In the last decade well over 30,000 people a year have died from vehicular accidents in the United States. When reading the number it is easy to just pass by, but lets put this in perspective. Less people died in the entirety of the American Revolutionary War than yearly vehicle deaths. This is a surprising stat, and very hard to wrap your head around. Many factors contribute to the massive death total we see. Things like speeding, driving distractions, driving while intoxicated, driving tired and also just the sheer amount of drivers on the road everyday. Despite this there are still many ways we can better prepare drivers to drive increasingly aware and safe. One of the ways we can do this is have a free driving course in all public schools, for 16 year olds and above. Personally I could not afford the driving course my high school offered, that in turn affected the time it took to receive a driver's license. Classmates of mine had a better more streamlined way to receive a license and were out on the roads earlier and better prepared. If we offered such a class to all students willing to participate and learn, there will be a group of people who started driving earlier which gives them better experience for the future. Another way to promote safer streets is by simply reducing the number of drivers on the road. In metropolitan areas we should increase the budget and attention to public transit. Implementing things like high speed rails and developing new transit routes can increase the use for public transit. Reaching into more rural areas into metro areas could also boost public transit use. Using smart technology for public transit is also a beneficial idea. We see smart tech being implemented now with things like the MTA app, where riders can use their phones to check train times and buy tickets. Our big institutions should also get involved in public transport. Big corporations like Union Pacific Railroad or Amtrak should be investing into the latest innovations. The United States government can also play a huge role by increasing federal funding through things like infrastructure bill. Unfortunately I have had bad experiences in driving accidents. While an accident is occurring it feels like time slows down right before the impact, shortly after ears ringing and shock, and that’s if you are lucky. While riding passenger in my cousins car I see a car inch up from the adjacent street, seconds after we impact. After the confusion we see 2 guys jump out of the other car involved, my cousin and I get out the vehicle and some shouting and yelling ensued. Turns out the two men were driving while intoxicated. Realizing we were calling the police the two men ran away. Poor decisions not only effect your life but also the life of others. Thankfully we were safe without any significant injuries. One of the most tragic things I witnessed in my life is a passing due to car accidents and reckless driving. In my whole senior class there were 150 graduating kids, safe to say we were a pretty tight knit group. During my senior year, one of my classmates and friends were involved in a major driving accident, which costed him his life. It was due to the reckless driving of the person who was operating the vehicle. The poor driving conditions mixed with the speed of the car caused it to flip over and land in a pond. My friend was put into the ICU from injuries sustained during the accident and days later passed. It was a very tragic time period for I and many around me. These experiences have shown me to respect the road and be very cautious while driving. As they say driving is is privilege not a right, I agree with this statement. One of my personal favorite quotes is from Sam Raimi’s Spiderman film, “With great power comes great responsibilities”. This is a very profound quote because it can be implemented in almost all facets of life, driving and operating vehicles being one of them. It is important to respect the speed limit and always be alert while driving. Being distracted while driving should be a non negotiable, especially phones. While driving I always have the mindset that some or most people can be distracted while driving, in turn this causes me to drive increasingly more weary and defensive. Even if it is not the case, if we all adopt this mindset we can see a collective reduction in the accidents and deaths due to reckless and irresponsible driving.