A Minor Mistake, A Major Loss

A
Minor Mistake, A Major Loss

War, pandemic, murder; these
tragedies break the news and shock the public. Nevertheless, there is
a greater evil stealthily stealing lives everyday right under our
noses. Car accidents continue to create orphans, make widows, and
fill morgues. Who is the culprit of this great malevolence? We are.
We are the drivers who with one minute action or minor choice make a
difference between the life and death of an individual. How can we
stop this; how can we cut off the head of this serpent who devours
more civilians every day? To win this war, we must educate the
public, enforce safety measures, and love each other.

Education
is a key factor in the safety of our streets. The majority of people
have no idea of the risks they take as they make minor decisions that
jeopardize the lives of those around them. People need to have a
strong understanding of not only traffic laws, but also of how to
apply safety measures while driving to protect those around them.
They also need to comprehend how to respond to factors that put them
at risk. My cousin recently totaled her car when driving on an icy
road. People need to know how to drive in all kinds of weather and
situations. Even more importantly, the public needs to know the
reality of accidents. The real menace of car accidents must be
brought to the light. People must confront the number of car accident
deaths which could be prevented by more careful driving. Precautions
save lives.

The
second step in traffic safety is to enforce safety measures. Firstly,
a driver’s license must be handed over with the greatest care.
Additionally, people who take risks behind the wheel should be
penalized. If someone acts in road rage, cuts people off, or texts
behind the wheel, they should be duly penalized and those who report
them, equally rewarded. While attending school in Ecuador, I took the
bus to school and I ran the risk every day of becoming the victim of
irresponsible driving. I’ve been in very close situations to head
on collisions and falling off cliffs. People in the USA take for
granted their preparation for acquiring license whenever they choose
not to apply what they’ve learned. People who endanger others
should be stopped before they take a life.

The last and most important
factor to safe driving is love. If people actually loved one another
they wouldn’t cut each other off, they wouldn’t speed on the
roads just to save thirty seconds, they wouldn’t put others at risk
for their convenience in music or texting. We need to value others
enough to make these small sacrifices which can have a large impact.
I will personally urge others to drive safely, to care enough to
educate themselves, and to love their neighbors because one mistake
could lead to a major loss.