Safety First

Safety First

I found myself crying, scared, on the side of the road. My family had just been in an accident, but thankfully no one was hurt. We were driving to an event when another car slammed into the side of us on the highway. Our car was destroyed, but we were all okay, aside from some soreness over the next few days. I will never forget the smell of smoke when the airbags deployed. I had just turned sixteen, so I was still a new driver. This accident was particularly influential on my driving, because I now know what effects unsafe driving can have on others. I realized that without a seatbelt, airbags, and other safety features, my family and I may have been injured or even killed in that same accident. I should’ve been scared to continue driving, but the next day, driving to school, I was a safer driver than I had been before. This accident showed me the importance of safe driving, but all drivers should be educated on the serious impact that driving can have. When drivers are more educated on how to prevent accidents and how exactly to maneuver specific situations on the road, we are all safer while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2018, over 2,800 people were killed and an estimated 400,000 were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. Learning risks and preventative measures while driving can allow all drivers to be more educated on being the safest possible driver. By realizing the extreme importance of remaining focused and alert while driving, we each can play a role in changing this saddening statistic. Being distracted by others in the car, cell phones, or the radio, we take our attention away from the road and increase the risk of being in an accident. Education on the seriousness of this matter can decrease everyone’s risk of being in an accident when our full attention is on the road while driving. Not only does distracted driving affect other drivers, but also pedestrians and cyclists. I have personally been affected by this scenario, as one of my family members was hit by a car while riding a bicycle. He was not able to fully recover from this accident, so he eventually passed away. Even this one scenario makes me realize how the simple act of driving while distracted can end someone’s life. As a driver, I try to be as safe as possible by setting “rules” for myself while driving. I put my cell phone in the back seat, so there is no way I can be distracted by it. I keep the radio below a certain volume so I am not distracted by the music. I make sure all my passengers know that I may not be able to talk to them, as safe driving is prioritized in my car. If we all set rules, spoken or unspoken, for ourselves and our personal vehicles and are educated on safe driving, we can create a safer environment on the road for all.