Reflective Writing - Driving

Cars and driving alike have always been my passion, even before I actually started driving on the roads. Not surprisingly, I was eager to learn driving and was itching to get my hands on the wheel. Soon after, I received my driving license and was finally able to get a taste of the busy street full of experienced drivers and become a part of them.

Being the immature and rash person that I was back then, i enjoyed the attention from my peers who were not able to drive yet and started show-boating. I was driving 130's on a 90 km/h highway and ran red lights for the thrill and the 'coolness' of it. I figured being a bad boy would catch the eyes of the girls in my school. As you would probably have imagined, i got into trouble often. Until one particular incident where my recklessness caused more than just the bank notes in my pocket, but the safety of other innocent motorists.

I was driving at my usual breakneck speed when i encountered a sharp turn on a junction out to the main road. Instead of braking and checking to see if the roads were clear for me to turn onto, i stubbornly refused to do so because braking would've killed the momentum and thus, the adrenaline from the speed. I spotted an oncoming car but i thought to myself, "Nah man, I'll just time myself such that I'll cut onto his lane right after his car."

Bad, bad decision.

As his car flashed by my car, my front bumper kissed his rear and his car skidded. What I witnessed during the next few seconds was undoubtedly one to forget. I watched in horror as the car swerved and turned, desperately trying to regain control of the car. Finally, the car ran over a curb and hit a tree. The car was a wreck. It took me a good few moments to pull myself together and come into realization the gravity of the accident that i has just caused.

The driver feebly pushed open the door of his car and stepped out, groggy from the knock on his head he'd probably just received. Thankfully, his injuries were confined to mere bruises and cuts. What happened after that was essentially a series of tedious and forgettable phone calls and police reports. To cut that long story short, the matter was settled with a fine charged against me and a small sum of money paid to the victim in compensation.

2 years on, i find myself guiding and coaching my younger brother who had just gotten his driver's license. I have become a much more stable and mature driver since that incident. From time to time, i see my old self in my brother and i hope to prevent a deja vu of what happened with my brother. After recounting this unfortunate incident, i'm glad i learnt from it and have become a much better driver now.  

So let me end this post with a quick advice for all the new drivers out there:

Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly. :)