Save a life

You think to yourself that nothing can happen in the one second that you take to look at your phone or change the radio station, or that nothing will happen when you don’t wear your seatbelt for the 10 minute drive home. Accidents happen in the blink of an eye and when you least expect them. This is why driving safety is something that everyone needs to take more seriously. According to the latest CDC vital signs, about 90 people die each day from motor vehicle crashes on US roads. If safety measures were taken or the road laws were being followed by everyone the numbers would significantly drop. Safety measures especially need to be taken among inexperienced drivers. The CDC also states that, “The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens aged 16–19 than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers in this age group are nearly three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash.” A car accident could happen to anyone but when you are just beginning to learn to drive and you are inexperienced you can make simple mistakes that could cost you, or other drivers their lives

The number one thought when turning 16 is being able to drive. It is a new freedom and a new experience that you have been waiting so long for. But you are still getting used to the rules of the road and driving on your own, so being educated on driving safety is extremely important. The number one way to reduce deaths and be a safe driver is to get educated on driving and there are many ways to do that. From personal experience my school, and many others, offer “Arrive Alive.” This is a program that emphasizes safe driving and gives you tips on how to prevent accidents. We meet volunteers who have been in a car accident that share their story of how it happened and what they could have done to prevent it, like wearing their seatbelt or not being under the influence. They are all extremely lucky to be alive and their experiences opened my eyes to make sure I am a safe driver. Other important things to be sure to remember to reduce the number of deaths would be wearing your seatbelt, driving the speed limit, and not being under the influence. If we can all follow these laws many car accidents can be prevented.

Making sure you follow the rules of the road won’t only protect you but also many other people. Too many loved ones from around the world have been victims of fatal car crashes because of someone else driving irresponsibly. Three years ago a distracted driver took away a beloved coach, husband, and father in my community. He was following the rules of the road but the semi that crashed into him was not. Because that semi driver was not paying attention he took away someone that had impacted so many lives. This crushed everyone in my community and really showed me how important it is to make sure I am always watching the road when I am driving to make sure that I am not the reason for a crash. I had my own eye opening moment when I was behind the wheel in my own car. I started to pull out of a parking lot and my brakes suddenly went out. I pushed down on them over and over again to try to stop my car. I tried the emergency brake and threw my car into park but nothing worked, my car was gaining speed and I had no way to stop it. I was so scared that I was going to crash into someone else’s car, but I knew if I stayed calm and looked at my surroundings I could direct my car to hit a curb instead of a car. My car crashed into the curb and I felt so relieved. Staying calm in scary situations and making sure you are always paying attention is so important when you are on the road. It saved me from an awful accident.

Another step to be a safer and better driver would be to take drivers Ed. I know that my school and many others offer it. This is a program during the summer that teaches you about the rules of the road and certain situations you can be in during driving. You are in the classroom for a few weeks and then you take a paper test that goes over all of those things. Once you pass that test you get to start driving. You drive with the instructor for a few weeks so he/she can see how you drive and give you tips. This helped tremendously with my confidence while driving and learning all the rules of the road to keep myself and others safe while I was becoming a new driver.

Helping educate others if you know they aren’t following the road laws can be a major key to reducing the death rates from car crashes. If you see your friend on their phone while they are driving, tell them to put it down, if you are riding with or driving other people make sure everyone has their seatbelt on and that there aren’t too many people in the car at once. Driving safety is so important and we all need to understand that so we can take the steps to slow the number of increasing deaths from driving. Pay attention and make yourself and others feel safe on the road, it may save a life.