Failing, Wrecking, Learning

I had just turned fifteen when I walked into the DMV to take my beginner’s permit test. I was confident that I would pass with excellence. I failed on the 10th question. I left the little room the computers were set up in and started crying on my mom’s shoulder. She was extremely confused because I had never really failed any test at school before, so we all thought this would be the same. She and I thought that I would have made the equivalent of an A+. So, when I told her what happened, I was mortified. I had not read the book; I had not studied at all. I do not know why I was surprised to fail; I had set myself up for it.

It took me four months to read the book and gain the confidence to take the test again. However, it was mostly the fact that my mom was tired of me waiting that I took the test again because she told me I did not have a choice. I passed the test that May with excellence. I then went on to take my license test a few months later in that December and passed. I have been driving myself and my brother everywhere ever since then.

I told my story because had I not failed the permit test and been forced to study the rules in the book, I have no idea what kind of a driver I would have been. I would not have known most of the rules I were not taught as a kid, such as green means go. I would not have known that a flashing yellow light means proceed with caution, or that a flashing red light is to be treated like a stop sign. Education of these minuscule things is so important because if you do not know when to stop, when to go, or when to go slow, lives could be lost; not just the lives of other drivers, but loss of innocent road construction workers, passengers of other cars, or even you own life. A driver’s education of every single rule is futile to saving the lives of innocent people who would just be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I believe the driver’s license test should be in two parts: the driving test we all take, and a written test like the beginner’s permit test but consisting of more specific things rather than what color the line is when traffic is flowing in opposite directions versus the same direction. I believe this would cut down on the ignorance of drivers everywhere and prohibit anyone who does not know certain necessary rules from being given the chance to legally put innocent people’s lives in danger.

My first car was a 2012 gray Nissan Frontier. It had been my grandpa’s truck; he passed when I was about fourteen. My family decided to save it for when I started driving since it was new. I loved that truck; not only because it was my grandpa’s but because it had a six cd changer (which I know is kind of obsolete now but I college CDs and I love them), it was the perfect size for me because I did not like small cars but I could barely see over the dashboard of a huge truck, and since it was a truck it made all the boys jealous. While that last fact is unimportant, it was just another reason I was in love with that truck.

On May 22nd, 2022, the Sunday after I had been a junior Marshall at the 2022 class’s graduation at my school, I got in a wreck on the way to Sunday School at my church. I was going on a yellow light and got t-boned by a car running the red light on the other side of the intersection. No, it was not my fault, but I will admit I was cutting it close going on the yellow light. I had gotten hit on the driver’s side back door, the door my brother had been sitting next to. Thankfully, the car that hit us had not been going fast enough to hurt us, but my truck ended up being totaled. I was heartbroken and scared to drive again. All I had was my dad’s huge old truck that I could not park for anything and just hated driving. It took a few months to find a used car within our settlement total; I had to drive my dad’s truck to school for the first month of senior year; but, by September, we had found a 2012 Toyota RAV4 that was within our budget where we did not have to pay more than the settlement we had gotten. I was so happy that I had something that was not huge anymore and something I could make my own. I could not put any stickers on my dad’s truck, but I covered this new car in them. Okay, “covered” is an exaggeration, but I definitely made it my own.

I am still a bit traumatized from that wreck; I drive through the same light it happened at least once a week. But I have learned to shorten my point of no return when lights turn yellow and not be so quick to floor it to try and get through. I have also had an issue of riding right at the back of people when I drive but have been trying to get out of that awful habit to avoid future “break checks” and potential accidents.

I have never had an issue of being on my phone while driving because it is asking for disaster. However, most people I see on the road do not have the same mindset. Therefore, if I ever ride with someone, I always take their phone from them and give them directions rather than watch them stare at their GPS. I also will give people my phone if they ride with me to avoid accidentally allowing myself to become distracted. I am adamant about not putting myself or letting those I love get into situations that can be avoided. I know that even when I completely overcome my driving issues, I will never be a perfect driver. My parents always told me to always look out for other people on the road because they are not looking out for you. While it sounds terrible to imply that no-one else cares about anyone but themself when driving, if everyone had this same mindset, we would not have this issue. I hope one day we can prevent all automotive accidents that could have been prevented.