Safely Operating Metal Death Traps

In 1886 a German man by the name of Carl Benz filed for a patent for his new invention that would take the streets and revolutionize the way we as humans functioned forever. Patent number 37435… the birth of the automobile. Cars have come a long way since Benz’s three wheeled automobiles. Some cars have GPS tracking systems, cars have air conditioning and some cars even drive themselves! These are all luxuries even the average person can enjoy. Cars have also been modified to be safer, equipped with airbags and seatbelts and such. However, car accidents are still one of the leading causes of death amongst Americans. When people aren’t properly trained and educated on how to operate their vehicles or foolishly ignore the proper safety protocols, our luxurious automobiles can be quickly turned into metal death traps going at high speeds on the road.

In 2022 alone, approximately 42,795 people were killed in car crashes according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Although Driver’s education may not have a direct effect on people’s decisions and how they drive, it does provide a guideline for new drivers to follow. Teaching drivers about the dangers of activities such as speeding, drunk driving, or driving without a seatbelt can very well steer them towards safe driving. Having learnt about the statistics from car crashes in my drivers ed program it has certainly helped me become a better driver. The program also taught me that saving minimum/ irrelevant time if any time is saved at all isn’t worth the pricelessness of your life.

A huge step that can be taken towards less driving is the removal from all distractions from within reach of the driver. For example leaving your phone in the glove department or the arms rest could very well be a decision that saves your life. I cannot stress enough how much of a problem that texting while driving has become over the last ten years. Over the last ten years it seems people are risking their lives to send “one more text” then to go from point A to Point B safely. It won’t hurt to ignore that text or call. You can always respond to “Mom” or your “bestfriend” from the safety of a parking lot. Driving requires the full attention of the person operating the vehicle and a split second decision to move your eyes from the road to the phone could cost you your life. According to the NHTSA, about 31% of fatal car accidents yearly are caused by drunk drivers. About 37 people are killed everyday from drunk drivers. To emphasize the seriousness of the issue, that’s 1 life every 39 minutes… remember that next time you consider driving after having some drinks with your friends at the bar. Preventing drunk driving can be as simple as having a designated driver. Someone who won’t drink that night. Someone whose mind would be in the right place and you could trust with your life.

I was recently involved in an accident myself and it has completely changed the course of my freshman year of college. This is my senior year summer and I have been stuck inside the house all of summer. Although accidents aren’t something I would wish on anyone, the trauma of being involved in one can open the eyes of someone who didn’t see the mistake in their previous driving ways. Since being involved in the crash, whenever I get behind a wheel I put my phone in the glove department. Every time I think about picking the phone up I replay the moment my accident in my head and quickly redirect my directions to the road. Taking my eyes off the road for a Tik Tok cost me my last summer as a highschool student.

In conclusion, it doesn’t take much to be a safe driver the same way it doesn’t take much to be seriously hurt or injured in a car accident. Car crashes can leave us physically and emotionally scarred. Car crashes can be avoided by doing simple things such as having a designated driver while going out to get a drink, putting your phone down for the duration of your drive or simply following the guidelines set by driver’s Ed programs. It also doesn’t hurt to be attentive and drive defensively. Remember you might be a safe driver but there are many other drivers on the road they could be a drunk or distracted driver. A split second decision could save your life.