Nowadays, reading fatal news is not surprising anymore; it has become a norm. When? I’ve always had that question in my mind. When did all this change? How did we get to this point?

And one of the main causes of these heartbreaking situations is reckless driving. Every day, lives are lost because of a fraction of second destruction. A missed stop sign, a missed red light, text message, a loud laugh in the backseat. We’ve normalized the pain. People don’t even have reactions when they hear painful stories. But to me, it’s not normal. I’ve seen what it’s like to feel that loss, It grows with time.

When I started learning how to drive, my father told me a story that I’ll never forget. He lost several of his brothers and sisters in a minivan crash back in Ethiopia. One mistake, and just like that many hearts were gone, breaking the ones left behind. He told me, "safety should be the first thing every driver needs to prioritize, not the music coming up next or the chat in the backseat.” Otherwise similar pains are likely to happen, and what follows is irreversible situations, despawning lives, and haunting pains. He said everyone should learn the value of life before they even touch the wheel. That story wasn’t just a warning, it was a generational life lesson about the weight that comes with driving.

Here in the U.S, I see similar situations, except faster, louder, and way more dangerous. Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in this country. It’s not just a teen issue, it’s everyone's issue because someone’s passing affects multiple people’ it breaks families and friends’.

Teenagers are always excited to get their license when they turn 16, and that’s normal; it’s the beginning of a new chapter, freedom to go wherever, whenever. However, freedom without discipline is dangerous. That’s why a high level of driver’s education matters a lot. It’s not just about how to turn or how to park, but how to value life, how to respond under pressure, and how to be responsible not just for yourself, but for everyone else inside the car and on the road. My father always says “when you drive, you're responsible for everyone’s life inside your car, and you should always prioritize everybody’s safety more than anything.”

It’s easy to point fingers on teens but the world is not set up to help them as well. Distractions are everywhere. Phones buzzing, notifications popping, music blasting, and peer pressure saying do this and that “as a fun.” Some teens don’t even take driving seriously because they haven’t seen the cost. However, the value of life should be the first lesson in driver’s ed lessons.

Another big challenge? Lack of road life experience. Real driving skill isn’t just about passing the DMV test, it’s more than that. It's knowing how to react when your tires are blown out, when a driver tries to start a road rage, or deciding if you should Uber or drive back when you’re extremely exhausted. These things take practice through time to develop. One thing everyone should remember is that everybody’s intention is to make it home safe, that’s the goal.

I treat driving very differently than most people because I haven’t forgotten what happened to my family in Ethiopia, and I don’t ever want to be the cause of that pain for someone else. When I get behind the wheel, I know that safety is my priority. I think about the lives lost, and the ones I’m still fighting to protect, including mine.

Teens need to start holding each other accountable, that’s a game changer. Having a circle that holds us accountable when we’re wrong is a great way of fighting those accidents from happening. Real friends speak up. Real friends don’t let you text and drive, speed, or joke around with people’s lives. If your circle doesn’t respect life, then it’s time to find a new one.

I believe schools should invite people who got involved in a car accident or who got affected by a car accident as a speaker to educate students. Honestly, I’ve heard lots of people in my high school calling the lectures boring; however, I think they will respond to real emotions of that person. Pain can be easily seen, and it’s powerful.

Communities should also offer more accessible high level driver’s education programs. Some families can’t afford driving school, so kids hit the roads not fully educated. It’s time to change that. More affordable high quality courses for better safety. Make safety a right, not a privilege.

Sometimes I ask myself what would’ve happened if the driver of the minivan had been more careful? What if the roads were better? What if safety was a priority? I’ll never have the answers, but I probably wouldn't have seen the pain I saw in my father’s face as he tells me the story. And I’ll use it to make sure someone else’s story doesn’t end the way my family’s did.

Teen driver safety isn’t just about rules. It’s about respecting life. It’s about taking responsibility and accountability for life, and if life is losing value in the world, then let’s be the one to start a wave to help restore it. Let’s make every journey count.