It All Happens In a Single Moment

It All Happens In a Single Moment

In the blink of an eye, the car jerks violently. My heart starts racing and my blood pumps rapidly. My mother and I had stopped at a red light and we were rear ended by a car in front of us, since the person ahead of us was texting on their phone and had their car in reverse. It all happened so fast and we had no time to react. I was only 10 at the time so the entire situation was frightening and I was overwhelmed with stress. Seeing me like this, my mother wanted to do something about it. Afterwards, she started working at All Children’s Hospital and was put in charge of promoting safety both on the road and on the sidewalks. I helped her with numerous rallies over the years where we set up booths with pamphlets about basic pedestrian safety and trinkets based around street safety. I learned that each year, a substantial amount of U.S. citizens die to vehicle crashes. We lose more than 38,000 Americans a year to driving related incidents, most of which may have been preventable. From helping my mom with her work, I learned that it is extremely important that we teach drivers and pedestrians the rules of the road as to prevent any possible accidents and lower the amount of driving related deaths. When a car accident occurs, things happen so quickly that little time is left for reaction. Those who inform themselves on the essential rules of the road create a safe and organized driving environment. If pedestrians and drivers successfully follow the rules of the road less people could be forced into a life-threatening situation. Some steps I learned from my mother that drivers should take in order to ensure road safety include finding other forms of transport after drinking and allowing space between cars around you. When driving drunk, your performance drops significantly, which can easily lead into a car accident. If a potential driver feels drunk, one should call a ridesharing service or have a loved one drive them home. Leaving space between cars also gives drivers more maneuverability on the streets, therefore limiting road related injuries. However, the most important step a driver or pedestrian can take is maintaining awareness. Drivers should always pay attention to streetlights, their speed relative to the speed limit, if there are any pedestrians or obstructions on the road, and if any cars ahead of them have stopped for any reason. Pedestrians must also stay aware of streetlights and cars before crossing the street or even walking near the road. Paying attention to your surroundings is a simple, yet crucial step anyone should take when near or on the road. One second, someone could be driving peacefully without a care in the world, and the next, their life ends. It is important to follow these crucial steps because a car accident only takes a single moment to destroy the victim’s lives.