One Minute

One Minute

By: Timberlee Reed

Sixty seconds: approximately every minute, life is disrupted by a car crash. A phone call, a text, or a bite of a burger while driving can result in the loss of lives. According to Thoughtco., multitasking is a myth, and people, therefore, are unable to effectively focus on more than one objective at a time. This results in 1 out of 4 wrecks being from the main source of multitasking while driving: texting. So, then, the question at hand becomes this: “How do you participate in safe driving?”

The best way is through education and an increase in penalties. By making the passing of a driving course mandatory – whether the driver is new or is renewing their license – all drivers will have to prove that they will be safe on roadways, for their sake as well as the sake of others. More education can be implemented in schools and libraries. By having car crash survivors and people who were convicted of vehicular manslaughter speak about their experiences in schools and learning centers, their audiences will hear firsthand about the consequences of hazardous driving and will know that it can happen to them or their neighbors. If the driver continues to neglect laws and regulations after completing the course, the fines and jail time given for speeding tickets, for example, will be increased; essentially, a “no tolerance” policy will be enforced. All of this will be helpful because when people are uneducated, they tend to make rash and selfish decisions. However, by raising awareness of the consequences of bad driving, the risk that negligent drivers pose will decrease dramatically.

My friend and I were once driving on a curvy back road, going under the speed limit and on our side of the road, when a truck sped past us, running us off the road and ultimately causing us to end up in a ditch. The person who was responsible drove off, not bothering to check on the two teenagers who could have been severely injured due to his careless actions. Another incident happened to my uncle while he was driving his motorcycle. A woman pulled out in front of him while her light was red, making my uncle T-bone her automobile. He did multiple flips in the air before crashing onto the concrete with his helmet flipped up. He was in the hospital for many weeks and underwent various surgeries for his broken back. Even now, ten years later, he suffers from anger issues. These experiences have led me to evaluate my weaknesses like staying on my side of the road. I plan to practice more on roads with street lines and eventually backroads and to continue to enlighten myself with multiple resources. I will also correct unsafe driving by my peers by evaluating the issue(s) and directing them to the proper information; I will overall be an advocate for safe driving and helping to regulate knowledge throughout my community.