Ignorance Can Be Fatal

Ignorance Can Be Fatal

During my junior year of highschool, two of my classmates died in separate car accidents. I remember walking into school as if it was a normal day, then being told in my first period class that a classmate has died. First came the shock, then the mourning, and then the numbness. I remember thinking, why? Why did this have to happen to us? Why didn’t they live? How many more would die that year? Would I be next? If my late classmates had known the importance of driver safety, maybe they would still be with us today. If they understood the risk they were taking by speeding or not wearing a seatbelt, they would have come to school on that dark morning. They are part of the reason why I take driver safety extremely seriously, and why it’s important for me to let other drivers know about why it is vital to follow driver safety laws. Spreading information about driver safety throughout schools, communities, and various media platforms is an important step to reducing the number of driver deaths. It is important that when spreading this information, the audience understands the depth of the risk they’d be taking if they did not follow driver laws. Everyone knows not to text, drink, or speed while driving, however the importance of why you shouldn’t do them has been forgotten. By reaffirming the risk of not following these laws, the number of deaths caused by car accidents has an opportunity to dramatically decrease. For myself, I remember the lives of my classmates every time I get into the car, in order to remind myself to stay as safe as I can and follow all of the laws. I continue to share the story of my classmates to other drivers, both teenagers and adults, so they can rethink their decisions to drink, text, or speed while driving. Drivers ed has the ability to spare a person’s child, parent, or friend. If the importance of driver safety can be restored in the population, a lot of lives, young and old, will be saved.