My dad has stated multiple times that I got lucky as the airbags could have harmed me. This just further reinforces the validity of the warnings on the visors in your car. If anyone is to sit in your passenger seat, they should be the proper weight and height, while of course wearing a seatbelt. Taking this simple step will allow you to prevent the deaths of yourself and others, especially children.

Even though I do not yet have my license, my anxiety from driver’s education definitely effects how I drive while practicing. I am always checking my mirrors and blind spots for cars behind me and being cautious of how fast I am going. I think back to my driver’s education teacher saying that she creates “generous drivers” and attempt to let people go in front of me to avert road rage. Most importantly, I help others be safe on the road by giving safety tips. For example, I have, much to my mom’s annoyance, pointed out several times that you should allow a car’s length of space between you and the vehicle in front. I have also told my parents what the different lines on the road mean, which they apparently didn’t know. The exchange of information doesn’t only go one way, as my dad has told me numerous times about how to check if it’s safe to change your lanes; you should always make sure you can see the front of the car you’re going to be in front of. Even just the smallest little comment can save someone’s life, so I won’t hesitate to take that step if I feel necessary.