A Car or a Gun?

A
Car or a Gun?

Gun
violence… shootings… deaths…uncertainty…grief.

Countless
stories filled with these characteristics are constantly brought to
our attention. It is rare that you can watch the news without being
informed of one of these tragic situations. Gun violence happens all
too often, and our society is all too aware. We know that gun
violence is a leading cause of deaths with over 36,000 Americans
dying every year. When I researched “how many deaths a year” the
leading suggestions were as follows… from, lightning, smoking,
sharks, alcohol, heart disease, cancer, guns weed, and gun violence.
Astonishingly, I came to the conclusion that our society is unaware
and often ignorant to the extent of danger related to driving. In
2019 traffic and road fatalities exceeded 40,000 people in America
alone. Not only is this realization devastating, but also eye
opening. America has reached an all-time high in road and highway
fatalities, and the only way to stop this is by raising awareness.

Driver
education is instrumental in raising awareness and plays a key role
in reducing the number of deaths as a result to driving. The more
people educated on not only the danger of driving, but the way to
properly and safely drive, the less fatal incidents will occur.
Preparation will lead to readiness and higher levels of performance,
ultimately making the road a safer place.

Other
steps that can be made to reduce the number of deaths related to
driving, are emphasizing that no one should be on their phone while
driving (the amount of experience one has is irrelevant), as well as
emphasizing that driving while you are drunk, tired, or physically
impaired is not only a danger to yourself but to others. The more
stress we can put on these points, the more awareness we can bring,
and the more regulation regarding keeping these rules in check… the
more lives we can save.

Earlier
this year my community was shaken and distraught due to a car
accident that killed three boys and injured two. The car accident
occurred 10 minutes from my home, and it was not exactly and
accident. It was road rage. One of the boys that died by the name of
Daniel Hawkins went to my school and was in my grade. Personally, I
didn’t know him, nor did I experience this car accident. Still yet,
I felt the extreme ramifications of it, which has encouraged me to
not only be extremely cautious while on the road, but to also
continue to do my best in spreading awareness.