Seeing the U.S. Highway Fatalities Chart reminded me that to others, my sister is only one of the many $40,000+ deaths in 2006. To our family, she was a young, hopeful soul who would have reached any dream - if someone practiced safe driving.

Drivers ed determines how seriously a person takes their position on the road. Inadequate exposure to the dangers unsafe driving will lead to higher death rates. In order to reduce the amount of driving related deaths, drivers ed needs to focus on the people that are being affected, including the person driving. The reality of how brutal and life-changing a car accident can be is often not shown in order to prevent the driver from thinking the worst. However, without those images and that knowledge, it becomes much easier to ignore just how badly things can go, thus encouraging unsafe driving.

The first step to improving anything is education. There should be a better balance between traffic laws and the consequences of unsafe driving. In fact, I believe that there should be an extra course provided that focuses on what can happen when a person drives poorly. It is also important to provide harsher punishment for unsafe driving. We've all seen it; friends not fully stopping at a stop sign, speeding up to beat a red light or quickly switching lanes without using a signal. Police officers will also allow minor offenses to go by. Instead of allowing those things to happen, it should be strictly enforced by law because it could be that "small" thing that costs someone their life.

When I was five, I watched my family forever change due to a car accident. My sister passed, my brother's neck was injured, my mother suffered brain damage, and I am now a wheelchair user. Every drive now feels like my last. I do see friends and family drive irresponsibly and I have a habit of correcting them because I worry about our safety and the safety of those around us. I would never be able to forgive myself if I did to a family the same damage that was done to mine.

I believe that the steps I can take to encourage safer driving is to talk about it. Not many young people bring it up out of the fear of being "that person" who ruins the mood. It is also important to remind my friends that when I'm their passenger I am also their responsibility. When I get behind the wheel one day, I will remind myself of those values. The places I have to go to will not get up and leave. If I am late then I will have to bear that responsibility the same way that I have to bear being a safe driver.