Safety is Life, It’s Liberty, and It’s the Pursuit of Happiness (For You and For Everyone on the Road)

Safety is Life, It’s Liberty, and It’s the Pursuit of Happiness
(For You and For Everyone on the Roads)

The smell of
ketchup filled my head, I saw the black and blue marks of the
seatbelt on their hips and neck, and my body turned stone cold as if
I had opened my eyes to Medusa. Three years ago my brothers were
getting a ride home after cross country practice from their friend’s
mom. They had made a quick stop for McDonald’s french fries and
after a mile on the highway another man whose dog distracted him in
his car hit them. The car spun 7 times before hitting the median
barrier, ketchup flew everywhere, and everyone survived except the
dog.

Drivers ed
ensured we learned stories like that of my brothers and unfortunately
stories of the less fortunate. Drivers ed taught us to have an
element of fear in driving, the emotion of fear causes the
fight-or-flight response to kick in. Those who feel the flight
response strongly tend not to drive right away, and that is for the
best. Those who feel the fight response have heightened attention and
energized muscles which can result in better driving. Driver
education, however, made sure we also felt fully comfortable with
lives in our hands, because confidence is key, and confidence in
driving ensures that drivers will not panic at the first sign of a
problem. Deaths are reduced by the fear factor of horror stories, as
well the the confidence in understanding and following the rules of
the road.

Reduction of deaths
comes from an increase in safety and understanding. Safety in the
make and model of cars, safety in the wildness of roads, safety in
the driver. Drivers who know the rules are safer. Careers require
continuing education, even if you go to work everyday, a class is
still required to ensure the worker knows and understands the rules
of their field. An implementation of a required continuing education
in driving would keep up a running understanding of the importance of
the laws involved in driving a car.

While I try my
hardest to be a safe driver I find myself changing the radio station,
or being so tired I cannot even recall the drive behind me. I am the
annoying friend in the car who reminds everyone to put on a seatbelt
because seatbelts saved my brothers’s lives. Having a designated
phone location in the car can help people resist the urge to check
it. Having less commercials on the radio stations can keep people
from wanting to change them so often. Having longer drivers ed
and continuing education can make sure the driving population is
safer. Everyone is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness, do not be the person to take any of those things from
someone and their loved ones, or you and your loved ones.