A Huge Responsibility

Have you ever been in a car accident? Do you know somebody who has been in a car accident? Almost everybody can say yes to at least one of these questions. That adds up to a lot of people that have been in car accidents. Many people do not acknowledge this, especially those that are starting to drive for the first time. Driving can be very dangerous, and far too many people think they are invincible when they drive.

Before I got my permit, I had to take a drivers ed class. Honestly, I dreaded going to it; it took up numerous hours, and all I could think about was the countless other ways I would rather be spending my time. It was not until a few days in that I realized just how important it was. We were watching videos of car accidents. It was then that I realized how dangerous driving is. I was just fourteen years old when I saw how big of a responsibility I was about to take on.

Sometimes it seems like kids will never realize how dangerous driving is. No matter what people tell them, it just does not seem to stick. I have had a few experiences in my life where people I know have gotten into accidents. Maybe that is what it takes because I know how responsible I must be when driving. We cannot afford to allow this to happen to so many people though. Perhaps self-driving cars are the answer, perhaps there is another way to reduce the number of accidents. Fear is very powerful; maybe it needs to be used to scare people into realizing just how dangerous driving can be.

Like I said earlier, I have experienced a few people I know being in accidents. When I was a third grader, my oldest cousin had to go to the emergency room after rolling a car on their gravel road. He was wearing his seatbelt, so he just had a few bruises and cuts, but it was still very scary. One of my friends has been in a few accidents, but last year she was very lucky that nobody got hurt. Her car barely hit a semi and spun around onto the other side of the road. My mom’s brother was not so lucky. When he was sixteen, he died in a car accident. So, I never got to meet him, but I often wonder what it would have been like if he would still be here.

When I get into my car, the first thing I do is put my seatbelt on. Then I make sure everybody else has theirs on. I realize just how much responsibility I am accepting when I turn the key. Even if I am being safe, it still can be dangerous because of others driving. If people understand how important it is to drive safely, many lives can be saved.