Driving Safely Saves Lives

August 23, 2021. This was supposed to be one of the best days of my life, but it was devastating. This date marked the first day of my senior year in high school and it was also the day one of my friends, Grace, died from injuries sustained in an automobile crash. We spent the morning crying, talking, comforting each other and then we were dismissed from school for the rest of the day to cope with our feelings. We grew up with Grace and she participated in every activity you could imagine, she was so young, vibrant, funny – the kind of girl everyone loved. She lost out on her senior year and so did her family. Grace lost control of her car as she was driving on a gravel road and was involved in a single car accident. So many lives are changed forever because of this accident.

A study published by the University of Nebraska states that young drivers who have not completed driver’s education are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident. We can learn a lot from driving on the road, but I learned a lot from also taking drivers education. The course teaches you about defensive driving, weather conditions, meaning of road signs, driving laws, distracted driving and much more. Taking the course, along with driving, provides the full package and makes you a complete, safer driver. I think if we required everyone to take drivers education, this would help reduce accidents and the number of accident-related deaths each year. My mom was required to go to driving school when she received a speeding ticket when she was younger, and she said she learned a lot and it was a nice refresher of drivers education. I feel if more states did this after accidents or speeding tickets, this also could reduce the number of accidents.

The only accident I have been involved in, is when I was backing out of a friend’s driveway in the dark and I had a blind spot in my mirror and hit a tree. Thankfully no one was injured, just the bumper of my car and my bank account! The small fender bender cost over $800. Not only are accidents not safe for individuals, but they are expensive. I am thankful I did not have any more damage than that.

I have seen friends and family texting while they were driving and I offer to take their phone, read, and reply to a message for them, so they are not distracted. I have also witnessed distracted drivers on the road who were swerving out of their lane, and I saw them typing on their phone. I’ve also witnessed a driver that appeared to be impaired, and my parents called law enforcement to alert them of the situation. This was a scary situation because we were nervous to be near the car, we didn’t know if they would drive off the road or drive into us. We were finally able to navigate around the car without getting hit or injured.

Losing a friend is a tragic heartbreak and really teaches you a lot of things. As I look back to the cause of Grace’s death, I am constantly reminded to be a better example on the road. There is never a reason to speed, even if I think I am running late. Phones should be kept away, and all messages can be answered when I am not driving. I also need to remember to not become distracted when I have friends in my car. So many times, I can become caught up in the conversation, laughing, singing, and not always fully focusing on the road. I need to remember even in the weak moments, to always be fully aware of all my surroundings. Drinking and driving is another big distraction and cause of accidents. Many times, I will drive family members home after they have had an alcoholic drink at a restaurant, so they are not putting anyone at risk by drinking and driving. Nothing is worth losing your life over and I will continue to remind my friends and family of this, because I do not want to lose another loved one, especially to a tragic car accident.

August 23, 2021 was the start of a senior year without Grace. May 22, 2022, will be a graduation without Grace. So many things were sad this year because we could not celebrate them with Grace. A car accident ruined so many lives. There are things we can do to decrease the amount of car accidents that occur each year. Don’t wait until you are tragically affected before you make a change.