The Hidden Killer: Complacency

Death. When people contemplate the leading causes of death, they often think of war or disease. These make the most sense. Right? But hiding in all the information on the internet is a frightening fact. Spoken of less is another killer. And that is car accidents. Whether they be from drunk driving, distracted driving, or are simply an accident, the road takes tens of thousands of lives every year. Driving, such a simple and everyday task, is one of the most dangerous activities people take part in, but does it have to be this deadly? No, it does not. If citizens take steps to make themselves educated and safe drivers, and refuse to be complacent in their safety, driving does not have to take the thousands of lives it already does.

We all took driver’s ed, of course. You sit in a room with 25 other kids, and almost everyone lets the information sail right through one ear and out the other. Those students then get in their car, drive home, and text the whole way there. They are given information about the dangers of driving but don’t hesitate to ignore the facts. Students don’t understand the importance of driver’s education in their lives as both drivers and citizens. While they are letting statistics fly over their heads, they are endangering themselves and others. But being educated on driving and its possible effects can make all the difference in people’s lives. Students must know how to both operate a car and how to drive it safely on the road. They need to know every button, every road sign, every rule, and every regulation before they start driving, and driver’s education can teach them that. But only if they pay attention to the content. The information they learn could make all the difference.

There are more ways besides driver’s education that can help prevent deaths. One major step is the use of technology. Becoming more prevalent every day are driving apps, hands-free calling, and crash detection. Technology is advancing in a way that allows people to communicate while staying safe on the road. Whether their phone goes on silent when it detects driving or calls forward to the car speakers, deaths are reduced by technology because people feel less inclined to drive distracted. This step is vital since distracted driving is the leading cause of death in car accidents. Another step to reduce deaths would be harsher enforcement against drunk driving. Whether it’s through the law or friends encouraging friends not to drive intoxicated, there must be more effort in preventing drunk driving. If drivers can take all of the necessary steps to be safe and focused, there will be an exponential decline in deaths.

Now, as for my own experience. I have never gotten in an accident or come close, but I do witness daily examples of those around me driving irresponsibly. I watch my dad read a text or my mom take a phone call on the highway. I have friends who drive well over the speed limit or drive home slightly intoxicated because “there’s no one on the road so, it’s fine.” I’ve seen people eat in the car, text, scroll through Instagram, not use their blinker, ignore stop signs, run red lights, and more beyond that. It’s unsettling the number of people willing to be complacent with car safety when so many lives are at risk. They don’t understand that sending that text or liking that picture is all it could take to lose a life. I’m not innocent of it either. It’s so easy to say, “it will only take a second,” but I’m starting to understand that the one-second could make all of the difference. I have begun to take the initiative to drive safer. I put my phone where I can’t reach it. I ignore calls. I set up my music before I start driving. I even wait the torturous ten minutes it takes to get home from a drive-thru before eating my fries. And believe me, it is not easy.

After coming to understand these facts, I also am trying to help my friends and family be more responsible drivers. I type a text for my mom in the passenger seat, or I offer to drive my no-quite-sober friends home. I find it critical to not only drive safely but to ensure that those around me do too. I would never want to have someone hurt because I chose not to say anything. I want everyone to be safe, responsible, and educated drivers. I refuse to be complacent. I hope others will do the same, and soon, we can eradicate the rampant death toll taken by the road.