Drive safe when headed home

Confession: I have been known to play my music too loud while driving and to take curves a little too fast. But I also confess that I know that heart-stopping fear seconds from a collision, when you just manage to avoid the crash. Immediately after, you cannot escape that jittery feeling. In that moment, I vow to myself to never drive unsafely.

But why did I think an accident was impossible in the first place?

Apparently, I am not the only one with a confession. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers between 15 to 24 years old account for 28 to 30 percent of total costs of motor vehicle injuries. Because the statistics give reason behind your mom’s warning before your road trip, it is time we stop driving like Allstate’s Mayhem.

In two weeks, thousands of Liberty students will drive home. HealthDay, a health news service, reported in November 2011 that in a poll of more than 2,000 adults, young adults were most likely to drive distracted. The only way to redefine our driving bracket is to drive responsibly.

If you are tempted to use your cellphone while driving, turn it off or toss it in the glove box. As an incentive, the Governor’s Highway Safety Administration reports that texting and driving is illegal in 39 states, including Virginia, and officers may issue tickets for that offense alone. The fine for texting and driving ranges up to $500.

Another law that drivers should not break is driving without a seatbelt, which is illegal in 32 states. Before you roll your eyes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated in 2008 that 55 percent of people killed in vehicle accidents were not wearing a seatbelt.

We also tend to forget that driving responsibly has benefits. Many insurance companies offer good driver incentives. Particularly in our age bracket, insurance companies offer lower rates after several years of accident-free driving. The advantages of safe driving are too significant to be ignored, and the consequences can be fatal.

Most concerning is that the prescription for safe driving is not difficult or inconvenient. If we were diligent, the mature driver would cultivate safe habits. Why must college students insist on emulating daredevils behind the wheel?

The problem may run too deep for an easy fix, though. Driving recklessly shows symptoms of rebellion and pride. Are we really in such a hurry that the speed limit becomes irrelevant? Is our conversation so pressing that it cannot be continued later?
Are we really that embarrassed by demanding that our friends buckle up?

Have a collision with reality, before colliding with another vehicle or tree. Though we may feel invincible at times, we are not. The rules are present to keep our futures safe.

Confession: I sometimes wish every road was straight, smooth and empty so that I could drive as fast as I want. Every time that thought creeps into my mind, though, I squash it with a stronger wish — to arrive home alive.