Blink of an Eye

Blink of an Eye

It is truly amazing what a car can accomplish. With today’s technology we are able to travel from one side of a country to the other in a matter of hours with little to no thought behind it. However, with this great privilege comes with even greater responsibility, because with just one blink of an eye, life can take a turn for the worst.

Many deaths by car are actually due to lack of drivers ed. Of course, distractions have caused many accidents, but something as simple as misreading a road sign, could be a matter between life and death. However, this number of deaths could be lowered significantly by just enforcing one new law.

In the state of Georgia, a driver is not required to take a driving course prior to their driving test if they are 18 or older. This means that a great percentage of drivers are legally eligible to receive their drivers license without any prior knowledge about roadways, as long as they can pass their drivers test. Therefore, if an uneducated driver is on the road and does not yield to a pedestrian or roadwork sign, the negative effects could be detrimental. With that being said, if all potential driving applicants were required to take a driving course before they are eligible for testing, the number of educated drivers would significantly increase, causing the amount of deaths to potentially decrease.

At the age of six, I was involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver. My mother was driving my brother and I home from church one night, when we were rear ended by a drunk driver colliding into us at 70mph while we were stopped at a red light. Luckily, no one was severely hurt, but it resulted in three cars being totaled. I can still envision the lights and sirens late at night surrounded by the sense of fear and panic in the air.

Being a safe driver is not difficult, it just requires a few extra steps that make a huge difference. For instance, if you were to have a beer with some friends and may have had too much to drink, it is much safer to call an uber or family friend for a ride home than try to “sober up” before heading on the road. Another great example is cell phones. If you receive a text or phone call, let a passenger respond for you, or if you are alone, pull over to a safe location if you must respond. A simple call or text is not worth someone else’s life.

With simple steps like these, it is not hard to protect a life, but the question is, will you? Will you make an effort to preserve life, or will you fall victim to the blink of an eye?