Never Trust

Life is like glass –glass like a windowpane: easily shattered with a child’s baseball. One tiny event and it seems that all is over, that life is broken beyond repair. It cannot be glued back together to be seen anew, or that your own life and those who are the most dear to you can’t mend themselves after being broken. But what happens just before the glass is shattered, just before life is irrevocably splintered? Ordinary life, I suppose.

On a seemingly ordinary Saturday night, driving home from work blasting “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift, the glass of my life was forever altered. Once safely at home, I began receiving messages regarding the whereabouts of my friends. In a nightmarish haze, police sirens and helicopters began to echo through the entirety of my quiet hometown. Four of my friends were in a grave accident. Their survival was in question. Sitting in my room, like a candle without a match, a runner without his shoes, I watched my world spin into oblivion. I felt alone, paralyzed.

Sitting still, waiting for action to be taken, not knowing the answer: none of these are modifiers for my personality. In the hours following the accident, like broken fragments, I was slowly fed information. From hearing multiple stories to waiting for news and hospital reports, I grasped onto anything that would solidify the idea that my friends, while possibly broken, were still alive. Eventually, the details revealed that they were all in critical but stable condition; however, no one knew for how long. With a slight sigh of relief that my friends would live, I was able to begin putting back the pieces.

Once the adrenaline wore off, I was left alone with my thoughts — a spiraling existential moment. Why did this happen? What could have prevented it? How can I ever get in a car or drive again knowing that more people my age die in car accidents than any other attributable causes? It is in these private moments– the moments of self-talk– when solutions and commitments are made. To begin, I promised myself that I would never trust another driver with my life or the lives of others. “Never Trust,” I softly said to myself. Never trust that another driver follows the rules like I do. Never trust that other drivers care about my life like I do. Never trust that other drivers think that my life matters like I do.

Never trust that another driver follows the rules, or for that matter, knows the rules. Passing a driver’s exam does not mean that the person behind the wheel is aware of the rules and laws of the road. Assuming that someone is turning simply because he has his turn signal on or believing that someone won’t spontaneously yield without checking traffic conditions first, can be a grave mistake. A formal, and perhaps mandatory, driver’s education program could help to ensure that people not only know but also have the practical experience of minding driving laws. Most American students have mandated minimum hours of schooling and rigorous testing to pass a subject, why should driving be any different? Driver’s education classes have been proven to be effective. For instance, in a 2015 longitudinal study from the University of Nebraska, researchers confirmed that, “young drivers who have not completed driver’s education are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident.” The numbers do not lie; driver’s education programs save lives.

Never trust that other drivers’ care about my life. Aggressive and distracting driving is on the rise. Modern drivers seem to have no consideration or concern for other drivers. From flashing high -beams from behind because someone is in a rush and wants me to drive faster to the people who slow-roll through stop signs in neighborhoods filled with children on bikes and skateboards, people’s lives are at risk every day–often at the most unexpected moments. However, much can be done to curb the number of accidents and deaths caused by motor vehicles. From improving road safety and enforcing traffic laws to encouraging safer driving habits and promoting the use of safer vehicles, viable solutions exist. In terms of road safety, road structures can be improved upon with the simple filling in of dangerous potholes, the addition of barrier and road strips, and even improving lighting for safe travel. Furthermore, traffic laws need to be reinforced. Afterall, what is the point of having traffic laws if they are not enforced? Locally, the main highway in my area implemented speed cameras that automatically snap photos of those violating the speed limits or going through red lights, ticketing offenders without the need of police officers. This has reduced both the number of fender-benders and fatalities in the area. Safer driving habits should be rewarded. Several insurance companies have started to reward safe driving with either reduced rates or even return of premiums as a reward. Lastly, the manufacturing of cars and cars on the road need to meet more rigorous safety standards. Local, regional and national governments need to legislate and incentivize safety features in cars that could potentially save lives. While all of these steps will not equal trust in another driver, it will allow trust in a system meant to protect all drivers.

Never trust that other drivers think that my life matters like I do. As a young driver, each time I get behind the wheel, I remember the accident. I remember how the driver who hit my friends did not have an ounce of concern for their lives. To him, they were driving too slowly. To him, his need to drink and drive was far more important than my friends’ plan to get ice cream. To him, their lives were meaningless. I am not like him. I will never trust that someone else behind the wheel cares about me or my family and friends. However, I will care about them. I am a considerate, defensive driver rather than an aggressive, selfish driver. While I can’t control other drivers, I can lead by example. I can metaphorically “kill them with kindness” instead of using my car as a weapon.

Following the accident, I recall the memories of not being able to pick up a pen, not being able to smile, not being able to listen to music. I was drowning in an endless cycle of “what-ifs,” thinking that I would change places with any of them, about how there are never enough “I love you’s”. A little over two years later, I am left with the draining thought that haunts me: I can never ensure someone’s safety on the road. I can only live each day as it stands without knowing what is next; I can only do what I can do to prevent car accidents. Perhaps it is a scary thought to live this way, a thought like one is waiting for the ball to break the front window. Or, perhaps it is a freeing thought, that even a seemingly ordinary Saturday night or childhood friendship should be cherished and celebrated, and that I am able to control my own behavior behind the wheel.

Works Cited

University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Web Developer Network. “Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets.” Study: Driver’s Ed Significantly Reduces Teen Crashes, Tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln, https://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver’s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets#:~:text=%3E%2011.1%20percent%20of%20the%20driver’s,did%20not%20take%20driver’s%20education.