Power Behind the Wheel

For
a moment, I failed to realize what had happened. The air stood still.
Nobody screamed. Nobody spoke. Silence filled the car, following the
shattering noise that shot a wave of chills up my spine. Within less
than a second, my entire body jolted forward, and my head slammed
against the seat diagonal from me, frantically rebounding. My brain
hesitated to process that we were struck at 70 miles an hour by a
truck. Had I not been wearing a seatbelt, there is no doubt that I
would have been launched through the windshield. It was August 12,
2018, only three days before my first day of Junior year began, and I
was immediately diagnosed with a concussion. I am beyond thankful
that my concussion was the most damage I received from the accident.
Although, it proved to be my greatest challenge yet. Because of the
carelessness of another driver, I spent the next few months in
concussion therapy, because it was impossible to focus and even read
during school. Nobody should have to face challenges like these
because of other drivers.

Once
you place your hands on the wheel and press the gas, you are in
charge of maneuvering a dangerous machine, the difference between
life and death. Knowing how to responsibly handle this machine is key
to reducing the number of driving related deaths. It all stems back
from the class that many people barely even remember taking- driver’s
ed. It taught us skills and the rules of the road, things that will
never disappear. Understanding the importance of drivers ed
ensures that everyone is following the same guidelines for how to be
safe and act in different scenarios. In order to reduce the number of
deaths related to driving, drivers need to ensure that they aren’t
on their phones, as it is a dangerous distraction that isn’t worth
the cost of a life. We currently have the freedom to drive the way
that we want to drive. There could easily be technology that won’t
start the car unless both hands are on the wheel. Engineers could
partner with car manufacturers to install that kind of technology,
but as a society, we have chosen not to do that yet. Individuals need
to realize that driving is a privilege, and the freedom comes with
driving a car is a privilege. There could be many more obstacles
between an individual and their phone, but there isn’t. However,
having technology to keep drivers away from their phones while in a
moving vehicle could reduce the number of deaths. To be a better
driver and help others, I can practice patients and time away from my
phone and tell others of the importance of time away from a phone. I
feel that this is by far the most dangerous distraction in a car, and
society needs to realize that whatever is in their phone can wait,
because nothing is worth losing a life.