In the Driver’s Seat

Natalie pulled into Meghan’s driveway, and she rolled down her window.

“Hey, I cannot wait for this trip!”

“Yes! Me too, I am so excited!” remarked Meghan.

Meghan loaded her stuff into Natalie’s trunk, and as she was making her way to the passenger seat she said,

“Alright girl, let’s get this show on the road!”

Natalie proceeded to back out of Meghan’s driveway, and she began to make her way through the back roads to get to the highway.

“Are we still picking up Bethany?” asked Meghan.

“No, unfortunately she could not make it.”

“Aww, that’s a bummer.”

Natalie came to a stop at a stop sign and she looked both ways.

“That guy looks like he’s going pretty slow, I should be able to make it.”

Natalie began to make her turn but half way through the turn a jarring impact sent her and Meghan spinning into the trees.

“Lord! Save us!” cried Natalie.

The passenger side of the car, hit a tree and the car came to an abrupt stop. Natalie looked over at Meghan. Her head was down, and she was covered in blood.

“No, No, No. She can’t be dead. She is just unconscious. Yeah, that’s all, just unconscious.”

“MEGHAN! MEGHAN! COME ON! WAKE UP! PLEASE! Please…”

Natalie continued to try to wake Meghan up, but she failed. She tried to look for her phone but every time she tried to move, she got really dizzy. Eventually she blacked out.

“Ma’am? Ma’am can you hear me?”

“Wha, what?”

“What is your name?”

“Natalie. Natalie Field.”

“Okay Natalie, it is going to be okay.”

“My friend, is she okay?”

The paramedic looked over at the other ambulance. Natalie followed suit and she saw Meghan’s lifeless body getting loaded into an ambulance as a paramedic began performing CPR.

Every year there are about 36,000 driving related deaths. 36,000 deaths may not seem like a lot in relation to the whole world’s population but sadly that is only the number of driving related deaths in the United States of America. This information leads us to the question, why are there so many driving related deaths? There could be many answers to that question, some of them being mechanical malfunctions, or hazardous weather conditions. One of the main answers to this question is drunk driving. In 2019 there was about 10,000 alcohol related deaths in the United States of America. At almost one third of the total amount of deaths in a year, drunk driving is a real problem.

If we want to reduce the number of driving related deaths, we need to start with drunk driving. We can use whatever influence we may have to suggest limits on alcohol consumption before driving but in the end no lasting results will be supplied. We may not be able to have a large enough impact on those who are already not following the law but we can most definitely influence the next generation of drivers. As a new driver myself I am beginning to see how important it is to learn how to drive safely from the right people. The teachers need to not only speak about how to drive safely but they need to act upon their words. If a teacher is telling a student that you are not allowed to drink and drive, then that teacher needs to do that as well. Even if it is something small, the teacher still needs to act upon their words. The students need to be receptive to the information that is being passed on. If the student is not being receptive to the information, then it may need to be presented in a new way. It is so important that young drivers understand the importance of driving safely.

Driving safely does not only benefit the driver, and driving drunk or driving recklessly does not only harm the driver. When we are sitting in the driver’s seat, it our responsibility to keep ourselves, our passengers, and those around us safe. All of the aspects of driving safely goes back to the foundations of how a driver was taught and how the teacher modelled how a safe driver should drive.

About 9 months ago my sister got into a bad car crash. My sister and her friend were on their way home and they got hit by a car. Their vehicle went off of the road and the driver’s side of the car hit a tree. My sister sustained injuries that made it hard for her to walk. She was using crutches for a few months but eventually she was able to walk on her own without any pain. Her friend got banged up as well, but she ended up being okay. This accident could have been avoided but it also could have ended much worse.

A car accident can happen in seconds. If a driver is not trained in how to drive safely, more accidents will occur and they may not have the same happy ending that my sister’s accident had.