I Never Met my Uncle

I never met my uncle. He was seventeen when he crashed his car and
died. Racing another car down the street at night with his friends,
the cars collided, then flipped. Everyone survived; except my uncle,
who chose not to wear his seatbelt. When the police knocked on his
mother’s door at 3 am, she broke down into tears. How could this be
real? How could he be so stupid? She reviewed in her head everything
she had taught him about driving: don’t speed, don’t drink and
drive, but most importantly- always wear a seatbelt. It was confirmed
that had my uncle worn one, he would have survived. But even though
she had taught him how to drive safely, he still ignored her at a
huge cost. So what does it take to get a person to listen? Hopefully,
stories like this.

Every time I get in my car, the first thing I do is put on my
seatbelt. It doesn’t matter if I’m going ten feet or ten miles,
because I have learned from my uncle’s mistake. He missed out on
his whole life- going to college, getting married, having children. I
myself have occasionally driven irresponsibly; but when I find myself
going well above the speed limit when I am late to work, I remind
myself of the uncle I never got to meet, and slow down.

34,000 people die each year from driving. Very few of these deaths
are true ‘accidents’. Rather, they are the result of speeding,
drinking, or distractions such as our phones. Teenage drivers who do
not have as much experience must be extra cautious. Speed races may
seem like a fun game until the car is flipped and someone’s dead.
Maybe you stayed up all night doing homework and find your eyes
closing at the wheel. Maybe you just want to peek at the text your
new boyfriend or girlfriend sent you. No matter the reason, it is not
worth your life. All these temptations are why we, as a society, must
make people understand the dangers of reckless driving by sharing the
stories of those who were not as lucky to get home safely. Frequent
reminders are necessary, as people are prone to forget things. After
all, none of this information is necessarily new, yet car accidents
continue to happen every day. Signs and posters out in public are a
great idea, as well as school seminars. Encouraging people to share
their stories and how their lives were affected by a car accident can
influence a driver to be cautious.

All I have of my uncle is a framed photograph of him in my house. I
will never get to have a conversation with him, laugh with him, or
hug him. His irresponsible driving left a hole in our family. We are
affected by his loss every day. I hope others will remember his
story, and chose to come home to their own families by driving
safely.