The Power of a Car

Many people underestimate the power of a car. To many, it is a form of transportation, and brings people from one place to another. However, it is much bigger than that. It is a weapon. A car is the most easily accessible weapon. They have the power to kill others. All it takes is a glance away. One glance can lead to a slew of consequences. Due to this lack of awareness, it is crucial for all to have taken drivers education. Unfortunately, it takes many people to experience a tragedy before a lesson is learned. In many cases, it is too late. It should not take a death for people to realize the consequences of their actions. Drivers’ education teaches people about the power of cars, and the importance of not driving distracted.

When I was 4 years old, I was in the car with my father heading down a bridge. Immediately at the bottom of the bridge is a traffic light. The traffic light is only visible once the top of the bridge is reached, and it is quick approaching after the peak of the bridge. My father reached the light and came to a stop behind 3 other cars. Moments later, the worst accident of my life occurred. A teenage girl, my age at the time (17), was distracted by what is arguably the most addictive item, her cellphone. She was busy texting as she came over the top of the bridge and did not look up to notice the red light. She hit the back of our car going approximately 50 miles an hour, with momentum coming off of the bridge. Due to the force of the crash, my father lifted his foot off of the brake, and hit the cars in front of us, causing a pile up. Luckily, I was not harmed physically, but it was a different scenario for my father. The airbag deployed and hit him in the neck/chest area, and still goes to a chiropractor to this day. He had to have surgery on his neck due to the whiplash, and the pressure from the airbag. This was the aftermath that it had on us, and many more injuries occurred between the teenager who hit us, and the 3 cars in front of us who were also hit. Although I was not harmed physically, I was harmed mentally. Ever since that day, I have been constantly paranoid by the drivers behind me. I routinely look in my mirror to ensure no cars are coming speeding behind me, or that there are not distracted drivers. Since I began driving last year, I have not picked up my phone while in the car, out of fear that I could cause these same physical and mental effects to others. I would not wish to put anyone through this pain, especially a toddler. While I am fortunate that this accident was not worse than it was, it has still left me traumatized. Anytime I am in the car with anyone who is distracted by their cellphone when driving, I immediately panic, and tell them how I feel. I am unable to drive without worrying about what reckless drivers may be behind me, or next to me. I do not feel safe in a car, unless I am the one driving. I do not trust others to be as aware as I am. Unfortunately for the girl who hit us, she had to go through this accident before any lesson was learned. If it takes an accident for everyone to learn about the power of a car, it will be an endless cycle of accidents. By taking drivers’ education as a precautionary measure, it may prevent many of these accidents from ever happening.

As many teenagers like me know, cellphones are an easy distraction. To prevent accidents due to cellphones, they can be placed in the backseat of the car, so it is not a temptation. Had the girl who hit us had her cellphone in the backseat, this accident would not have occurred. By removing cellphones as a distraction, the hundreds of deaths that occur per year due to cellphones could be prevented. Drivers’ education would stress the importance of not driving distracted and could encourage new drivers to ensure that they never put themselves in this situation.

We underestimate the daily risk that is taken when we sit behind the wheel of a car. We do not even consider the danger that occurs when driving. There are endless ways in which we can be distracted and can cause the injury or death of another person. It could be music, a cellphone, an animal, a plane, another person, a box on the side of the road, rain, a sneeze, etc. All these circumstances can cause a distraction. Although these are minor disturbances, it can cause immense damage. A brief glance away from the road can lead to a lifetime of consequences. For this reason, it is essential that we all take a drivers education course before we begin driving daily, to understand that daily risk that occurs when driving, and the effect that these diversions can have on others.