Speed Thrills but Kills!

Texas has the second highest number of licensed drivers in America, with 18.3 million licensed drivers (“Number of Licensed Drivers in the US [2024-2025]”). Unfortunately,that number is only the licensed drivers, but it doesn’t account for the amount of people who are driving illegally and recklessly. Many see driving as a right rather than the privilege it truly is. When your favorite song is playing and the cool wind is blowing through your hair as you speed down the highway, do you ever stop to realize, “Am I endangering someone’s life?” “Will I get home tonight?” Perhaps you don’t consider things like that because you’re too focused on having a good time. Consider this: in Texas there is a crash reported every fifty-nine seconds and a fatal crash reported every two and a half minutes (“Texas Open Data Portal”). In the time it takes you to put your shoes on, grab your keys, and start your car, someone has died in a car crash.

Reckless driving stems from carelessness. Without proper mathematical education, you couldn’t do simple math equations. So why should it be different from driving? It shouldn’t, because driving a vehicle is putting you in charge of keeping you and fellow drivers on the road safe. If you don’t learn how to use your turn signals, follow the speed limit, or check if your brake lights are working, how can you expect to be a safe and careful driver? Driving education programs exist to get teenagers prepared for driving and going through all driving procedures, road signs, distractions to look out for, and how to be a cautious driver. Some people use the speed limit as a suggestion, an option even. The speeding limit is in place to keep everyone safe. According reports “Vehicular manslaughter (also known as “vehicular homicide”) is defined as “causing the death of a human being due to illegal driving of an automobile.” ”This definition includes acts of drunk driving, speeding, reckless driving, and gross negligence.” In Texas, vehicular manslaughter is generally a felony of the second degree. The punishment for this can result in a prison sentence from two to 20 years and/or fines up to $10,000 (Horak Law) So ask yourself this, is it worth it? Is laughing with your friends while you’re speeding down a highway endangering other’s worth it? Is not finding a designated driver and driving while drunk because you would “never crash” worth it? If those answers aren’t both “definitely not” you should never get behind the wheel. Reducing recklessness on the road is the most important step to getting the number of crash related deaths per year down. Until you hear that huge number, you wont truly understand the severity. In 2022, that number was a whopping 42,514 (“Fatality Facts 2022 State by State”). That number has the potential to be much lower if we just educate new drivers properly and teach them to be responsible. There have been multiple times I was a passenger in what could have been car crashes, but one incident stands out.

I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it happened seven years ago. I was in fifth grade, and I was with my mom’s friend who was driving aggressively and carelessly. There was speculation that she was under the influence, but that hasn’t been determined for sure. She sped towards a parked car with no sign of stopping. Then, bam. She rear-ended and absolutely totaled that car, with her friend’s ten year old daughter in the passenger seat. Who knows how recklessly she drove when she was alone. People like her only contribute to the ridiculously high number of fatal car crashes. If the parked car had been occupied, who knows who would have paid the price for her irresponsibility? I find it unbelievable when I hear or see people driving like that on purpose; I could never imagine knowingly putting my own life and the lives of others in danger for the sole purpose of not caring. Despite the amount of fun driving can be, especially as a new driver, not once have I ever taken it lightly and been stupid on the road. By taking your driving education seriously, by taking the fact that you are responsible for your car and the way you drive it seriously, and taking extra precaution to becoming a safe driver, you can become safer on the road. Drive, don’t fly.