Name: Anika Rose Witsoe
From: Cordova, Ak
Votes: 0
The
Last 5 Seconds
The
scariest moment in my life happened two years ago in a minivan going
60 mph down the highway. In an instant a 1.5-pound, softball-size
rock hurtled through the windshield at my dad. He ended up losing his
eye and crushing a large part of his skull. Luckily, he was alive and
is doing well. However, it was still traumatizing for everyone
involved. That day we were planning to go snorkeling in Hawaii’s
reefs but in five seconds it all changed.
I
have pondered over this situation many times, looking for a way it
could have been avoided. The rock was one of the few that had escaped
the construction site up the road. Three or four of them had
collected between the two lanes of the highway. Officials concluded
that a large truck had launched one of the rocks through the
windshield of our car. Unless we were all driving at slow speeds this
was not avoidable. Uncontrollable accidents happen on the road but
most accidents are preventable. So why do we still choose to make
unwise choices? The Association for Safe International Road Travel
says, “95% of collisions happen because of human driver error on
one party or another.” That is why it is important to educate
drivers on how to be safe to protect themselves and others.
The
first step for anything is education. Every driver should have a
drivers ed so that they know the roles of the road and the
consequences of not following them. The most important thing you
learn is to eliminate distractions so that all your focus can be on
the road. The biggest distraction is a cell phone. According to Edgar
Snyder and Associates, texting and driving has led to 1.6 million
crashes per year making 1 in 4 accidents caused by texting and
driving. Creating laws against texting and driving will not make
these accidents stop from happening but it would make people
responsible for their actions. Other distractions are food,
passengers, including pets, loud music and much more. While educating
statistics should be shown to highlight the facts.
Most
people end up being less careful on the road because they think an
accident would never happen to them. In my own life, I have seen my
parents and friends run stop signs, speed and distract themselves
while driving. These things always seem small and nonhazardous but
the unthinkable will happen. Think about it. A personal step I take
is holding myself to a high standard while driving. This means
following the road rules and being 100% focused at all times. Not
only will this keep me and others around me safe, it will also set a
good example for my younger brother.
