One Mistake, Infinite Impact: Lives Lost on the Road

More Americans die in car accidents per year than fire, drowning, and airplane accidents combined, showcasing the need for driver safety education. Simple mistakes and reckless decisions on the road can lead to the loss of many lives of people that had so much more time to live. My uncle Adam was one of those lives. He died in a car accident at only 27 years old. I can’t bring myself to forget all the things he could have done in his lifetime if the accident wouldn’t have happened. However, things like this happen too many times to count, and it is crucial that drivers learn the risks of the road.

It’s no surprise that car accidents are the leading cause of death in the United States. Think about how many accidents you see on the side of the road on a road trip, or just simply driving home from work. Most people tend to keep driving and forget about it, some may say a prayer as they pass by, but very few actually take into consideration the lives that may have just been lost and the heartbreak that so many people are about to experience. This is why it is crucial, especially for young drivers like me, to understand the irreversible consequences of being careless on the road.

I remember very clearly the night that my uncle died. My entire extended family was at my grandmother’s lake house and we were all patiently awaiting the return of my dad, my Uncle Justin, my Uncle Adam and my grandfather. They were coming home from a mission trip in Oklahoma and we all stayed up late to see them return home. My aunt had just delivered her first baby a few weeks before and she was cradling him to sleep. My younger sister and I were playing with coloring books in the middle of the living room. Everyone was having a good time. The front door of the lake house was made of glass, and you could see through it to the person standing there. I saw my dad appear in the doorframe. I will never forget the look on his face. One by one Justin, my grandfather, and my dad walked in the living room, all completely silent. My aunt then asked the shuddering question, “Where’s Adam?”. My grandfather vaguely explained that there was a car accident that Adam was involved in. He had fallen asleep at the wheel and veered into the opposite lane. He was hit by a semi truck and died instantly. He was on the way home to see his family, he had just had a long day, and that cost him his life. This night was the first time I had seen my dad cry. I remember my sister and I being pushed into a room with some snacks and a movie we liked, as if we couldn’t understand what was going on. I remember my grandmother screaming in pain while sharing the news on the phone about the death of her son. I remember the pastor at our church driving in the middle of the night to come be with our family. I remember my entire family, everyone I loved, excluding Adam, praying in a circle in the living room while I was in the kitchen getting more Goldfish. The thing I remember most is the newborn baby in the arms of my heartbroken aunt shrieking due to being woken up so abruptly.

Experiencing all this heartbreak in one night, and knowing that millions of other families also experience this every day, has opened my eyes to the dangers of our roads today. As a teen driver, it is scary that driving incidents are one of the leading causes of death among teenagers in the United States. I believe that it is extremely important for any person driving on the road to take the necessary precautions to avoid any car accidents. It should be required that any licensed driver must renew their license more frequently. They should be tested for history of addiction and traffic law violations. Vehicles should be checked more regularly for any unusual functions to help avoid accidents. Drivers should be required to pass tests each year such as driving the speed limit, using turn signals, being aware of blind spots, avoiding distractions and understanding defensive driving. On top of this, the law for wearing seatbelts should be more strict and strongly enforced. Some cars now beep when the seat is occupied and the seatbelt is not buckled. I personally feel that this should be extended further, to an extent that the car will not drive until seatbelts are buckled on the seats that are occupied.

Obviously there is no amount of precautionary measures that can be taken to completely avoid any and all car accidents, however, it is crucial that these measures be taken to greatly reduce the amount of deaths from car accidents. Together, we can build a better and brighter future where lives are not torn apart by these preventable incidents.