Safe Driving: Let’s Save Lives

The blinking light clicked in tandem to the rain hitting against the top of the Honda Odyssey I was driving. Creeping out into the intersection with my two friends in the car, I waited to turn left. The green light changed to yellow, but two cars still passed, causing me to wait longer. Yellow switched to red and I lightly pressed my foot on the pedal to begin my turn, realizing too late that a car was coming right at me.

Negligent driving has always been accompanied with dire consequences. Fatalities can range from slight damage to the car, to deaths of the drivers or passengers. One reckless act can impact the lives of not only the people in the car you were driving, but in some cases, it can affect the people in another vehicle as well. Choosing to drive more carefully should be an easy decision to decrease the tragedies that occur; however, an estimated 40,990 people died in car accidents in the year of 2023. Motor vehicle crashes are the 11th leading cause of death, 5th leading cause of years of life lost, and 2nd leading cause of accidental death in the United States. The knowledge that driving is a daunting and dangerous task is not news, so why do we still find ourselves driving so carelessly?

In the moment, the laws that are there to keep us safe become more of a hindrance. Speed limits not only prevent us from being on time, but they deter the ecstasy that comes with the rush of speeding. I, myself, have fallen into the teenage stereotype that many of us are a part of. Speeding down the road in the dark, weaving around any cars in the way, blaring music, talking to my friends, drinking my dr. pepper, and occasionally responding to texts. All it takes is one second for mine, and the lives of others to change forever. An animal, kid, or another vehicle could appear, and being unprepared and unaware, I would be powerless to prevent the impending collision. In that moment, all of the previous joy that came with speeding and being distracted would dissolve, being replaced with dread and despair. According to the CDC, distracted driving is responsible for about 7.78% of all fatal motor vehicle collisions in the United States. Speeding is responsible for 29% of all deadly accidents due to the increased stopping distances needed, reduced effectiveness of protective equipment, and the greater crash force. So despite the brief rapture that we may feel, it is time to make a change in our driving.

The first change that needs to be made is our mindset. It is no longer the speed limits or the other obedient drivers that are making us late, but ourselves. We must prioritize our time to leave earlier. The people that we are texting are not as important as the lives of the other people on the road or in the vehicle at the moment. Our drink will still be good ten minutes later, and our music is just as good when it’s quieter. The jubilance that we feel when we speed will be greater after knowing that we did not harm anyone or put their lives in danger. Now that our intentions are in the right place, how can we reduce the mistakes that we make while driving? Before we drive, we must first make sure that we are in the right state of mind. Thoughts can be just as distracting as any texts that we receive. Once we are sure of our ability to be a good driver, the solution is simple. We must become a defensive driver. We are unable to change the decisions of other drivers, but by being obedient and aware, we can decrease the accidents that we are in by a substantial amount, thus doing our part in decreasing the amount of lives taken from motor vehicle collisions.

As I turned and was struck by the impending vehicle, everything went blank. After the terrifying event, I could only wonder what went wrong. I was not distracted, despite the music, and my friends. I have always been a safe driver and I know to turn down the music and make sure my friends aren’t distracting me. In truth, my real mistake was not being as aware as I should’ve been. My car was totaled, but the only injuries received between both vehicles were the burns caused by our seatbelts. The dread; however, may never go away. The disappointment of damaging my vehicle beyond repair stung, but the danger that I put my friends and the passengers of the other vehicle in will forever hold a place in my mind. Since then, I have been a cautious driver, falling into old speeding habits and blaring music on occasion. I follow the laws, and I make sure that those driving with me do the same.

Every life matters, so let’s do our part in decreasing the deaths that occur while driving.