Driving… We do it daily, to the point that we don’t even think twice sometimes before getting in a car. We text, speed, listen to loud music and even sometimes drive under the influence. I wonder why because these distractions can lead to somebody losing someone they love.
I know this because I think about my little brother every time I see another story about a drunk driving accident. At just six years old, he has already proven himself as a champion golfer, winning tournaments and even qualifying for the U.S. Kids Golf World Championships in Pinehurst. He has overcome challenges that many thoughts would hold him back—he didn’t speak until he was four, was placed in special education, and was labeled with a suspicion of autism. Yet despite those challenges, he continues to defy expectations, swinging his golf club with skill beyond his years.
But none of that matters if someone like him is taken from this world too soon by an irresponsible driver.
A Near Miss at Canes
One night, my friend and I were pulling out of a drive-thru at our favorite restaurant Canes Chicken Strips, when a car came out of nowhere, almost T-boning us. In that moment, everything changed. I immediately thought about my family, future and lastly my little brother. The headlights caught my eye, and our stomachs dropped as we braced for impact. But somehow, by miracle, we avoided the crash.
The driver? Under the influence.
That was the night I truly understood the powerlessness of being a passenger in someone else’s bad decision. That was the night I realized that no matter how safely I drive, I can’t control what someone else chooses to do when they get behind the wheel.
It terrified me. It still does.
I have my driver’s license, but I refuse to get a car because the truth is, I don’t trust other people on the road. I can control my own decisions, but I can’t control the reckless driver speeding through a red light, or the texter looking down for one second too long, or the person who had one too many drinks but thought they could still make it home.
The Reality: Innocent Lives Are Lost Every Year
In McKinney, Texas, where I live, drunk driving accidents are a tragic reality. In 2017 alone, there were 63 DUI-related crashes, and three people lost their lives because someone else made a reckless decision. Three people whose families never got to see them again, three people who could have been a mother, a father, or a little brother full of potential.
That number may seem small to some, but tell that to the parents who lost their child, the siblings left behind, the friends who now have to visit a gravesite instead of sending a text. One death is too many.
I imagine the horror of waking up to a call saying my little brother was hit by a drunk driver. A child with so much talent, so much passion for golf, gone in an instant because someone thought they were okay to drive. It makes me sick.
It makes me angry.
Because these deaths? They are preventable.
Steps to Reduce Traffic Fatalities
There are ways to reduce traffic deaths, but they require more than just laws—they require a cultural shift. People need to understand the weight of their decisions before they take the wheel.



Driver Education Needs to Be More Than Just a Test



Too many people view driver’s ed as just another hoop to jump through before getting a driver's license. But it needs to be an ongoing education on responsibility, consequences, and real-life impact.


Schools should incorporate real stories from victims' families, videos of survivors, and statistics that show the real-life cost of reckless driving.




Stronger Penalties for DUI Offenders



Some people don’t take DUI laws seriously because they think a fine and a suspension aren’t real consequences.


If someone chooses to drive drunk and kills someone, shouldn’t they be labeled a murderer?


I believe in second chances, but not when a life has already been taken. We need stricter enforcement of DUI laws to deter people from making these reckless choices in the first place.




Encouraging Safer Transportation Options



Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft have reduced some drunk driving incidents, it’s an app, click one button save a life instead of trying to save a few dollars.




Holding Each Other Accountable



If you see a friend about to drive under the influence, take their keys, call them a ride, or refuse to let them drive.


Many lives could be saved if more people had the courage to intervene instead of assuming someone else will do it.




How I Plan to Be a Safer Driver & Help Others
I know that I can’t control what other people do behind the wheel, but I can control how I respond.



I will never drive under the influence. PERIOD.


I will continue my education on ever changing traffic laws in my city, county and state.


I will be aware on the road. No texting.


A Final Thought: Every Life Lost is a Future Stolen
When I think about drunk driving deaths, I don’t just see numbers. I see my little brother’s face.
I see a six-year-old with a golf club in his hands, a kid who has already overcome so much, a child with dreams of competing at the highest level.
And I think about how easily his life could be stolen by someone’s bad decision.
The person who makes that choice might wake up the next morning with regret, but my brother wouldn’t wake up at all.
And that is why we cannot afford to take road safety lightly.
Because behind every DUI statistic is a person with dreams, a family who loves them, and a future that should have never been taken away.
Let’s make sure we do everything in our power to stop these preventable tragedies before they happen again…