A Few Seconds

A Few Seconds

Serenity K. Leal

Every 60 seconds 250 babies are born. Every 60 seconds your heart will beat up to 100 times. Every 60 seconds 116 people get married, and every 60 seconds over 2 people will lose their lives due to reckless driving. As you can see, a lot happens in a matter of seconds, that is why we as safe drivers must always be aware and alert when behind the wheel. Distracted driving is the major cause of fatal car accidents, especially true for young drivers and kids my age. This is why diverse education is so important.

In driver’s education students learn basic skills such as how to switch lanes, right away, traffic signs, but most of all it teaches new drivers what NOT to do on the road. Unfortunately, just like math, students will forget things that they were taught during drivers ed. The freedom and fun can distract students from the responsibility you must have to be a driver. Turning the radio up full blast, speeding, and answering text messages are all mistakes that I have noticed my peers make. Now you may be wondering, how are we going to get people to stop bad driving habits, they already took drivers ed? The answer is quite simple. Do not stop the driving education in the classroom. We as safe driving advocates can continue to educate peers about safe driving as the need arises. For example, if you see your friend texting while driving simply say “I can get that for you, we don’t want to get in a crash”. If we remind our peers about safe driving practices, they will hopefully tell their friends, and so on and so forth. This domino effect will result in less crashes, and more importantly less deaths.

I was introduced to the horror of reckless driving from a young age. I still remember my first car crash as clear as day. In the fifth grade I was leaving school on valentine’s day, then me and my family were in a hit and run. The entire car was squished in half. I remember the pain I felt sitting down for weeks because my entire back and legs were deeply bruised black and purple. My sister also experienced bad bruising and whiplash. Luckily, nobody was badly injured, but that is not always the case in hit and runs. The police found the corporate 40 minutes after the crash and it turned out that at 2:30 in the afternoon a man was drinking and driving, I repeat 2:30 in the afternoon! This is where I learned that to be a safe driver you not only should be aware of yourself but other drivers as well. You never know if the driver next to you is intoxicated, sad, or tired; therefore, you should never let your guard down when behind the wheel.

In a matter of seconds someone’s life can be stripped away, but it also can be saved. And you are the answer. If you follow safe driving practices and are aware of other drivers, you can be a part of the movement to reduce the number of deaths by motor vehicle accidents. It is up to us to make a change, and we must start now. A few seconds is all I ask, a few seconds to save a life. Take a few seconds to text a friend “drive safe I need you here with me”. A few seconds to pull over and answer the call, a few seconds to call a taxi if you are unable to drive. A few seconds to buckle your seatbelt. A few seconds is all I ask, because your few seconds can save a lifetime of seconds.