Keeping the Show on the Road

Keeping the Show on the Road

Time stopped. One minute I was singing Chicken Fried with my best friends on the school bus, and the next, I was opening my eyes after being knocked unconscious to see people frantically rushing out of their seats. As a confused second grade student, reality did not set in until I got out to see that a vehicle crashed into the back of our bus. The next few hours were filled with the sound of sirens, people crying, and ambulances rushing to help those injured.

In the United States, there is an average of six million car accidents every year. There are more than 38,000 deaths due to car accidents per year. Those statistics themselves should be a wakeup call for every driver on the road; we need to be better educated. Most accidents occur because of human error. This could be anything from missing a stop sign to driving the wrong direction on a one-way street. In order to decrease the average of car accident fatalities, we first need to ensure every driver has an exceptional education. Simple mistakes can cause severe accidents; therefore, being educated will help prevent casualties. Drivers should then practice the knowledge they learned. People naturally perform how they practice, so they should incorporate the rules of driving when in the driver’s seat. Individuals must also practice defensive driving. A person can study the rules and enforce them in their driving and still get into a fatal crash if they do not pay attention to the actions of other drivers. Most importantly, drivers must pay attention and stay focused. The road may look clear one moment and be filled with traffic the next. It is essential for drivers to be able to adapt to changes while driving to ensure they have time to react.

The fatalities from car accidents will continue to rise if drivers do not take action. Individuals must pay attention, be informed, practice, and be able to adapt. If we want to keep this show on the world, we must enforce these tips so each driver will approach the road educated and prepared.