Training Wheels

Despite popular notions, our legs are our first training wheels. As an infant, our legs kicked and twirled in the air, not knowing the motions of walking. We then transitioned into crawling, in which our legs were the foundation of support that guided us down our journey in life. Subsequently, we leveled up to walking and then running, which were the basis of where we wanted to go in life and the adventures we have to endure to get to our next checkpoint. But, our legs can only take us so far before we start to rely on technological innovations to help us get to our end goal faster. 

The first innovation was bikes. Bikes came with a myriad of repercussions such as knee scrapes and arm rashes, yet, we were able to get back up and keep riding. As we grew into our young adult years, cars were now the bikes we glorified in our childhood days. But, while cars offered better and more effective means of transportation to get where we wanted to go, the repercussions outweigh the advantages. Unlike a bike where we can get back up and try again, we may not be able to get back up and start over with cars.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimated that 9,330 people died in traffic crashes in the first three months of the year. Out of those 9,330, many people lost moms, dads, siblings, and mentors they thought would make it home by the end of the day. Our first training wheels were also our death wheels, not knowing how much impact our legs could have when pressing the gas or the brakes at 60 miles per hour. 

This statistic could decrease if proper measurements are taken into consideration. Seatbelts are a safety device that reduces the risk of death and injury by nearly 50% according to the Motor Vehicle Safety Division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. What difference does it make when these same steps are reiterated every year? It is up to the driver to follow protocols to not only ensure they are safe, but the lives of others are safe around them because we are not only driving for ourselves, we are driving for those around us. Therefore, it is in a driver’s best interest to participate in Driver’s Education courses, even if they are experienced, to keep up to date with traffic laws that keep everyone safe. Since young drivers are the highest demographic of individuals to cause accidents, they are more prone to benefit from it. A new study that followed more than 150,000 teen drivers over eight years has found that driver’s education significantly reduces crashes and traffic violations among new drivers. But, why propagate Driver’s Education when the average cost, depending on state and services, ranges from $100 to $800? Local governments are making it laborious to drive safely when lessons are inaccessible on a socioeconomic level. Therefore, it is up to local governments to also reduce car crashes to make Driver’s Education more accessible by offering discounts or financial aid to those who cannot afford it. 

Similarly, no event is worth anyone’s life, therefore take your time. Never drive somewhere if you are in a rush because all cognitive perceptions that assess danger go out of the window. Therefore, if you were in a rush, take your time or do not even go to the event if it’s not worth speeding that could eventually lead to taking someone’s life.

Drinking and driving also impair one’s cognitive thinking. Therefore, it is best to not only refrain from driving when under the influence, but to encourage others not to do the same. What one should do is call a designated driver to ensure the safety of you and others.

Additionally, distracted driving is the number one cause of car accidents. One text should not determine the outcome of your life, therefore, limit distractions by keeping your phone in your bag, choosing a music playlist that does not warrant you to switch the music, eating before you drive so you do not have to drive and eat simultaneously, or pull over if the task is important at the specific moment in time. 

Finally, a life-threatening aspect of driving is the bandwagon mentality. If you see someone breaking traffic violations by going over the speed limit or running red lights, be a better citizen and do not follow after them. I was a victim of this which led to me getting into a car crash that totaled my mom’s car. I did not yield right away to oncoming traffic, because I was following behind someone else and made a turn because they were able to make a turn in time. Consequently, I ended up in a T-bone accident. To prevent this from occurring, I was enrolled in a defensive driving class and took my time learning about all of the traffic violations to prevent myself from being in not only a car crash that I was able to walk away from but a car crash that I may not be able to walk away from if I do not take proper protocols. Since my accident, I have never been in an accident and now I always make sure to yield right of way to those who are in the right, and to those who are in the wrong because you never know what somebody’s next move is. 

All in all, our training wheels are our biggest assets but our greatest risk when it comes to going along our journey in life. Do not let one mistake be the reason that the legs that got you into the car, are the same legs that do not make it out of the car.