FIrst Mistake, Last Mistake

First
Mistake, Last Mistake

Imani
Williams

Pride, elation, and
independence; these are the feelings every teenager feels the first
time behind the wheel. This is usually a teenager’s dream, yet a
parent’s nightmare. And the reason for this is because car crashes
are the number one cause of death in adolescence. However, with
proper knowledge and safety procedures, we can stop our first mistake
from being our last.

Driver safety procedures are
things every driver, old and new, should take very seriously. To
better illustrate my point, The National Safety Council claimed, “In
2017, more than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes…” In
further explanation, this number holds great significance because
that is the equivalent of combat deaths in the Vietnam War. The
biggest causes of wrecks on the road is usually stemmed from alcohol,
speeding, or texting. This egregious number of deaths can be
preventable by simply using certain safety procedures before and
while on the road; however, we don’t always take the necessary
measures to ensure driver safety on and off the road. With modern day
resources and tools, we can eliminate preventable deaths by simply
taking little steps; such as, demanding a certain number of hours of
a driver safety course in addition to drivers ed, putting your phone
on silent while driving, riding in an Uber in the event you or a
friend is intoxicated, or connecting your phone to the car before you
start driving to reduce phone usage on the road. While taking safety
procedures is of extreme importance, it is also extremely necessary
to have the proper knowledge as well.

Being educated about what
causes crashes and how to prevent them plays a big role in creating
safer roads. For example, while I have thankfully never been in a car
crash, many of my friends and family members have. Sometimes it
occurred from reckless driving or intoxication or reckless driving of
another driver; however, what they all had in common was they never
believed it could happen to them until it did. Learning from other
people and their experiences is something that can help increase your
knowledge, so you don’t repeat their mistakes. To further explain,
if there is a family member or friend that has been in a wreck,
talking about how and why it happened is great for helping you avoid
the same thing because you’re increasing your awareness about the
situation. There are also organizations that bring awareness to
people to learn from, such as, “Students Against Destructive
Decisions” or “National Safety Council”. There are so many
people we could learn from before we must learn the hard way.

In conclusion, being safe on
the road is of vital importance to reduce preventable deaths or life
changing conditions. Taking that extra minute to turn your phone on
silent or get an Uber or schedule to take a class can make all the
difference in the world. Ensuring your safety can be as easy as ABC –
Always Be Careful.