Name: Kaleigh Walsh
From: Chicago, Illinois
Votes: 0
3
When I think about the importance
of drivers ed in reducing the number of deaths that result from
driving, I also think of the importance of reducing the number of
injuries from driving. Unfortunately, the world we live in is a scary
one where thousands of people die every day from “accidents”,
however that is the problem they are not always an accident because
they could have been prevented. To me drivers ed is one of the
most important aspects of everyone’s life. Throughout different
stages of life people are always driving, being driven around, or
walking around cars. While, people might think they have everything
under control, you cannot account for the people around you and the
distractions they have. By making sure people are educated from a
young age and continue to receive driving education it can be a step
in the right direction. Every day our world is evolving and our laws
regulating driving need to keep up as well in order to keep everyone
safe.
In
order for the number of deaths related to driving to be reduced I
believe that the laws and regulations need to updated as previously
mentioned. With the pace of society moving so fast and people being
distracting the government needs to make sure that people driving are
up to date with any safety concerns. Additionally, I believe that
people need to be more aware of how their actions can affects others.
While, someone who may consider themselves an experienced driver may
feel comfortable and safe driving we never know what might happen.
Although, we learn in drivers ed what to do, we never keep up
with these lessons later on in life until it happens in real life.
When people take drivers ed their instructor can explain what
to do in certain situations, but when those scary situations happen
in real life nothing can prepare someone for a split second decision.
By updating the laws and keeping the regulations relevant I believe
it can help the overall number of deaths and can hopefully lower the
number of people who get serious injuries from a car accident.
For
me personally I never reflected on the role of drivers ed until
my dad was in a serious car accident and I will never forget the call
I received from my mom. It was a normal Thursday morning when I woke
up for work and I went downstairs and noticed my mom working, but she
seemed a little off. So I asked my mom what was wrong and she
replied, “oh nothing it’s just normally by now your dad would
have called me and said he made it to work safely” I did not think
anything of it so I continued my morning and went to work. About an
hour later my mom had called me with a crack in her voice as I could
tell she was trying not to cry and I asked her what is going on and
she responded with saying, “Kaleigh I need you to go home and get
your siblings and head to the ICU at the hospital because dad was in
a serious car accident, they won’t tell me how serious the injuries
are until I am at the hospital, I know he broke his neck and that he
is still able to breath, but please get your siblings and head over”.
I instantly began to shake and did not know what to expect and I knew
if the doctors would not tell my mom what happened until she got to
the hospital that it was very serious. After I got my siblings and
headed to the hospital we had to wait over five hours for my dad to
get out of surgery. While, waiting my siblings and I found out that
my dad was on his way to work when a man had blown through a red
light resulting in hitting my dad, sending him into oncoming traffic
and into a ditch. From this car crash my dad had broken his C6, C7,
C8 in his neck and bruised his spinal cord all resulting with him
being paralyzed from the neck down. After my dad got out of surgery
it was hard to see him laying down all wrapped up, basically
lifeless. My dad had to spend fews in the ICU where my siblings and I
had to feed him and help him, until he was able to be sent to a
rehabilitation hospital. By the grace of God I am so lucky to have my
dad still here with my family and I, however this was one of the
hardest things to go through because all of this could have been
prevented. If the man who blew the red light would have made a better
choice, then both of my parents would not be out of work, then my dad
would still be able to work, then my mom would not have had to quit
her job to help my dad. While, I can go on how this man had made a
poor decision what is more important is to education others on how
they need to be aware when driving because you never know how one
poor decision can affect another person’s life. For the person that
hit my dad he was able to walk away with no injuries and enjoy his
daily life, while my father has to struggle every day and adapt to a
new life as being a paraplegic.
Although,
this experience has been the hardest thing that has ever happened to
my family it has made me realize how critical and important driver
education truly is. By people being aware of their surroundings and
expecting the unexpected it can help to lower the rate of deaths and
injuries from car accidents. By changing laws and regulations it can
help to keep people safe. By educating people on the statistics maybe
it will help people understand not to take every day for granted. As
people begin to educate themselves when it comes to the roads maybe
it will help to make sure “accidents” like these never happen
again.
