How Quickly Life Can Change: And How We Can Change That

We all know how life can change as quick as a snap of a finger. Saying goodbye to your loved ones in the morning before they leave for their commute to work or school. Some may have to drive on the interstate or over an hour to get to their workplace. A common fear many have is the fear that saying that goodbye in the morning will be the final goodbye to your loved one. Hearing thousands of news reports per day talking about people of all ages losing their lives due to a severe car accident. In one week there have been numerous reports of accidents: I’ve seen students crash in a school bus, many lose their lives on a busy highway, cars tumbling off of bridges. Sitting on my living room couch, absorbing this information, I can’t help but think of all the times I’ve driven the same roads as the ones who have recently lost their lives. What if I had been in their position? What would happen to my family? Who would help my brother with his homework or help teach him how to drive? Car accidents are the leading cause of teen deaths and I believe that if we start to practice safe driving, fewer people will have to feel the way I feel while watching news about local crashes.

Growing up, I could not WAIT to start driving. The independence and freedom that came with being able to drive away was exciting. In order to receive my intermediate license (where I can drive on my own), I had to take a written test, go six months driving with someone over the age of 21 who has a license, and then take an actual driving test. During this time, I had to study and learn not only the basics of driving, but the safety of it. Many times during the process of getting my license, I would have adults tell me that they didn’t even realize many of the rules and protocols I was being tested on. Really stop and think about that. A person who drives to work, drives their kids around, drives on family vacations, doesn’t realize some of the laws they need to follow while driving. Not only is that fact scary, it’s heartbreaking. Drivers who believe that they are “too experienced” to go back to the basics or to just throw caution to the wind, might end up hurting someone or killing them.

Deaths caused by drunk drivers perhaps hits me the hardest. In this day in age, there are so many resources for intoxicated people to utilize for their safety and the safety of others. Rideshare apps, friends who are designated drivers, the actual venue having a place for drunk customers, etc. All of these resources are in place to help save lives, by keeping intoxicated people off of the roads. Sure, mistakes happen and there will not always be an accident every time someone drives drunk, but the times where there IS one, it’s tough. The hardest part for me about the idea of drunk driving accidents is the fact that most of the time, the intoxicated person lives. The person who decided to get behind the wheel of a vehicle gets to live. A person who did nothing to provoke an accident or cause an accident that night is usually the one who gets seriously hurt or dies. One thing I’ve seen in movies and by personal experience is the thought that alcohol isn’t as bad as it seems and that the Driving Under the Influence laws are too strict. Ignorance is bliss, and the fact that some people believe that it’s okay to operate a “death machine” while under the influence (no matter how much) is terrifying.

In order to become a safer driver, I have to admit to myself that there are things that I do while driving that aren’t safe and that could actually hurt someone at some point. Thinking back to when I had just gotten my permit, I was nervous to play the radio too loud or accelerate too quickly when the traffic light turns green. Now that I’ve been driving for a year, I seem to have grown new habits and have become more comfortable while driving. Being comfortable while driving is definitely not a bad thing, but it can cause you to slack off and almost forget about the basics of driving. Because of this, I think there should be more resources in place to CONTINUE to educate drivers on safety while driving and offer resources on how to adapt to the way that driving safely has changed.