After the crash

Everyday lives are lost by car accidents. In which, most can be preventable, but we have distracted drivers, and even simple mistakes, that can cause your life to change in an instant. Unfortunately because of these accidents, depending on the severity of them, they can leave lasting impressions, and not the good kind.

As far as I can remember I’ve been in about 6 car wrecks. The first one was when I was four and the last one was when I was 16. I’m not sure that anyone talks about the aftermath that a car wreck can have on your mind. Even if it’s not your fault you still feel really guilty. I’ll never forget the time two motorcycle men ran into my mom and they both flew off. Looking through my perspective as a four year old child I was traumatized. I had glass in my hair, there were sirens everywhere, the men laid faced down motionless far away from their motorcycles. I was emotional, choking up taking in the scenery. Fortunately the men were still alive even though they faced serious injuries to their brain. That image has never left me. Although I try not to think about it too much, it reminds me of the importance of paying attention on the road.

This is why we need to focus on stricter laws and different tech used on cars. Even though there are fines for texting and driving, it’s not really enforced like it should be. Texting while driving has increased about 28 percent since 2020, which is why I believe stricter laws need to be enforced to ensure the safety of others on the road. If all car companies start to build cars with automatic braking systems or beep warnings when the car may shift in the wrong direction this would be a huge factor that decreases the amount of deaths due to car accidents. Unfortunately some people will never be fazed by the rules of texting and driving, so having a car to do the work for you might be just what we need.

It’s impossible to grasp how quickly a moment in your life can change. The thing about car wrecks at least in my case is that you never see them coming. It’s always the surprise you never wanted. For my family, that “surprise” came when my mom, who happened to be fresh from a surgical procedure, was hit by another car. This car not only totaled my moms car, but it ripped open her stitches as well. I’m sixteen at this time, but it still took a toll on me. Having to see me mom bleed out, but instead she’s putting on a brave face and saying she’s fine. Hey, maybe she was fine, but I wasn’t. I couldn’t fathom the fact that once again I’m in a car wreck that wasn’t my family’s fault and someone else is hurt.

Car wrecks eat away at you. They build up a fear of driving you never knew you had. This is why driver education is so important. Drivers ed is not only to get your permit or license and say you’re ready for the road. During drivers ed you learn the essential skills of not only the rights and wrongs of the road, but how to operate a vehicle safely, paying attention to yourself and others, traffic laws and regulations, and develop good driving habits. It is imperative that all driving school instructors really take the time to make sure that the lessons they teach are being understood by kids and adults that are taking their course. When the individuals are done with their course they should have all the valuable knowledge deemed necessary so that they’ll be safe on the road.

No, I’m not perfect, but I do value my life and I want to make sure that I make it home everyday. And, even though we can’t eliminate all dangers of the road, we can start taking minimal steps to decrease death and save lives. So, to ensure my own safety on the road I try to eliminate my phone as a distraction because it happens to be my biggest issue. I will either put my phone face down in the passenger seat or in the middle console so that I don’t see it at all. By doing so, I not only protect myself, but I keep the others around me safe, reducing the number of lives lost everyday.