The Power of a Click

You
get in the car with friends. It’s a normal night, driving back from
basketball practice. You do this twice a week, why should tonight be
any different? You’re slowing down to stop at a red light and boom.
The rest is a blur, but you’re now in the hospital under a coma
with several head and brain injuries. How could this have happened?
You were not wearing a seatbelt.

My
community was shaken over this event, where 4 of my friends were
severely injured during a car accident in the summer. Hundreds of
hospital visits from friends, countless cards and meals for families,
and endless support was a result of this tragic accident. While the
crash itself was not their fault, their unsafe choices were. If each
of them wore a seatbelt, they would have been completely fine. This
is why we need education. This is the story that needs to be told.
Sometimes, kids don’t take driving serious enough, and it could end
up taking their life.

I
strongly believe that proper education and facts will motivate and
inspire young drivers to take this responsibility more seriously and
appreciate the harsh possibilities of reckless driving. These girls
are alive and well today, and have gone through the elementary,
middle, and high schools to share their story. This is not only an
effort to educate, but inspire. The students see these mature girls
who were basketball stars and did great in school, but that was all
turned around by one single choice to not wear a seatbelt that night.
This real-life example is what it takes for some to realize the
reality of these risks, and pushing for drivers ed should
be a priority.

Providing
statistics, gaining perspectives from real-life experiences and
teaching about safe driving will ensure a decline in the amount of
young deaths from driving. For me, I have never been in a car without
a seat belt. I never check my phone while driving, and I limit my
other distractions. Driving is a privilege, not recreational. It is,
in fact, one of the most dangerous things people will ever do. There
are risks everywhere, some you cannot even control. However, to be as
safe as possible, you need to control what you can and practice safe
habits at all times. Realizing the power of a simple click can safe
lives. Click your seatbelt on, click your phone off, and turn off
distractions to be a safer driver.