In the spring of 2021, my mom was nearly killed. It was a normal day in Utah, and the weather was finally starting to warm up. She checked items off her to-do list while I drove home from the grocery store. Less than two miles from our house, I was driving through a four way stop when we were slammed by another vehicle from the right side. The driver had been on their phone, speeding, and didn’t see the stop sign, or our car. My mom was rushed to the hospital, and it was one of the most terrifying times in my life. In the blink of an eye, my life was changed forever. I remember the other driver crying and apologizing. How ironic that the person responsible was practically unharmed. I remember the sirens, and the smell of burnt rubber on the asphalt. By some miracle, my mom made a full recovery, and I am so lucky to have her with me when I leave for college. In 2021, there were 39,508 fatal car crashes in the United States. My mom could have been one of those, and that terrifies me, but luckily, she was wearing her seatbelt. Wearing a seatbelt increases your chances of survival by almost 50% in an accident. In addition, drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are three times more likely to get in a crash than any other age. The education of new drivers is essential to their safety, and the safety of every single person on the road. It is crucial that new drivers know the importance of wearing a seatbelt every single time they are in a car. How can we accomplish this? At the end of the day, each driver is responsible for what they do behind the wheel, but I believe we can decrease the amount of deaths on the road. It starts with us. This generation is the one that will make real changes in the world. We have the power to influence the people we love. As teenagers, when we see our friends driving without seatbelts, it’s not difficult to ask them to wear it. Not only that, but I think it’s cool and chic to be safe. Seatbelts are awesome and stylish! Wear them! When a friend is texting while driving, offer to send the text for them. It’s easy to disregard the dragging classes required to get a drivers license. It’s much more difficult to ignore your best friend asking you to be safe. Soon enough, our generation will be raising children. One day, they will have the opportunities to learn to drive. It’s exciting, it’s thrilling, but operating a vehicle is also dangerous. It will be our responsibility to teach our children the importance of driving responsibly. We get the chance to impact our children, the kids who look up to us and trust us. We can teach them the serious consequences of reckless driving, and hopefully, make a lasting change in the next generation. Think about the impact your parents have had on you. Chances are, they have helped shape you into the person you are today, for better or worse. My parents have always believed in safety. They made me and my siblings wear our helmets when riding our bikes in the neighborhood and while skiing. As a kid, I thought it was embarrassing. As an adult with a slightly more developed prefrontal cortex, I realize that they were right. My parents have made me who I am, and I am incredibly grateful for the rules they always insisted on. As someone who wants to have kids one day, I plan on having the same rules, because I love my family and I wouldn’t forgive myself if anything happened to them. I want my child to wear a helmet on their bike, and I want them to wear a seatbelt while they drive. At the end of the day, we cannot control every person on the road. We can’t plan for every bad thing that could happen, but we can prepare ourselves. Most accidents can be prevented, and I intend to make sure my children are well prepared to avoid any accidents. Most importantly, I will teach them by example. Children will do what we do, not what we say. I will always wear my seatbelt. I won’t be distracted by my phone. I’ll be aware of my surroundings, and do everything I can to drive safely. I need to be there for my family. If I’m not, they could be gone in the blink of an eye.