Name: Hailey Lindsley
From: Durango, CO
Votes: 0
Hailey
Lindsley
October 5th, 2019
“Drive
Like Your Kids Live Here”
At the
beginning of this year, a friend and I were walking down a
residential road on our way back to campus. She pointed up towards a
house, stating, “I love that.” I looked up to see a sign that
read: “drive like your kids live here”. Although it was a one-off
comment, the phrase on the sign has stuck with me, and I always keep
it in mind when I’m behind the wheel.
Everyday, walking across
the street to my classes, there have been numerous occasions of
reckless drivers, barreling past a red light to make it to class on
time. Of course, who hasn’t been there? You’re running late, time
isn’t getting any slower. What’s the harm in going a little over
the speed limit? Or running a red light, that only seconds ago was
yellow? Unfortunately, this is the exact mindset that causes
accidents, especially those resulting in injury or death.
Just last year, an estimated 40,000 people died due to car accidents.
That is 40,000 people who lost their lives due to mostly preventable
occasions, and hundreds of thousands of people affected by car
accidents. They could have been someone who could have been texting
or taking a call, those who may have been going a little too fast and
didn’t notice another car or person crossing, or someone who had
simply become distracted and had taken their eyes off the road. Car
accidents happen in an instant, and that is the exact amount of time
it takes for someone to take their eyes off the road. Most of these
accidents are preventable, though, and it’s never too late to begin
implicating education and awareness.
Though
so many institutions and billboards have their walls plastered “don’t
text and drive” posters, and a multitude of commercials and PSA’s
have brought this to our attention, not many people realize the full
extent of the situation that they are putting themselves in. Many of
these PSA’s emphasize how you, the driver, can be seriously injured
or killed in these accidents, but I think we should be focusing on
how it can affect others. Many people who are killed by reckless
drivers are children, mothers, fathers, and others who mean a lot to
many, many people. Not only can you seriously injure or kill someone,
but in many cases you can be sentenced for reckless manslaughter,
resulting in years in prison. Normally, these things aren’t
mentioned, and is generally glossed over to emphasize the injury and
death you can cause to yourself. But, I believe there is a countless
number of issues that we need to emphasize and educate drivers on.
Sadly,
I have had the opportunity to be affected by reckless drivers. Three
years ago, my friend, Austin, and his buddy were walking to the gas
station from Austin’s house, when a truck came barreling around a
corner in their direction, not seeing them on the side of the road.
My friend pushed his friend into the ditch and was hit head on by the
speeding truck. Unfortunately, Austin didn’t survive. I remember
having to be excused from classes the weeks following, not knowing
how to comprehend how something like this could’ve happened to
someone I cared about so much. All of his friends and family were
devastated, feeling the same way I did. He was innocent, and he
didn’t deserve to die so young. The driver, soon after, was charged
with manslaughter, being sentenced six to eight years in prison. As I
walked with my friend after reading that sign, I wondered if that
sign would have deterred the driver from going as fast, or maybe
paying just a little bit more attention. I wondered if that sign had
been there, if Austin wouldn’t have died.
Though
I haven’t had the opportunity to drive since I moved to pursue my
education, I’ve taken so many mental notes on safe driving. I don’t
text and drive, and if I’m too tired, I will find a safe place to
park for the night, I would never want to put harm in my, or someone
else’s way.
After
all, I could have been that driver that killed Austin, and in
reality, it could have been any of us. One look at a text, a simple
glance off the road, can cause so much destruction to so many
lives.
If you ever feel like you can run that red light, reply to
a text real quick, or go just a little quicker around a corner to get
to work on time, just remember: drive, not only like your kids live
here, but like someone else’s kids live here, too.
