Tinitus

Tinnitus. All I could hear was a loud ringing in my ears. I picked myself up from the seat. The airbag was almost smothering me. I looked over. She was okay. Thank god. The both of us were okay. At the end of the day, that’s all that mattered.

34,000 lives are lost to driving related accidents in the U.S. each year. Some of these lost lives are caused by mistakes made by the drivers themselves however, some are people who had no fault of their own. These people were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and lost their life due to another person’s mistake. What drivers fail to realize is that a motor vehicle is a weapon. It can take someone’s life within a matter of seconds. It’s not just a mode of transportation. It can be fatal.

Having been in a car crash caused by another person, I can confidently say that it changes your view of teen driving and safety on the road. Everytime I step into a vehicle I’m aware of not only the fact that my life could be at risk, but also that the lives of others around me are also at risk.

The easiest way to lower deaths related to driving is by educating all drivers on the road, not just teen drivers. The youth are given required drivers ed courses that cover driver safety and road rules however, older drivers haven’t taken such courses or don’t recall much of this information. These courses teach essential driving skills and how to maintain safety on the roads.

While large scale education and implementations can help lower driving related deaths, the easiest and most effective ways are to take responsibility as an individual driver. The driver of a vehicle should insist all people in the car to buckle up, Drivers should put their phones aside while driving and avoid driving under the influence at all costs. The first line of defense is always the individual drivers themselves. Keeping driver’s accountable shouldn’t only be the responsibility of law enforcement. Car manufacturers should not allow the operation of bluetooth connection while driving. Many newer model cars require the car to be stopped in order to control bluetooth set-up. In addition to this, phones do not allow texting and other functions when connected to car bluetooth. Keeping driver’s safe will require cooperation of all aspects of motor vehicle operation; the driver, the manufacturer, and law enforcement.

My personal experiences with car accidents and safety on the road have led me to realize the importance of safe and focused driving. It should never take a near death experience for you to drive with caution and attention. Everytime you enter a vehicle you should be aware of the fact that your life and those of others around you could be endangered by the actions you take behind the wheel. Safety on the road always starts with educating yourself about the dangers.