Small Changes, Life Changing Results

There are many drivers everywhere who have either forgotten the most basic safe driving techniques or believe themselves skilled enough that they can simply ignore these rules and drive how they want. This way of thinking, however, often proves fatal and sometimes results in either the driver’s or someone else’s life being lost. This horrible event can be avoided, however, by simply making small and smart steps that help negate big consequences.

Car accidents are caused by many things; that being speeding, looking at your phone, lack of attention to surroundings, etc. In today’s age, we are constantly in a rush to get to school or work on time, to get that one important text in, or we become so used to driving we unintentionally zone out and watch only the road in front of us. We do these things because we think we’re good enough at driving to get away with it. But the truth is that there is no skill involved with dividing our attention, as human beings just aren’t made for that kind of multitasking. Is it that important to get to work on time, or to send that important text at the risk of your life and others? Taking these risks is not only reckless and a danger to you, but it is also selfish and a danger to the innocent people around you. Take my father for example; three years ago, in the time of just two months, my father had been in two car accidents on his way home from work in Downtown Houston due to drivers looking at their phones and not paying attention to even what was in front of them. The second accident was even bad enough to hospitalize him for the night due to an injury to his head and neck, and to this day his neck is still not quite the same. We were extremely lucky it wasn’t anything worse, but the same cannot be said for many others in similar situations. Make the smart choice, take the minor inconvenience for the sake of you and everybody around you. These choices aren’t limited to the process of driving, however, as even choices you make before you even get in the car can result in danger.

Numerous decisions can impact your driving performance before you start driving, the obvious being the consumption of alcohol and drugs, and what I’ll be focusing on for this particular topic, is the amount of sleep you have had. We don’t think about what we do in life affects us behind the wheel, but if you let yourself become so busy or stay up too late at night, only to have to drive early in the morning or late at night, you are in danger of falling asleep on the road. Two years ago, my cousin died at the young age of 16 due to allegedly falling asleep behind the wheel early in the morning. Despite his age, he was a very busy kid; on top of your normal high school classes, he was involved with school electives and clubs, taking care of his barn animals, and work. He did all these things almost every day of the week and never gave himself time to relax and rest. Then on July 1^st, 2021, at about 6:00 AM, my cousin left for work where he fell asleep while driving on a long empty road and swerved off and crashed. I will never forget when I was woken up that morning and was told the news, nor will I forget when I saw my uncle’s family after his son’s death or the funeral. As many do, I can’t help but wonder about the what-ifs. Did my cousin fall asleep while driving or was it something else? Would he still be alive if he called in late for work, or if he took more time for himself to rest? It’s important to handle our lives responsibly and take care not to overwork ourselves. Be late for work. Because being late for work is better than your life ending too soon.

There are many small changes we can make to our everyday lives that can significantly our driving safety. Whether that be letting yourself be late or leaving earlier so you’re on time, letting that important text message wait, or getting the proper amount of rest in your day-to-day lives. Even if it sounds inconvenient, it cannot be stressed enough how important these things are for the safety of our lives. Do these things for yourself and hold your friend or family member accountable to help stop them from making the same mistakes. These are all small changes, yet these small changes could very well save your life.