Wednesday, January 25, I got one of biggest frights of my life. On my way to my 9 am class, I was stopped in a traffic jam off South Rock Quarry Road. Before I know it, I hear this terrible horrendous sound almost as if a bomb went off behind my car. I'm thrown forward as my face slams into my steering wheel and I'm momentarily stunned before I start shaking and crying.

I remember crying and not moving my car because I was so scared that if I moved at all, I was going to die. As the traffic in front of me starts to move, the guy who hit me from the rear comes up to see if I'm okay.

Long story short and sparing all the scary overly dramatic Cassidy details, I got to experience the first time getting hit by someone else. From that moment on, I will never be the same. My security is gone when it comes to feeling comfortable behind the wheel. I can no longer just hop in my car and get to where I need to get without being terrified of what might happen to me. Obviously other people experience other things after an accident and that's perfectly fine too. Feelings of fear, doubt, terror, and panic are general trends.

Today, I'm asking all my readers to put down the phones when you drive. Put down the makeup, the coffee, your quick breakfast because you're late to work. Put down the other worries that you have while behind your wheel. My dad has always said that a car is really just a glorified coffin. Don't make that be true. Tell your sisters, brothers, spouses, aunts, uncles, grandparents; remind them that driving is dangerous and that you have to watch out for everyone else. Lay your defensive driving at home and lets all be aggressive drivers, leaving space in front of you. Use your blinkers, use your braces when needed, and honk when necessary.

Driving is "cool" when you're first turning 16 and everything is new, you have all these new experiences and places to go and see. Driving can be fun, but nothing is more important than your safety and your families safety. Remember that, because you can fix a car but you can't fix a human. Protect yourself, pay attention, and lets change our driving habits so we can save lives.