Preventing Car Accidents

Most people live by the saying ”you only live once” and use this as an excuse to behave irresponsibly. When confronted on their irresponsible actions they reply by saying you have to live the most out of your life as you only have one. While it’s true you should experience and try out new things in life, it is not an excuse for behaving recklessly and putting yourself and others in danger. This is very apparent in drivers. Many people see car movies such as fast and furious and think to themselves that they are somehow qualified to recreate these car scenes in real life risking both their and other people’s lives. This is why driver education is crucial in preventing any car accidents, especially those easily preventable.

This is where driver education comes in. It removes accidents caused by not knowing how to properly drive, helping reduce the number of accidents. By taking driving classes people can be confident in their driving skills and knowledge. People are informed on the rules of how to safely drive in order to keep themselves and everyone else on the road. However, not all accidents are caused by drivers making mistakes in their driving. It is said that about 30% of car accidents are caused by driving under the influence.

Car accidents caused by driving under the influence are accidents that are totally preventable and can also be the most dangerous. People who drive under the influence act irresponsible and should not be allowed to drive in that state. They also risk both their lives and many innocent lives as well. You always hear of people passing due to car accidents where the driver was intoxicated. For example, when I was in middle school I remember hearing about a student passing away due to a car accident where the driver had been drinking and ran a red light. The first step in reducing car accidents is making sure to get all intoxicated drivers out of the road before an accident occurs and that is where traffic police come in clutch. Traffic police might not be out there catching wanted and dangerous criminals but they are a crucial team that is needed to keep everyone safe. It is their job to monitor the roads and spot any potential threats that might cause car accidents on the road and they aid in removing any drivers who are unable to drive for any reason. 

Just recently all 12th graders at my school had an assembly about driving under the influence. We were all shown a video of real life accidents and what it did to not just the people in the accident but also how it affected the family of the people in the accident.Really the pictures of the accidents spoke for themselves and it showed just how dangerous an accident can be especially when driving under the influence. In many of the cases we saw in that video there were other passengers in the car who seemed to not have been under the influence n=and that is where another way of preventing accidents is. Passengers should also be responsible in making sure the driver is driving safely and it should be up to them to also make sure the driver is not driving under the influence. It’s not only saving the driver but it really benefits them because if the driver gets into an accident then the passenger is also at risk of getting injured, or worse, losing their life.

When I myself am a passenger I have definitely seen instances where my family sometimes speed when they are in a rush or sometimes cause some small mistakes that could have led to a car accident. However, when I see these things I try to call them out on it and I don’t think it’s rude because it could very well be preventing a car accident from occurring to ensure my safety as well as the safety of others.This is why I stress that passengers should also be vigilant when in a car as they can help prevent accidents as well by being the second set of eyes on the road ensuring there is nothing popping up in front of the car. To ensure being a better driver I would go over safety guidelines to ensure I am following all the rules while driving. Being young should not be an excuse for driving recklessly as there is no reason to drive unsafely just because you are a young person.