Gone Too Soon

When I was the age of 8 years old I witnessed a man run over my best friend’s little sister. While playing hide and seek outside a residential mobile home park, we watched in horror as her 4-year-old sibling was crushed by a van. The owner of the vehicle was on his cell phone, this was in the early 90s and he had one of the old handheld cell phones. Even though he was approaching a stop sign he did not see her running across. She was fatally struck. We never got to see her grow into an adult. As I reflect on her loss I believe educating the public on safe practices while operating a vehicle is important because the consequences are irreversible. I believe that PSAs sharing those we have lost to automobile incidents would bring more awareness to the issue. Sometimes we may think only those impaired can cause a vehicle accident, but I do not see enough warnings on the use of texting, calling, or driving distracted and the dire consequences these actions can cause. I also believe that although the person was not necessarily speeding he was above the speed limit for a residential area. No one ever thinks that it could happen to them, but the reality is that vehicular accidents can be prevented if we educate the public on unsafe driving practices.

Driver education can involve awareness of the statistics on loss due to car accidents. Also, testimonials are a great way to bring awareness to these cases. In reducing the number of deaths we can ensure that people like my friend’s sibling can grow into full adults. I can not imagine what she would have brought to the world if her life had not ended so abruptly. I can imagine many friends and family of victims like her would love the chance to be with their loved ones once more.

I also believe that if we see someone driving irresponsibly we should say something. The driver that struck them was accompanied by a passenger. They chose not to say anything to the driver who chose to be on a phone call and that resulted in the loss of life. A passenger should not allow for that to happen. There should be more accountability as a society toward wanting safe drivers on the road. Despite this incident happening when I was a child, that has not been the only time I have seen someone hit by a car.

In my adult years, I also witnessed a cyclist get hit by a vehicle. Even my spouse lost a college friend due to a car versus cyclist incident. I cannot stop thinking about who he could have been if only he was still here with us. The loss of life due to the irresponsible operation of a vehicle is immeasurable. And now seeing the statistics that there were 34,000 people lost due to vehicle accidents this year alone it pains me. Those are 34,000 unmet graduations, weddings, and loved ones. There are no words of comfort for the families affected by this death tolls. The number of vehicles as the population increases will only increase, we need to effect change now on how to be better drivers to decrease the death toll.

Some of the practices I choose to implement when driving are staying at stated speed limits. Especially when driving in residential areas I am hyper-aware of the potential crossing of pedestrians. I tend to travel a little slower in case a child crosses the street as they tend to not be aware of their surroundings. I am also extra careful in the parking lot as well. I also tend to not be on a phone call while driving unless I have the Bluetooth set up. In our day and age when rideshare exists, driving under the influence should have been eradicated. Distracted driving is just as hazardous as driving under the influence. The safety of everyone should be the responsibility of everyone. If we all take it upon ourselves to better driving practices we can guarantee that all of our loved ones return home safely. I wish every driver was required to profess an oath, similar to doctors, of causing no harm while operating a vehicle. If said oath existed it would recite: “I promise to drive responsibly, to make sure that I as well as my fellow citizens will be able to arrive at their destination safely. I believe that no one should be afraid to leave their home due to fear of losing their life in a car accident. Road safety is my responsibility as a member of my community. I choose to uphold the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These values start with knowing that my actions have consequences when operating a vehicle.”