| text by: Kathryne Ogrod, translated by: Elsa Zhang
從那年夏天決定和達琳一起住到現在已經三年了，我們成為了彼此最好的朋友。她沒有自己的車，也很少去看望她的祖父祖母。所以我們特意選了一天去她祖父祖母的房子看望他們。那天我們玩得很開心，特別是那頓難得的家庭大餐，對於學生來講實在是一種奢侈。回去的時候我讓達琳駕駛汽車，因為她對路線更熟悉一些，但最後我們還是迷路了。
在走過一段崎嶇蜿蜒的小路之後，最後我們決定返回公路上去。由於迷路，達琳顯得很沮喪，其實在碎石小路上行駛，汽車最容易失去控制了。這次也不例外，在汽車向公路上靠近的過程中，達琳開始恐慌，不停地踩剎車，不幸的是一切舉動無濟於事，達琳最終失去了控制。汽車翻了。我只記得我當時一直在祈禱……
在翻車前，汽車是先撞到了一個郵箱上，又陷進了路邊的溝渠裡。好在輪子陷進了泥土裡，讓我們有生還的可能。這之後大約五至十秒鍾的時間，我的大腦一片空白，驚嚇佔據了我的所有意識，甚至不知道當時發生了什麼，當我清醒之後看著我身邊的達琳，說的第一句話是：『你還好吧？』
在我們都還是孩子的時候就接受過安全教育，永遠帶上安全帶，是最重要的一項。現在很多人覺得帶著安全帶一點都不酷，然而今天我之所以能幸免遇難，正是因為我沒有忘記小時候受過的教育。
事情發生後，有人問我：『你有沒有對你的好朋友很生氣？』沒有，真的沒有，那在我看來只是一生中很多事故中的其中之一，我很高興我和她能夠一起從那次事故中走出。雖然她的膝蓋撞傷很嚴重，我的背部同樣落下了重傷，並且要陪伴我度過今後的日子。
到現在我還經常看到一些自以為是的人們為了耍酷讓安全帶閑置在車上，他們的借口是：當要發生事故的時候我自然會帶上安全帶。但是誰又知道什麼時候會發生什麼？正因為無法預知，纔被稱之為以外。交通是最危險的，即使你是世界上最好的司機也是一樣的。因為你可以控制你自己，但你無法控制其他人，他們會在不正確的時間開車到街道上，或者一個很小的駕駛失誤就會要了你的命。每個人都知道生命的重要性，那麼就從安全帶做起吧。
I had been friends with Darlene for three years when we decided to live together one summer. She did not own a car and she was rarely able to visit her grandparents who lived far away. One day, we both decided to take a road trip to her grandparent」s house. We had fun talking and playing cards together while enjoying good homemade food – a luxury when you are in college. When we had to go back, I told Darlene to drive because she knew the way back better than I. We still ended up getting lost……
On a long gravelly road we finally decided to turn around and go the long way back to the highway. Darlene was upset that she had lost her way and she tried to make up for it by driving fast. She did not realize it but on gravel, it is easy for a car to lose traction. The car started to slide around on the road. Darlene got scared and stomped on the brake. The car locked up. Darlene had lost control. The car flipped. I remember praying everything would be ok.
The car had hit a mail box and then a ditch before it flipped on its side. Luckily for us, the wheels had gotten stuck in the mud and we rolled back right side up. After the accident, there was about 5- 10 seconds of pure silence. It wasn」t even possible to think at that moment due to the shock of what had just happened. I looked at my friend and the first words out of my mouth were, 『Are you ok!?!』
We were both trained since the time we were kids to ALWAYS wear our seat belts. To this day, I know several people who refuse to wear seat belts because they think it isn」t 『cool.』 I am alive today because I wore my seat belt and I think that is pretty darn cool.
The one question people ask me when they hear this story is, 『Weren」t you mad at your friend for wrecking your car?』 No, it was an accident and in life many accidents will occur. I am so happy that we were both able to walk away from that accident. She hit her knee really hard in that crash and although nothing was broken, she still has pain in it to this day. I still have bad back aches and I will have to live with that pain for the rest of my life. At least I have the rest of my life to experience.
I cringe every time I see someone get into a car without putting on their seat belt. I hear excuses like: seat belts are useless, they don」t look cool, or I will put it on if I think something is going to happen. You never know when an accident will happen. That is why it is called an accident. Cars can be very dangerous; even if you do everything right and you are the safest driver in the world, it doesn」t matter. Someone else can step into the street at the wrong time or another driver may make a mistake that will cost you your life. Life is so precious; it should be valued and protected everyday with a seat belt.
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