Make It Home

In 2019 alone there were about 38,000 deaths due to car accidents. Many people take part in distracted driving and are incredibly uneducated about the harm in their carelessness. It’s vital for every individual on the road to understand the power they have behind the wheel. In one second both their life and another persons could change. Driver’s education is already mandatory before getting any certifications to be on the road, and we each must take the information we learned into account every time we get on the road. Many people don’t take driver’s education seriously because they’re so ready to get on the road but it’s put in place for a reason!

In order to reduce the number of deaths on the road, we must advocate against distracted and reckless driving. Distracted driving is the number one killer of teens each year. We have to make it home! Although the deaths have decreased by two percent in the last year, we still have a lot of work to do! After advocating around the world we must use our voices with those around us to put an end to reckless driving. Change starts with you! By being in the car with a distracted driver, you are apart of the problem. Tell drivers to focus and get to their destination. It truly can wait!

I’ve been unfortunate enough to have experienced two car accidents, both with my sister. I was apart of the problem. She was a distracted driver. Despite being uncomfortable, I said nothing. She was changing the music and turning into the left lane and didn’t see the car in her blind spot. Withing one second we were suspended in the air, across the median. All I can remember is seeing the shattered glass everywhere all over my legs as I rushed to check if my brother in the backseat was safe. The second time was on our street. We were so excited to get her prom makeup done. She didn’t look left at the stop sign to see the car coming directly towards us. It collided into the driver’s side, pushing us twenty feet down the road. All I could think about was the replaying image of my sister’s smile before a car rammed into her door. We were lucky to have made it out without injuries. Not everyone is so lucky.

I have also seen high school when everyone got their first cars, it was a fresh set of inexperienced drivers on the road. Imagine that. There was a lot of reckless driving and due to conformity, no one said anything. It’s not cool to drive recklessly, everyone’s life is on the line.

In order to become a better driver, I will be the start of change on the road. I used to participate in distracted driving. Little acts like putting on lipgloss or changing the music, but by becoming more aware of those around me I’ll put my phone away while driving and solely focus on driving. Anything that I can do while driving can wait until I’ve arrived at where I’m going. I will no longer remain silent. In addition to this as a passenger, I will speak out if I feel uncomfortable by someones driving. We can’t lose any more lives to negligence.