Name: Grace Nicole Wiersma
From: Pagosa Springs, CO
Votes: 0
The
Day I Became a Victim
By
Grace Wiersma
July 16th,
2013 was the day that everything in my life changed. I was 10 years
old and coming to the end of two fun-filled weeks visiting my
grandparents in Michigan. One night, after going to my aunt’s house
for dinner, I remember returning to my grandparent’s dark and empty
house and my younger sister innocently saying, “Maybe they were in
a car accident.” My dad is a state trooper, and I’ve heard
stories of car accidents my entire life, but, I never once thought
something like that could happen to my family. About 10 minutes
later, we received a phone call from my aunt informing us that
indeed, it had. My grandparent’s van had been hit on the driver’s
side by a distracted driver who had run a red light. My grandmother
sustained serious injuries and she’s never fully recovered. My
grandfather was put on life support for two terrible weeks before the
hard decision to let him go was made. What was supposed to be the end
of a fun family vacation turned into a surreal nightmare in my life.
Because of the poor driving choices of a total stranger, I never got
to say goodbye to my grandfather. He will never be able to see me
graduate high school, go to college, or get married. July 16th
was the day I became a victim of distracted driving.
Imagine if a 100-passenger airliner crashed every day of the
year and killed everyone on board. This would make worldwide news,
yet, this equals the number of Americans who died in car accidents
last year and we rarely give it a second thought. One of the most
important ways to lower this number is through drivers ed.
I believe the Graduated Driver’s License laws are crucial in the
education process, as they encourage young drivers to drive safer by
increasing driving privileges with experience. Teen fatalities have
decreased up to 50% in states that have adopted these laws. A way to
learn about the GDL laws should be available for the parents or
guardians because many are often confused about how they work.
Another important factor in driving education is the example students
get from adults. Adults need to understand their responsibility as
role models. The student isn’t going to take driving seriously if
they see their adults texting, speeding, or not using seatbelts while
driving. If anything, this will just teach them it’s perfectly
okay. Other ways to decrease driving related deaths include passing
tougher traffic laws and building on existing automobile technology.
Driving
shouldn’t be taken lightly. Maybe if other people shared the same
views and demonstrated more responsibility while driving, thousands
of people would still be enjoying life, including my grandfather.
Unfortunately, changing the past isn’t an option, so knowing the
serious implications of being a driver, acting on that knowledge, and
encouraging others to do the same is the best way to change the
present.
