
Name: Maria Quezada
From: Cooper City, Florida
Votes: 0
In a Blink of an Eye – A Coin Toss
Quezada 2
In a Blink of an Eye – A Coin Toss
By: Maria Quezada
In a blink of an eye, everything can change. That’s how long it took. Just one split-second of the driver behind the crimson vehicle getting distracted and the impact it had on three lives would guarantee they would never be the same.
Barbara was a sassy curly-haired fifteen-year-old with big dreams of being an actress. Her mother was her biggest cheerleader, driving her to and from the set of her first project. They had made this their routine for nearly a year. That fateful day in the fall of 2013 started as ordinary as any. They had taken the journey countless times, her mom practically knew it like the back of her hand. However, what would happen next neither could have expected. One minute Barbie was buzzing with the anticipation of arriving at the studio, the next her ears were ringing as they rolled uncontrollably.
When Barbie came to, she awoke in a hospital with cuts and bruises on her face and a yellow and blue neck brace. The crash had been fatal, and her mom didn’t make it past the scene.
I met Barbara on the set of my first acting job. In many ways, the two of us were very much alike. Months after the accident that claimed her mother’s life, my mother and I were hit by the driver of an 18-wheeler who sheepishly confessed, having looked down to retrieve his dropped Snickers bar. Although thankfully, it was nowhere as severe, it altered our lives forever, as my mom broke the ligaments within her shoulder when she instinctively threw her arms over me. Even after two surgeries, she still deals with the effects of the accident. The responsibility involving getting behind the wheel is grossly overlooked, but drivers walk the tightrope of life and death with every ride. According to the CDC, 3,700 people perish daily from car accidents. It only takes three seconds of distraction, and the devastating ripple effect that ensues is everlasting.
As reported by the WHO, car accidents are the leading cause of death for people ages 5 to 29. As drivers, we share the obligation to combat this lethal epidemic by repealing irresponsible driving. Whether it’s glancing down to read a loved one’s text, driving while emotionally upset or under the influence, or retrieving a fallen object, we must commit to preserving safety by asking for a ride, waiting until we have reached our destination, or pulling over.
Moreover, we must foster conversations on thoughtless driving and call out such behavior on friends and family. To effectively reduce the number of losses, we must draw the line and make it our mission to educate and prevent even a single casualty. Whether it’s taking one’s car for tune-ups, setting the alarm thirty minutes earlier, using the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” feature, or making driving playlists beforehand, we must avoid unnecessary diversions. The price to pay for negligent driving is too high for anyone to assume. Like a coin toss, everything can change in the blink of an eye, and life will never be the same.