Part of the Problem

Part of the Problem

“Dad, I’m going to need you to pick me up…”. My eyes were locked on my Nissan Sentra. It rested upside down against a tree. As I relive it now, it all feels like a crazy dream–well, actually it was a nightmare. So many questions were running through my throbbing head. What just happened? How did I survive? Who are these people that stopped to help me? What will everyone think of me? How am I going to tell my parents?

It was 7AM on a Monday morning. I had spent the weekend camping with friends and had planned to wake up early and drive the hour home to work. I was driving on a road that I had driven a million times. It was a winding road but I left my cruise control on. I was driving fast. I knew I shouldn’t be, but I felt comfortable. During the drive home, I was making a mental checklist of what I had to do to be ready for work. I wanted to get back early so I had time to change clothes. My makeup bag was on the floor of my passenger seat. I leaned to my right to reach for it. I figured I’d be ready faster if I started now. As I reached, I felt my right tire fall off of the road. I panicked. With my left hand, I overcorrected. The next 10 seconds moved in slow motion. Slamming on my breaks, I felt the front of my car fall off of the road. My head hit the steering wheel as I flipped through a river. Then the front end of my car did a nose-dive and I did a quick flip onto a tree. I was in shock as I hung by my seatbelt. I remember the same song playing on repeat. I was frozen listening to it. I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid to move.

I heard a car pull up; this snapped me into motion. I finally found my way out of my seatbelt and out of the car. I knew I didn’t want anyone to have to walk through the river to check on me. I needed to tell them I was okay. I was okay. I was lucky. Once I assured them that I was alright, I felt my stomach flip. I took a few steps into the woods and threw up several times. I was dizzy, disoriented, and didn’t know what I should be doing next. Thankfully, the couple that stopped had already informed the authorities. All that I needed to do was contact my parents. I was nearly an hour away from home. I knew I would be waiting here a while. I knew the Sheriff wouldn’t arrive until later, since I crashed in the middle of nowhere. All I could do was wait. My head was pounding. My heart was beating impossibly fast. I spent the next 50 minutes in a state of complete delirium.

Every time that I’ve been asked to explain what happened, I describe a momentary lapse in judgment–a one time mistake. I wish that was the truth. Truthfully, I had been driving in the same manner since I received my license. I had been putting myself in danger every single day. I had been putting everyone on the road in danger every single day. My heart aches when I imagine what might’ve happened had another car been on the road. I could’ve changed the entire course of their life; I could have ended someone’s life. I could have ended my own life that morning.

I remember being in my Driver’s Education class when I was fourteen. “Driving is the most dangerous thing that some of us will ever do, yet we do it every day.” In that class I remember thinking that I would never be too comfortable while driving. I would always stay present in the moment and not allow myself to become distracted. I wish I was right. I had been a danger to everybody on the road with me for four years.

Now every time I get into the car, I hold myself and others accountable. My phone doesn’t touch my hand. I don’t drive tired, nor do I allow any of my friends to. I always give myself adequate time to get where I am going. Staying present while driving is essential to the safety of yourself and all passengers. So many of us take driving for granted–I certainly did for years. We don’t typically think of it as dangerous. We think of it as a time to listen to music, call a friend, or whatever else might distract us from the task at hand. Distracted driving is a very real issue. I believe it’s time that each of us make a conscious effort to treat driving with the proper amount of attentiveness, awareness and responsibility.

We need to re-educate drivers. One class during our freshman year is not enough. The safety of our roads will increase exponentially if we continuously keep those operating motor vehicles aware of the rules, and aware of the potential danger that is present each time you start your engine. If everyone on the roads commits to the same guidelines, we would see a drastic decrease in accidents. I took a phenomenal Driver’s Education Course…but I took it 4 years ago. I’ll likely never take another one. From age 16-20 I have spent most of my time driving in extremely small towns in Minnesota and North Dakota. Soon, I may move to a bigger city. If I’m being honest, I’m afraid. I’m worried that I might not remember everything that I learned in that class so many years ago. I strongly believe that Driver’s Education should not stop once you receive your license. After a certain number of years, I propose that another test should be required–if not another class. This would encourage drivers to stay sharp when it comes to the rules of the road. It would also remind drivers of the seriousness of their role. It is one of the most dangerous things you will ever do, and most of us do it every day. Let’s do it better. As a nation, we need to find a new way to remind each and every driver that every moment behind the wheel counts.