It is a terrifying road out there. People ask me: “Why are you so afraid of taking the wheel?” I will tell them this: as we drive, we commonly see the debris along the middle of the road leaving only questions to be asked: “What happened? “” Are they okay?”. On the highway, we see rubber, glass, and bumpers tossed around as if it were normal, however, it’s far from it. Accidents are called accidents for a reason. But at a certain point, when is it just ignorance?
In my small town alone, in the year 2023, 3,061 car crashes have taken place, thirty-six people lost their lives, and 1,284 of them have endured injuries. The population of Jensen Beach alone is barely 13,000. So why does such a substantial percentage of such a small population have to go through such events? Then we consider the larger cities where the population is larger. Education is key here. The statistics in a nation of over 330 million people will not have someone wide-eyed, after all, that is an enormous number and in retrospect, the number of car crashes might seem minuscule. Instead, let’s investigate these small counties and towns like mine where a sizable portion of the population is experiencing wreckage. We must show students that even if they are the most vigilant, attentive person on the road, another person’s slip-up can cost them a car, a traumatic experience, or even irreparable injuries. Cars are giant bullets that can destroy a life in a moment. A key to reducing deaths is teaching tudents and even current drivers how truly dire it is to be the best person on the road.
Furthermore, if we enforce stricter laws on drunk driving–a giant contributor to car wrecks–it will easily deter those from even thinking about driving after having alcohol. Having harsher punishments like convicting them of harsher charges, especially when they cost one’s life. Why should these people who drink and drive get off much easier than most criminals? They are quite literally murderers in the making. Then if they don’t get caught once, they get the confidence to do it again, and they’ll swear over and over that they’re fine. But because alcohol is a depressant and reduces your cognitive function, that alone is enough to change lives forever. Driver's education explains how detrimental it is for people not to drink and drive, but it’s simply not enough, especially when it happens so often. So, they must go further in-depth, gather more statistics, and show what happens to your reaction time, visuals, and cognitive functions after even a low dosage of drinking.
I have been in car wrecks and similar experiences. I do not think any one person can stress how truly horrible drunk driving can become on the road. For instance, my parents and I were on the road driving home from a day trip. It was an enjoyable day when we almost had our lives changed forever. A car on the road was driving so incredibly recklessly that they posed a genuine danger not to just themselves but to everyone else around them. They were swerving between lanes like an indie race, the car constantly kept speeding up and slowing down and nearly hit the highway’s walls a few times. We tried to pass them as best as we could in our worry when they nearly sideswiped us after deciding to abruptly speed up and swerve between lanes. It was a horrifying experience and if it had not been for my dad’s quick reaction time, we wouldn’t have made it home happily. And I can almost guarantee that the driver went unpunished that night because law enforcement is far too easy on drunk drivers, they only catch them once an atrocity has occurred. It truly is a terrifying road, with so many people being the catalyst of wrecks it is just pure ignorance. How can someone confidently say that they can drive after being nearly knocked out from the sheer amount of alcohol they’ve ingested? Whether it be a lot or a little, it is dangerous no matter what. The smartest thing to do is what my parents often do. One will never drink at a gathering or party, and they will take the wheel, to ensure our safety. So, what if we don’t have two people and you're alone? Limit your drinking, wait an hour or two to get it out of the system, drink water, and have something like bread. It truly is not that hard, and yet the educators and the police can never emphasize it enough to prevent people. There will never be a 100% stop to things, but reducing it is far more key than anything else. My parents both have experienced wrecks, and my extended family too, my uncle going as far as to lose an appendage because of a car crash. Most of these were not due to drinking, but simply reckless driving. This is another huge problem; what can we truly do about this? It is as simple as starting with a harsher punishment, stricter car laws, more police to monitor. If we can eliminate those who ruin everything for others, then we can collectively become a safer nation.
I know what I’ll do to become a safer driver. Even if I fear the road, I still will drive, and I have been. I’ve personally vowed to never drink any alcohol to prevent anything bad from happening, I’ve been training my eyes to look everywhere I go. There’s always someone on the road driving like a maniac I must look out for. It is not fair to those who drive safely, because no matter what we do, there will always be one person who must ruin it all. I will go out and tell anyone close to me, especially those that I might drive with, to not drive after having a few drinks, to keep looking on and be mindful of the potential reckless drivers, and to be safe themselves. Taking the wheel is scary and facing the road is worse, but informing and spreading the knowledge of road safety is far more important to eliminate fright of the road, injuries, and deaths.