The Consequences Of War From Behind The Wheel

For people around the world, the Vietnam war and the war in Afghanistan/ Iraq are widely considered to be the deadliest wars for the United States totaling an unfathomable death toll of around 50,000 for all wars combined. While many can’t even imagine the horrors of war and the many lives lost, they fail to realize that getting behind the wheel is just as dangerous as being sent into combat. Even though driving may seem like any other everyday activity, it is responsible for a staggering 40,000 plus deaths every year. While you may not be on the battlefield when you get in your car, you start fighting a dangerous battle every time you are on the road.

As a teenager who has just recently received their official California license, it is crucial to highlight the importance of drivers education. I was enrolled in both online and behind-the-wheel drivers education and I can confidently say that without that training, I would not be a prepared or confident driver. While the education was tedious at times, it gave me the knowledge needed to be a safe driver. Growing up with parents who received their licenses over 20 years ago, I was able to learn the new rules of the road that not even they were aware of. Without behind-the-wheel training, driving on myself would be much more of a worry as well as I would not have had someone to guide me through learning how to skillfully operate a vehicle and learn the nuances of driving.

I think there are many steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving and I believe that begins with making driver’s education mandatory for everyone trying to receive their license regardless of age. If it is mandatory for teenagers younger than 17 and ½ to complete, I believe it should be mandatory for everyone. Regardless of our age, we will all be operating these extremely dangerous vehicles on the road at one point in our life. Just because an individual is older does not mean that they do not need to receive the very important information and practice that is taught in driver’s education. As highlighted in my driver’s education, making people aware of the consequences of dangerous or drunk driving is bound to steer them away from making poor decisions. I also believe stricter drinking laws and further preventative actions need to be enforced to keep drunk drivers off the road. To me these solutions include closing bars at earlier times, having more sobriety checkpoints in areas where drunk driving is common, and making options for getting home while intoxicated more convenient. While drunk driving is an extremely hard problem to deal with, figuring out solutions to prevent the loss of lives outweighs these difficulties.

As someone who has been in multiple car crashes, and had many family and friends involved in accidents as well, it is nerve-wracking to think of the possibilities that can occur while on the road. Being in a car crash is not something that you think is really possible until it happens to you. It always seems like a possibility that will never happen which leads to many becoming careless and complacent on the road. When it does happen however it can be one of the most frightening moments in your life, and for many, it is the very last moment in their life. While accidents are not always something we can control, it is important to stay aware and alert while driving at all times because you never know the possibilities. The impact of crashes not only affects the health and safety of people, but it can alter their lives financially and leave them in situations extremely difficult to live with. The risks and rewards of driving reckless or drinking and driving are incomparable to the damage it can cause to one’s life.

Despite the many horrors that can occur while on the road, driving is still a necessity in our life. It is the structure for almost everything in our lives and while it is extremely dangerous, it is up to us to figure out ways to make the road a safer place. As a friend, uncle, sibling, and son, the thought of those close to me being sent out to war is terrifying, unfortunately, that is the reality of driving in today’s world.