Carsyn
Jacobsen

It
Starts With You

The
number of traffic fatalities is extraordinary. There are more deaths
per year in car accidents than altogether in some full wars. There
are, of course, national efforts to decrease this number. One example
is drivers’ education. Drivers’ education
plays a very important role in guiding new drivers to the
understanding of the dangers of driving and how they can mitigate
them. This helps make driving safer. However, it does not, and can
not, solve the entire problem. The only way to achieve true progress
is a total commitment to safe, defensive driving from each individual
person. The first step is you. The second step is the person next to
you. While one person alone may not be able to make a difference, one
person at a time will lead to change.


Approximately
a month and a half ago, I caused a car accident that totaled my
vehicle. I had attempted to cross a busy highway, cutting off a
person in the left turn lane, and hit the person who was approaching
the intersection after them. Since then, I learned an important
lesson and made the types of commitments that should be made by
everyone. The intersection was always dangerous, and presented me
with a lot of stress and several close calls before the accident. I
now avoid that intersection whenever possible and only turn right on
it if I have to use the intersection. Additionally, I put the law
before my own convenience. While that specific scenario isn’t
right for everyone, the concept applies. Each driver needs to agree
that if a situation consistently causes themselves stress or forces
them into dangerous predicaments, they simply ought to avoid that
situation whenever possible. And the law should always come first. If
each person were to drive in a manner that was constantly defensive,
legal, and avoidance of collisions, the number of accidents, and
therefore fatalities, would decrease dramatically. I have taken the
first step, and my next step is to encourage safe driving amongst my
peers. To all those who read this essay, I challenge you to find a
way to increase the safety of your driving and begin to encourage
your peers to do the same.