Drivers Ed Essay Contest 2023- My Accident Experience

August 26, 2022, a day I will never forget. A day that was supposed to be filled with football and friends ended in trauma and guilt. We were headed to our school’s home football game. One of my best friends, Skylar, was in my passenger front seat. We went to pick up one of our other best friends, Dylan. I had been to Dylan’s house many times, but he was at a friend’s house I had never been to. This guy lived in a very rural part of town. Many of the roads were very narrow, curvy, hilly, and did not even have paint on them.

The unexpected happened. We got into an accident, coming over a hill to a stop sign and “T” intersection. I had lost control, flipped, and landed between two huge trees. I found myself upside down, glass all over me, and air bag in my face. I unhooked my belt, fell on my head, and squeezed myself out of my window and ran around to Skylar. “My arm, my arm” Dylan was screaming repeatedly. I unhooked Skylar’s belt, and she slammed down on her head. Skylar and I were able to walk around with not much pain. We were just very scared, shaking, crying, and in complete shock.

In minutes, several police cars, a firetruck and three ambulances came. It took some time for them to get Dylan out of the backseat as carefully as possible. Dylan was taken in an ambulance straight to the emergency room not to the closest which would have been Georgetown Hospital, but to the nearest city hospital, 30 minutes farther, in Lexington. Thankfully, Skylar and I were completely fine besides the bruises, scratches, and of course the trauma of it, and were able to leave with our parents.

Dylan ended up with a bad broken arm. I had never felt so guilty, sad, and empty in my life. Every time I looked at my two friends who had been with me my heart would sink. I knew that this accident would affect them for the rest of their lives, and it was all my fault. If I had just taken the turn a little slower how different would it have ended. The “what ifs” consumed me. While Skylar and I just had to spend a few hours in the emergency room of our local hospital getting checked to make sure we were ok and there were no internal injuries, Dylan had to stay overnight in the city hospital a few nights. Skylar and I returned to school Monday, Dylan was on bedrest at home in pain and awaiting follow up with a pediatric orthopedic specialist to determine if he needed surgery or not.

Dylan ended up homebound, having a teacher come do school with him at his house for two months. He was not able to come to school or to socialize due to his injuries. He was able to avoid surgery and his arm continues to heal, but he went through many doctor appointments, pain, and suffering. I feel bad enough about this car accident, but I can proudly say that I was not obviously distracted by texting or driving under the influence. I cannot imagine how much worse I would feel if I had been distracted by texting or driving under the influence.

To increase prevention, we need more awareness to the issue, drivers’ education, and law enforcement. We need to communicate with each other more about just how quickly accidents can happen and how much responsibility there is when you decide to drive a vehicle. I think it is hard to imagine if you have never experienced being in an accident. Friends need to hold each other accountable and have a planned agreement ahead of time, before the driving starts. Drivers Ed should be a requirement. It should be offered through high school. I also think families should receive a discount on car insurance if students complete a course. There is a law that makes texting and driving illegal. Drivers of all ages are banned from using a “personal communication device” to write, send, or read “text-based communication” while driving. Drivers 18 and older are allowed to make phone calls and use GPS devices, but drivers under 18 are not allowed to hold cell phones or any personal communication devices. I have not heard of anyone getting pulled over or ticketed. There are laws against driving drunk as well. If a driver’s blood alcohol concentration measures .08 or higher, they are legally impaired. It is illegal for any driver under 21 to have a blood alcohol concentration measure of .02 or higher. I do my part by sharing my accident experience with anyone I can, no matter the age of the person. Driving is a huge responsibility, and all lives are precious and worth saving.