July 1, 1987 High Speed Car Crash Kills Many

Isaac Henry

July 1, 1987 High Speed Car Crash Kills Many

July 1, 1987. My mother reminds me of this date every time I get in my car. “Drive safely, Isaac. Pay attention to the road. No texting and driving. Remember what can happen if you are not a responsible driver!” It has been over 30 years since my 17 year-old cousin, Lynn, was killed in a car accident. She was a passenger in a speeding sedan. She wasn’t wearing her seatbelt and was ejected from the car. The driver, her boyfriend, veered left of center and hit another car head on. He killed not only my cousin, but also the family in the other car. He was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and spent time in jail for the deaths of these innocent individuals. Fast forward several years…Lynn’s boyfriend, Andy, eventually met his own fate in high-speed car accident.

I would have loved to ask Lynn so many questions about her choices that day. Why wasn’t she wearing her seatbelt? Why did she allow her boyfriend to speed around that curve? Had he driven like that before? If so, why did she continue to ride with him? Does she know how much she is missed? Does she know my mother fears the worst every time I get in the car by myself or with my friends?

Driver’s Education Courses are very important for teens to enroll in. They provide operators not only an introduction to driving, but they also inform a driver of how to control a vehicle. Furthermore, drivers learn about signs, signals, and markings, learn basic maneuvering tasks, and learn other personal factors that can influence a driver’s performance (among others). Driver’s Education Courses are prevention-based lessons that prepare operators with the tools needed to maintain one’s safety.

However, human error and operator choice also play a role. Unrestrained and distracted driving, such as speeding, drinking, illicit drug use, and texting all impact drivers on the road. It is important that with increased social media use in teens, that ads and campaigns be directed toward adolescent drivers about the pitfalls of individual choice when operating a vehicle. Social media influencers play a role in teen decisions as well. Social media should be a vehicle for impacting people, not impressing people.

I can take steps to be a better driver on the road. I can do a better job of monitoring my speed, as I tend to drive a few miles per hour over the speed limit. Using cruise control could help me maintain the appropriate speed limit. Additionally, I could silence my phone when driving so I’m not tempted to text and drive. I also use my phone to stream music though my car radio. I could choose a station when I get in my car and stick with it. Finally, I could do a better job of maintaining a safe distance behind other drivers. I sometimes follow others too closely and break abruptly.

My mother placed a picture of Lynn in my car to remind me to drive safely. The picture helps me remember how much impact I have when driving, and how one simple action can affect my life and the lives of others. Although I didn’t know Lynn, I know that her life was taken way too soon. To conclude, Viktor Frankl once said, “Each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.” I can answer for my own life by being responsible behind the wheel.