Driving Safety

Teaching driver’s education is incredibly crucial to reduce the number of driving-related deaths. Driver’s education classes allow for the student to practice his or her driving skills while receiving feedback from professionally trained drivers. They are also given the opportunity to learn specific skills that could help them in an emergency while driving that could later prevent a fatal accident. To help further reduce the number of driving-related deaths, there are multiple steps we can take, starting simply with educating people on the dangers that come with driving. We can advocate for those whose lives have been cut short due to their own carelessness or even the carelessness of other drivers on the road. By educating them on the dangers and consequences of actions such as drunk driving, texting and driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and more, we are helping to break that cycle and make the roads that much safer. Unfortunately, I have had many driving related accidents that have hit close to home for me. Back in 2012, my cousin was preparing to go on a college visit with his mom. A few hours before he was supposed to go, his friends asked him to come and hang out with them, and they had offered to pick him up. When they got there, there were already four people in the car, meaning Nathan had to sit in the middle. For some reason that we will never get to understand, he chose to not wear his seatbelt. In a matter of minutes, they flew around a sharp curve and hit a tree. Everyone survived, except for Nathan. He had hit his head so hard that he was killed instantly, all because he didn’t wear his seatbelt. Something so simple that would’ve only taken 30 seconds of his time ended his life. What seemed to be so inconvenient for him at the time would’ve ended up saving his life. For that reason, I will forever advocate for driving safety, the importance of wearing your seatbelt, for Nathan. He was 18 and had his whole life ahead of him, and it was all taken away due to unreasonable negligence. There is also the issue with distracted drivers. Whether it be they are on their phones or just simply not paying attention to the road. In 2020, my grandmother got into a bad car accident where she was t-boned because she was turning, and another car hit her. She was in the hospital for almost a month and then spent even longer in rehab. To this day, she still struggles with walking and performing basic everyday tasks. Her life changed in a matter of seconds, all due to someone else’s negligence. Have you noticed a recurring theme? Everything you’ve read here, every car accident that’s been described, they all have one common factor. Negligence. It’s all so simple, people don’t think about the consequences their actions have. It’s never too inconvenient to wear your seatbelt, just like it’s never too inconvenient to put your phone away while you are driving. What’s inconvenient is having to plan your son’s funeral when that’s not the way life is supposed to go. Parents aren’t supposed to bury their babies. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the United States. By just following these simple driving safety rules, we can change these statistics. As a driver myself, I can say that I have been guilty of looking at my phone while I am driving or going over the speed limit. Such small infractions can have tragic consequences. I can better myself by thinking about those who have lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes, and I can take these simple steps to prevent myself and other drivers on the road from experiencing such tragedies. It’s so easy to just set your phone aside and focus on the road, and it’s just as easy to drive the posted speed limit or even set your cruise control at the posted speed limit. For those who already practice the rules of safe driving, you can take the steps to help advocate for those who have experienced such consequences and be the voice for those who can’t speak up, speak on their behalf. Stand for those who aren’t with us anymore and work hard to prevent anything like that from ever happening again. Whether this means using your social media platform to influence people to take a stand and practice safe driving, we can all find a way to prevent motor vehicle accidents. Do it for your family, your friends, and for your future.