Name: Elysa Regan Spinks
From: Gainesville, GA
Votes: 0
A car horn blared
loudly as tires screeched across the snow-covered asphalt. I looked
up from the backseat just in time to see my uncle’s car colliding
with another, metal meeting metal in a horrible, earth-shaking bang.
Our car’s hood bent backwards into the windshield as the airbags
deployed, smoke pouring out of the engine and glass shattering
everywhere.
It was Christmas
Day, and I was eight years old. My mom, grandparents, uncle and I had
piled into the car to go out and eat lunch together. We were on the
way when a car ran a red light and smashed right into us in the
middle of a busy intersection. It took an hour just to get us out of
the car because the doors were jammed shut. My mom was out of work
for a month because of her shoulder injuries, and my grandparents
were both hospitalized as well. Thankfully no one was fatally injured
and I walked away with just a few bruises, but the incident still
sticks with me to this day.
Sadly, accidents
like this are all too common in today’s society, and the majority
of them do have fatal consequences. An average of 34,000 Americans
die every year as a result of driving, which, in two years, is more
than the entire American death toll during the Vietnam War. Something
has to change, and it can start with simple education.
The summer before I
turned 16, my parents signed me up for drivers ed with our local
sheriff’s department. During the class, many of the officers shared
stories of accidents that they had witnessed through the years. These
stories were graphic and horrifying, but I really think that they
have made me a better driver and have motivated me to always be
careful and cautious while driving. Because of this, I believe that
drivers ed is vitally important for anyone before getting
behind the wheel. Not only can it decrease the number of
driving-related deaths, but it can also make the road a safer place
overall.
However, education
is not the only way to make the roads a safer place. Drivers must
learn to always be alert and to minimize distractions. One way that
this has recently come into effect is through Georgia’s Hands-Free
law, which was issued in July of 2018. This law makes holding a phone
while driving illegal, which has greatly decreased the amount of
accidents that occur as a result of texting while driving. Since this
law has been set in motion, drivers have become more alert and
focused. I believe that this law, if made nationwide, would help
bring about a drastic decrease in the number of automobile-related
deaths.
In my own life, I
do believe that there are several things I can do to make sure that I
am a safe driver. One of the most important is to always pay
attention. Although I, and many other people, often get distracted
easily, this can have a fatal outcome on the roads. Because of this,
I will try to increase my attention span and to always stay alert
when I am driving. Additionally, I will always wear my seatbelt. In
the event of a crash, a seatbelt can prevent deadly consequences. On
that cold Christmas morning when my family was in an accident, my mom
wasn’t wearing her seatbelt. If she had been, she likely wouldn’t
have broken her shoulder and could have avoided surgery. This has
inspired me to always wear my seatbelt and to be extremely cautious
while driving.
Although people can
listen to warnings about irresponsible driving all day long, many of
them choose to ignore the problem until it affects them personally.
This is sad, but it is the truth in today’s society. And while it
was a terrible experience, I am somewhat glad that I experienced that
car accident when I was eight years old. Since then, I have learned
the importance of safe driving and have seen just how deadly bad
driving can be.
