Take The Wheel

Take The Wheel –
An essay regarding driver safety

One person dies
in a car accident every twenty-five seconds. Every twenty-five
seconds. We look back on tragic events such as the Vietnam War, the
Fukushima nuclear disaster and World War I, just to name a few.
Though I am by no means taking away from the fact that each of these
events was massively destructive, car fatalities can cause just as
many deaths as these catastrophic incidents did. For example, did you
know that the number of worldwide car accident fatalities in a year
is approximately seventy-three times greater than the number of
fatalities from the Fukushima nuclear disaster? Let that sink in…

People have been
losing their lives in car accidents since 1869, and the most
distressing part of this is that the number one cause of car crashes
globally is distracted driving. Whether this be due to lack of sleep,
drug use, mobile phone use, drink driving or any other factor, how
frightening is that? I know that for myself, those figures are
impossible to imagine. You cannot begin to understand how so many
innocent people could be involved in such drastic accidents. But then
it happens. Then you are one of those people, and it becomes real.

I remember my
mother screaming at the top of her lungs as the huge white van
plummeted towards the car. I was too young to anticipate what was
going to happen next until it actually happened. I do not intend to
discuss exactly how devastating the impact of that collision truly
was – we all know how dangerous distracted driving can be and
though I kept my life, this is not always the case for those involved
in car accidents.

Ever since that
day, even now as a young adult, I tremble every time I have to drive
to somewhere new. My hands sweat, my feet shake as they touch the
pedals and I sometimes cannot complete the journey at all. This is a
story very close to my heart because I have experienced the horror
that can be caused through immature driving. Please do not be the
reason why somebody else has to experience that same horror.

Had a drink? Do
not drive. Feeling exhausted? Do not drive. Taken drugs? Do. Not.
Drive.

The importance of not only certifying that you are safe to drive
before doing so but also of ensuring that the driver is safe to
drive, if you are a passenger, is of the upmost importance. Trust me,
the extra hour’s wage that you will spend on a taxi will be more
than worth it. In fact, it may save your life.

So take the
wheel, take responsibility and drive safely. Your loved ones need you
there with them.