“It Will Never Happen to Me”

Most
people do not get into a car and think “maybe I will get into an
accident today.” The thought of getting into a crash does not
usually cross a person’s mind because we think it will never happen
to us. We hear about tragic car accidents all over the news and hear
stories in everyday life, but we still think that it will never
happen to us. That is how I thought until the day that it did happen
to me. On that day, the thought of getting into an accident never
crossed my mind because I was in the car with my family and a trusted
adult. We were at a stop sign and the driver decided to glance at her
phone while stopped and then proceeded to go through the
intersection. The intersection was not a four-way stop, and she did
not realize it because she was reading her phone instead of reading
the sign that told her oncoming traffic does not stop. As we went
through the intersection we were hit by an oncoming car and we were
thrown across the road. All drivers and passengers survived this
accident, but what about the next accident. The next accident where a
driver is distracted by his or her phone and people do not survive.
What then? In this generation, phones are apart of everyday life. To
most people, being on a phone will driving is considered normal and
this new norm needs to change. In this day and age, texting while
driving is now one of the top leading causes of deaths in accidents.
Educating people on the importance of distracted driving can greatly
reduce death rates caused by distractions. People do not realize that
looking down at their phones for even a second could alter their life
and the lives of others. Educating people by giving them statistics
on the matter, or by telling them true stories, or even showing them
videos on the consequences of distracted driving could greatly serve
them to never even think about picking up their phones behind the
wheel. As for myself, a great idea would be to keep my phone on
silent or even turned off while I am driving so I do not even have an
urge to check my phone. This tip could be useful for myself and
others to keep everyone safe on the roads. People may feel the need
to reach for their phones while driving because they feel bored and
they want to keep themselves entertained. Listening to music is a
great way to cure boredom while driving, and it will not cause
distractions and risks like a phone causes. Everytime a person gets
in their car they need to remind themselves that their actions can
put themselves and others at risk. People still may think that it
will never happen to them, but nothing is ever certain. Practicing
safe driving will reduce the risks of it happening to you.