In the Driver’s Seat

No
one wants a loved one to die. Especially from an event that could
have been easily avoided like a car accident. Many people do not
realize actions taken on a road have the potential to affect others,
contributing to the amount of deaths related to a car accident. A
large responsibility is tied to a license in arriving safely to your
destination while ensuring the safety of others on the road. Every
year, an average of 34,000 Americans die from car accidents, more
than the 33,686 Americans who died during combat in the Korean War.
How can a crisis as large as the Korean War be outnumbered by car
accident deaths in the occurrence of just one year? When compared to
other historical events, car accidents are a frontrunner in
accounting for too many deaths.

Consequently,
Americans have the opportunity to create change on roads across the
country. For one, cell phone usage is a prominent factor in vehicle
collisions and can be easily solved. If cars had designated sites
used to hold technological devices out of the driver’s reach, the
amount of deaths would be drastically reduced. Additionally,
implementing the ability to self-drive in most cars (similar to a
Tesla) would limit drunk driving accidents deriving from a wrongful
decision to get behind the wheel. If car manufacturers altered their
car designs to reflect these changes, it is likely the amount of
deaths would decrease.

Luckily,
I have only been involved in one car accident that I was too young to
remember. Although, recently I have witnessed a collision involving
five cars on a busy road. It was a Saturday morning and I was driving
my brother to Noah’s Bagel for breakfast. I checked my side mirrors
and noticed a car speed recklessly past us. I gasped as they drove 15
miles over the speed limit down a hill. They swerved left, then right
and left again, colliding with four other vehicles at a stoplight.
Shocked at what had occurred in a matter of seconds, I commanded my
brother to call 911. We spoke to a responder and she assured us that
help was on the way. No one was greatly injured, but witnessing such
an alarming accident reminded me to drive cautiously and to always be
aware of other drivers.

Even
though I am only one person in a country of over 327 million people,
I can begin to take preventative steps to ensure the safety of myself
and everyone else driving. One step I can take is to rely less on my
phone for directions. That way, I am able to focus all of my
attention on the road and what is happening in front of me. Not only
that, eliminating other distracting elements like loud music or
eating while driving can reduce my chances of colliding with another
person. I believe I can make a difference in my community by taking
my position seriously in the driver’s seat.