all the difference

Nothing in the world can prepare someone for a tragic loss. The death of someone close to you will affect someone in a way no one can describe. A loss will turn someone’s life around, especially the immediate family. Whenever I see someone experience a car accident, I can’t help to start asking myself many questions. Is the person okay? Whether they are or aren’t, does their family know yet? Will the police have to tell their family terrible news and change their lives? Will a child have to grow up without their parent? I can only pray for everyone’s safety. I lost my father in a car accident when I was eight. I know I do not know the exact reason as to what caused the accident. It still haunts me recently since I started driving, especially at night. I was also in a car accident with my friend; unfortunately, my sister witnessed all of it. My sister was very close with my dad and thought that another car accident had taken someone else close to her life. I had a knee injury and had to go to therapy for a while. I do, however, feel it could have been completely prevented. I have become a better driver by paying attention to my surroundings and always making sure I am aware of what’s happening around me. No matter who it is, I will not answer my phone call. The reason why is that I know myself and know I can not multitask. I know I will get distracted, so it is best not to answer. I also tell people to stay calm when they drive. Listening to music, they love has helped me a lot to keep quiet. I also do not take sudden, fast risks. If I miss an exit, I will redirect my route. I would not make any hasty risky decision. I know that if there were educational safety lessons starting young could help lower the stats for reckless driving. I think everyone who has to go to the DMV should be made to take a road precaution test. It should be encouraged as many do not know the basic level of prevention that could save a person’s life. It could also help educate what someone should do to help keep a loved one. It could help people know what to look for physically to ensure a person is not suffering from concussions. If people were willing to educate themselves, it could mean all the difference in someone’s life by just the power of knowledge. There are more ways we, as drivers, can do to be safer on the road. One way is simply paying attention to your body. Many people, especially younger adults, have anxiety and tend to act differently when they are in a panic. I think simply listening to your body and pulling to a safe space can help prevent an accident for you or someone else. If your gut tells you your friend has probably had too much to drink, take over and tell them they can’t drive. Instead, I would drop the friend at their house rather than see their body drop in a casket six feet under. Another way road safety can be enforced is by having people take their road test every 5-10 years nationwide. It might not seem practical because many people believe they will only improve with experience, but it’s not the case. It is proven statistically that people in their early 20s are more safe compared to senior adults. The older people get, the worst their health becomes.

Many will later suffer from joint pain and vision loss, which can become a concern to road safety. If drivers test were more common, it would help find out who can still qualify and who is eligible to drive. Age is not the only reason to have more frequent tests based on people’s health. In some instances, medical conditions can prevent someone from going safely. An example is my sister; she has a stigmatism. Medical professionals have told her that her vision will only worsen without surgery. If we had to compare her driver’s test from when she was 16 to when she was 26 without the surgery, it could be possible she would drive worse compared to ten years ago. If the nation could check and see if a person is still eligible to be a driver, it could help with accidents, etc. Another bonus is that there will be fewer of those wondering how a person could pass their driver’s license from the way they drive. Taking precautions is something someone should be proud of. I hope drivers can become safer, but if even a few were to listen to others’ advice, it could mean all the difference between life and death. We should not let a single preventable choice dictate our lives and others.