The Impact of reckless driving

Reckless driving is one of the most dangerous and hazardous behaviors on our roads, risking lives of drivers,passengers and bystanders.

The term “Reckless driving” can be defined as any person who drives any vehicle willingly or deliberating the safety of any person or property, will be charged for reckless driving according to the Washington State Legislature. Every year, thousands of people are injured or murdered due to reckless driving. The estimated death of 40,990 people in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2023, a decrease of about 3.6% as compared to 42,514 fatalities reported to have occurred in 2022 According to the NHTSA. In 2024, The NHTSA has also stated that it’s estimated that 8,650 people died in traffic crashes due to reckless driving in the first three months of this year. Therefore what can we do to promote safe driving to ensure that deaths caused by reckless driving would decrease?

Firstly, Let’s start with driving knowledge because it’s one of the most crucial parts to help you know how to drive, especially safety. Driving knowledge might vary depending on the individual’s age but more importantly young teens and elders are most likely to be killed due to reckless driving. It’s very important that we take great care in educating those around us who are able to drive and remind them the importance of driving safety because it’s not just for their safety but the also the safety of those around them.Therefore learning proper driving knowledge is the key to helping them stay safe on the road and prevent any accidents that might have occur. This is what young teenagers and even elders that might just have to refresh their memory of driving need to do to ensure not only their safety but those around them.

There are many other facts that come into play with reckless driving therefore we must find ways to do something about to ensure the safety of everyone. We can introduce Stricter Traffic Laws by implementing higher penalties for reckless driving, including hefty fines, and license suspension because this way would alert people to take this seriously. We can add better road design to areas that need it, adding traffic speed bumps, roundabouts, and better signage to ensure and promote safer driving.We should also involve this with the community to spread awareness about safe driving in places like schools,workplaces and local organizations to spread the message. We can also get the hospitals involved by discussing faster emergency response to medical care in areas that are more prone to accidents therefore we can hopefully help decrease the death of individuals affected by reckless driving and punish those who don’t obey the law. Driving is not a right,it’s a privilege therefore can be provoked.

When I was a kid, probably between the ages of 8 or 9. My dad would drive me back and forth because usually on Saturdays,we would go to my aunt’s house then come back to my grandma for her to babysit me. On this particular Saturday though, It was strange. Traffic was worse than usual to the point, some guy on the streets charmed in to help. I was in the passenger seat,with my headphones on, completely unaware about what is about to happen 2 minutes from now. My dad was driving obviously and he had his phone out recording how we’ve been stuck in the same place for thirty minutes. Traffic got a bit better after a bit but it was still moving very slowly. Until finally, we were at the front and one breath away from escaping it. There are three roads connected to the center where everyone needs to pass.On the road where it’s mainly motorcycles, one particular one was driving weird. It’s this woman that can clearly be identified as pregnant and she was driving her motorcycle very slowly. It came to when she left the center of the road and she had to move to the other side of the road we’re on instead she drove right to my our car and left us horrified. Bystanders around us came to help her out after that was done. She started accusing my dad of driving straight to her which was really amusing and left us speechless. They didn’t even talk much because the woman needed to go to the hospital due to her injuries. Luckily there is a hospital not too far away. My dad helped relocate her to the hospital and later her husband arrived. He told her husband all that happened and even showed him proof from the footage from the phone to show him what happened. Everything went smoothly and the woman was okay. My dad helped pay for some of her bills as well so hopefully the couple didn’t have too much stuff that they needed to worry about.