Red Lights Ahead

April 27th, 2005, a driver of a car in Lancaster, California, had failed to pay attention when approaching an intersection and rear-ended the back of a motorcycle that was stopped at the red light ahead. The man on the bike had died in the hospital due to internal bleeding later that day. The ignorance and lack of responsibility of one person had taken the life of someone with a wife, two adult daughters, and three granddaughters- the youngest of which was only three weeks old.

Safe driving is something that is very important to myself and my family as we have experienced the first-hand effects of what happens when someone is careless behind the wheel. It has been seventeen years since my grandfather’s death, and I have only gotten to know him through pictures and the stories of others as I was too young to remember him before he died. I understand all too well just how much damage is done from what may seem to be something small. The man who was distracted behind the wheel of his vehicle didn’t know that my grandpa had plans to go camping with his daughter and son in law; he had no idea that the man he had just hit had a newborn granddaughter and another on the way, and he had no idea that when he failed to stop and hit into the back of a motorcycle that he would take someone’s life.

When I was first learning how to drive, the thing that scared me most was the lack of control I had over my surroundings and the knowledge that I may have to face the consequences of someone else’s poor actions. That someone who was doing nothing wrong, could lose their life in the hands of someone reckless. That someone who was stopped at a red light would be facing the consequences of someone who failed to do that. My dad had said that I was a natural at driving as I had learnt all of the skills fairly easily, but the most important thing that my driving school has taught me, that too few people cherish, is defensive driving. I see far too many people in the mindset that: if they are following the rules of the road, they would be safe: people who don’t look when crossing an intersection because their light is green. The problem is that there will always be people who aren’t driving responsibly, and chances are, those people aren’t the ones dying or getting seriously injured in the collision. Many people aren’t expecting a car to run a red light, suddenly turn in front of them, merge lanes improperly, or drive on the wrong side of the road, yet these things happen all of the time. One day, during one of my lessons with my driving school, my instructor had explained to me that one of the most important things about learning how to drive is to learn how to do everything in one’s power to insure the safety of themselves and their passengers. Driving schools don’t just teach people to read road signs or how to follow the law; they teach young drivers the true meaning of safe driving.

The most important thing to be a safe driver is to always stay alert and be cautious. It is better to be prepared for the worse than to not be prepared at all. If you ever see a friend or family member driving recklessly: be it texting and driving, driving while impaired, speeding, or simply not taking caution when driving, don’t be afraid to remind them to drive more carefully because anything could happen in a short amount of time. The day my grandpa died, my family had gone to the grocery store to buy diapers; a normal day, April 27th, that didn’t hold any significance was suddenly one marked with tragedy. Because something could happen any minute, it is important to remind people to drive safely. Nobody could tell you the day you will die, so shouldn’t you be careful in case that day is tomorrow or the day after? Nobody could tell you if your reckless driving will lead to the death of someone. Remember that it only takes a few seconds for a car accident to occur, that anything can happen, so do what you need to, to insure the safety of yourself and your loved ones on the road. Be open to learning and stay cautious because if you fail to stop at a red light ahead, you don’t know what effects will last.