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.