Like every teen I could not wait to get my license to drive. It represents freedom, independence and growth. Every teen hears about the importance of driving safe, but not every teen feels it the way I do. While I was excited just like every other teen about to earn their driver's license it also came with a heavy responsibility and the traumatic reminder of an event that took place even before I ever touched the steering wheel.

I grew up hearing about my guardian angel, my grandfather Steven Bertrand. He was full of life, a young father who had many years ahead of him.  As I got a little older I learned about the tragedy that changed my family forever; the car accident that killed my grandfather and the young mother driver that was involved. It was a winter day and the roads were icy on that day. The other driver crossed the line and slid into my grandfather in a head-on collision that resulted in both of their deaths instantly.

Although this happened before I was born, the ripple events of that tragic day has never left my mother's mind and shaped the driver and the person I am today. My mom was young when her father died, but the loss stayed with her throughout her life. She doesn't talk about it much but I know how painful it was for her to grow up without him and missing so many important milestones in her life and never having the opportunity to meet me and my brother Nick.

When I turned 16 and start driving, the excitement I felt was met by a very real sense of fear from her. I could see it in her eyes every time I mentioned practicing or taking my road test. It often resulted in a good lecture of driving safety and how it was not just my life in danger, but putting others in potential harm's way. I knew she trusted me, but she also knew better than most people how fragile life is and how quickly it can be taken away. 

Understanding her fear helped me appreciate driving in a more meaningful way. It shaped how I felt about the responsibility of driving not only for myself, but everyone who cares about me. When I had the opportunity to enroll in Bell's driving school, I knew I wanted the best possible training possible, not only to pass my road test but to truly relieve the anxiety and worry that my mom still carries today and honor my grandfather's legacy.

Bell's driving school helped me to transform the way that I think about the road. Prior to my lesson my mom shared her personal story of the anxiety behind me driving with the driving school. My instructor Sal treated every lesson like something mattered. He was always patient, but also could be firm at the same time when it came to the rules and risks of driving. He helped me to identify potential hazards before they would even happen and how to handle unexpected situations, and how distractions like texting, loud music, friends in the car can become dangerous in seconds. The most meaningful skill I learned during my driving lessons was to always stay alert, not just for my own choices, but for everyone traveling on the road and my passengers. One of my goals is to be a role model for other drivers. My December 3rd birthday provided me with getting my driving license early before most of my friends. I strive to be the best example I can be while driving with friends. While many of my friends are still learning how to drive distracted driving is among the biggest concerns. The phone can be the biggest distraction and it can only take seconds for an accident to happen. I leave it on the charger and I don't touch it, it's not worth it and it can wait.

During one of my lessons I recalled Sal saying everyone has someone at home waiting for them. It reminded me of my grandpa Steven and the other young mother who lost her life that day, two families lives changed in an instant forever. It strengthened my commitment to always take driving seriously. In a way, enrolling in Bells became an opportunity to heal a part of the wound my mom carried from losing her father. Driver safety is not just avoiding accidents but remembering behind every wheel is a person with a story, a future and family and friends at home waiting for them. My grandfather Steven had a wife and two daughters that depended on him. The other driver also had a very young daughter and was a single mother. Two lives lost too young is not just a tragic statistic but a constant reminder for me to take driving serious. 

As a high school junior, I know I still have a lot to learn, but that safety will always be my top priority of the choices that I will make behind the wheel. Driver safety isn't just something you think about once, it is a lifetime commitment; a promise to yourself and to the people who care about you. I will carry the loss of my grandfather that I never got to meet as a reminder every time I get behind the wheel and fasten my seatbelt.