A Safe and Experienced Driver

It’s common sense that distracted driving can put lives at risk. Activities such as eating food, texting on the phone, listening to loud music, or even talking with people in the vehicle will cause the driver’s attention to be directed away from safe driving. However, it was through an incident of my own that helped me realize how easily our lives could end—even when the driver’s full attention is on the wheel.

In the summer of 2021, I had just recently obtained my drivers permit and my desire to drive was at an all time high. Every chance I got, I would persuade my parents to allow me to practice driving whether it be after service from church, on the way to school, or even when we went grocery shopping. One Friday night however, I was particularly desperate. It was about 10 p.m. after church service and my mom was too tired to be on the road. It seemed like the perfect chance for me to practice… and the perfect opportunity to show my mom that I was ready for my license. Still, she strictly rejected my implores, claiming that I was far too inexperienced to be driving around at night.

We ended up having to ask Chris, one of our church members, to drive us home. Chris wore blue skinny jeans with a thick trucker jacket. He was about my height, maybe a little shorter, with a slightly overgrown buzz cut. Although it is embarrassing to admit, I was upset and bitter. I wanted to assess and critique his driving skills, but there was nothing to comment on which made me even more frustrated. Chris drove safely; his turns and breaks were smooth and he was very cautious about his surroundings. Eventually accepting defeat, I fell asleep to the passing yellow gleams illuminated from the street lights.

The car suddenly jerked to the left; then some more to the right. I woke up to the screaming of my mom and when I opened my eyes, I saw a vehicle falling down from a bridge directly above us. Chris slammed the brakes while calmly looking for an open space to avoid the danger. The yellow light that constantly surrounded us quickly turned red and the vehicle came crashing just to the right of our car. The whole accident unfolded in about 3 seconds, but it felt like I was watching things unravel in slow motion. Although we survived thanks to Chris’ reflexes, it took us a while to really process what had happened.

Chris drove safely and he was attentive the whole time, yet our lives were still placed in danger. If I was the one driving that night, things would have ended much worse. This was when I realized the importance of experience and composure. I may have taken all the driving classes to learn and memorize the rules, but education requires action. I had been immature and prideful when it came to driving; I was blindlessly driven by my goal to impress my mom that I ignored the need to be cautious and aware.

According to the CDC, traffic crashes dominate as the leading cause of non-natural death for people ages 1-54 in the United States with an approximate of 34,000 yearly deaths. To put things into perspective, this means more people die from driving than they do from wars. Solving this issue however, is not an easy task. Even if we drive safely and even if we are fully attentive, there will be instances in which the outcomes are out of our control. As a result, I am a firm believer that driver’s experience is just as important as driver’s education.

The education of a driver is crucial in reducing the number of deaths because it constructs the foundation of the driver which will affect the way they behave on the road. In the United States, drivers are required to take a multiple choice exam based on the rules, laws, and signs of driving. Without doing so, they will be unable to obtain the permit required for their license. Although this may encourage skillful driving to some, the answers to these exams are all online which makes it easy for others to memorize for the sole purpose of passing. Due to such complications, it is my conviction that we implement essential and required in-person courses to explain in depth the purpose of our driving laws. In contrast to simply memorizing the law, by learning the intention of each rule, drivers will be able to think more logically during hazardous situations.

In addition to this proposal, I believe our focus should lean towards experience. If I was the one driving that Friday night, things would have ended much worse. It was not because Chris knew more rules than me, but it was because he had previous experience with different situations on the road. A practical step we can take is to have more than one behind-the-wheel test. Each test can evaluate different scenarios and sections of roads/freeways in order for the driver to become a greater, more well-rounded operator.

There is only so much we can do to avoid death. However, I feel that it is unfair for people to suffer from the vehicles that are meant to provide safe transportation. Although these propositions would require a greater investment of our time and money, I am of the opinion that every effort should be placed to avoid the loss of more lives. A stronger, coherent education that encourages logical thinking and a system that emphasizes driving experience will not only make me a more exceptional driver, but also help others become safer on the road.