Severity of Safety

During the modern day many young teenagers will view driving as a sense of freedom to explore the world further but do not truly understand the life changing step that it involves. While it is a new exciting chapter of one’s life, driving is a very responsible uptaking for one. They need to plan their schedules regarding traffic times to be on time to work or school but also must be actively paying attention and awake at all times. Not only is protecting yourself important while driving but also being defensive of others. We can not predict how other drivers will act on the road, but we can always be aware of our surroundings to defend ourselves.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration provides a study showing data that states, “2,034 drivers aged 15 to 20 died in traffic crashes in 2022.” This is a low number for new drivers compared to 2021 but still is a strong handful of people that die due to mistakes. The IINS Organization also provides evidence that “There were 42,514 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2022.” This is a high number of deaths solely from driving. Furthermore, in 2024 drunk driving was the main cause for car crash deaths. These numbers are extremely high for all ages and for something that could be prevented. This is why it’s important to strain the idea of defensive driving into teenagers’ minds. Many times car accidents are hard to prevent but when possible we need to understand techniques to help prevent or cause less damage in an accident. This may be as simple as letting a car go around you or moving into another open lane out of the way if someone is driving very fast. You must protect yourself at all costs, we can not assume that others will stop properly and not hit you.

In my experience, I have seen one of my friends’ parents drive very recklessly and selfishly. Not only is she harming her mental health with her emotional state but she is tensing pressure onto other drivers. She will stop extremely close to other cars at red lights which is dangerous in case she accidently goes forward at the wrong time. She is constantly talking with her daughter and looking back at her to speak, so if her foot were to slip this would cause a domino effect of a car crash. I have also witnessed many scenarios in which adults are on their phone while driving either to contact someone or use their maps app. You are always to have your eyes on the road so this is dangerous and may cause potential swerving.

To implant a solution to this issue, we need to provide schools with more access to informational talks by guest speakers and video/online resources that students can access at any time. Guest speakers may include people who have survived car crashes as well as witnesses of tragic accidents. Police officers, firefighters, and such may further be encouraged to join. When first hand experiences talk on a topic so deep to them, the audience will feel how serious the issue is. From emotional tone to gestures, true sympathy will be shown towards the speakers. It is difficult to see others or be the one in danger of losing your life and all that is ahead of you. This message will be conveyed throughout the room. Further, any officer or firefighter who speaks on this topic will explain the severity of how mentally harming it is to see innocent people be killed in a tragic accident. All the time they see situations that could be prevented if someone was paying more attention to the road. These instructional videos and meetings will be taught to children of young ages so it sticks with them as they grow up.

As for a current solution I will continue to be aware of those around me and make sure to correct any driver I am with who does something that puts them in an unsafe situation. I am always putting my phone away when I sit in my car and make sure everyone is buckled before I leave. This is very important as if an accident was to happen, seat belts usually ensure less damage is done to one. Additionally, knowing that I am soon to be in college I will always be sure to never drink and be the responsible friend to take others home. We must all remember to never let anyone drive who is under the influence of any drug or alcohol. This is the sole reason for most deadly accidents. This is a serious topic that needs to be talked about so we can behave correctly while driving.