In recognition of national teen driver safety week, I thought it would be appropriate to reiterate the importance of safe driving.
To be fair, safe driving is pertinent whether you’re a teenager or not. And the main cause of fatalities is the fact that people are not buckling up when they get behind the wheel. All our lives, we’ve been told to buckle up for our safety … that that strap might save our lives if we’re ever in an automobile accident. I’m living proof of that. If it weren’t for those thin pieces of interwoven nylon, chances are I wouldn’t be here today.
When I moved to Wyoming in the summer of 2007, there were a number of things I had to get used to, such as climate (I’ve seen snow in July), environment (I’ve walked past a moose on the sidewalk) and, of course, altitude (you’d be surprised how quickly you can get drunk at 7,000 feet). But all of those things I had pretty much anticipated. One thing I never took into consideration was that I would have to adapt to the rules of the road in the west. Over there, the speed limit on the interstate is 80 miles per hour and 65 miles per hour on the highways. But that’s not even the worst of it.
Because there are so many animals that live in the mountains and cities are few and far between, drivers tend to share the road with nature … even mores than in Wisconsin. In addition to deer, you have moose, pronghorn, bison and mountain goats to contend with in those parts. So, one morning while I was driving out near the Jonah Field and Pinedale Anticline, two large energy fields in Wyoming, I came across a herd of pronghorn. Going 65 and rounding some sharp corners, not to mention the fact that shoulders are pretty much non-existent on rural highways, I swerved to avoid hitting one of them. Getting off the pavement, I yanked the steering wheel to get back on the road. Unfortunately, I ended up overcorrecting the vehicle and it started to roll.
While I had always been told that car crashes seem to take place in slow motion, I never believed it until I lived through it. The car rolled for what seemed like forever, though it was only one a a half times. After my car came to rest on its roof in the ditch on the opposite side of the road, I began to assess my situation. I was alive, so that was a good start. Looking around, I saw that two of the windows were shattered and there was glass everywhere. Still in somewhat of a state of shock from had just happened, I didn’t even realize that my index finger had been lacerated and was bleeding profusely. My primary concern was finding my phone and calling for help. Unfastening my seat belt, I looked all over the upside down wreckage for my cell.
While I eventually did find it, it was pretty much a lost cause. I was out in the middle of nowhere and didn’t get much in the way of reception. Thus, I had to wait for a truck driver to come by and call for help. When the police, paramedics and other emergency personnel showed up, the officer who questioned me pointed out that my finger was bleeding pretty badly. Initially turning down treatment, I eventually told the officer that it might be a good idea to go to the hospital and have my finger looked at. Eight stitches and several bumps and bruises, including marks on my waist and shoulder from where the seat belt held me in the vehicle, was all I got out of the terrifying ordeal.
But, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened had I not buckled up that morning. Would I have been ejected from the car? Would I have died? Would I have survived the crash, but had injuries so severe that I would have died before I got treatment? Would I be brain damaged or paralyzed if I did make it out alive? Thankfully, because of those two straps, I didn’t have to find out. But, any other day on any other road, there are people who aren’t as fortunate … who decided not to buckle up. Sure, I know of instances where people died because they were wearing their seatbelts, but those are few and far between.
Since that day, I’ve never not buckled up … and neither should you.
Jennie Oemig
Editor
Arcadia News-Leader
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