The smells of burnt rubber and leaking radiator fluid, the sounds of hydraulic tools cutting into mangled car frames, the feelings after hearing crying loved ones and witnessing tragedy. Car accidents and collisions have very distinctive and long-lasting effects on both the mental and physical health of everyone involved. I have had friends die in car collisions and I have been in one myself but the biggest impact these turbulent and often preventable nightmares have had on me is through my experiences as a volunteer firefighter. I have responded to many accidents ranging from small fender benders to largescale multiple hour-long operations that can require cutting patients out of vehicles, extinguishing vehicles on fire, setting up landing zones for medical evac helicopters and much more. The one thing they all have in common though is that they are never a positive experience for all the people involved. The victims of these accidents walk away with at best a scare and in the worst-case scenario they don’t get to walk away at all. The first responders to these scenes leave having seen traumatic things that will always stick with them. I have seen the field sobriety test that ruins a previously bright and optimistic life and have smelled intersections entirely filled with the smell of alcohol and burnt rubber. I have seen the lifeless bodies of people hit by cars with a distraught driver sitting on the curb and I have had the unfortunate experience of responding to many of my friend’s accident scenes, it’s not fun.
From all this destruction and turmoil though something positive has emerged for me. A better understanding of how I can be a safer driver and the ability to share this information with the people around me. Every call I run for an accident I learn something about how I can be a safer driver, especially in the community I live in. I take note of where many accidents occur and why they occur as well as when they occur. I have been able to personally gather information that changes the way I drive, and I share this information with the people around me. I let friends and family know “hey that intersection has a dangerous left turn” or “you should slow down and turn on your high beams going up so and so hill at night”. I feel more secure knowing my family and friends are aware of hazards when driving they might have otherwise never known about.
Many steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving including proper speed moderation, staying off electronics while driving and staying aware of surroundings. Here is some information for you. I have seen firsthand, and studies show that many more accidents occur after rain compared to during rain. While less cars are on the roads during rain there are other factors at play. There is a period after rain when the roads appear to be dry to the eye, but they are still wet. This can often lead to faster speeds than what is safe, which can lead to an accident. I see many accidents after rain on straight roads going into a bend or on backroads in areas that transition from straight to winding. I believe fire departments and law enforcement around the country should make a greater effort to make citizens not just aware of the general dangers associated with improper driving but also with community specific dangers that citizens might not be aware of. If more people knew that a dangerous intersection or road is dangerous, I believe more people would exercise caution on it.
Driver education is a very important aspect in reducing the number of driving related deaths. I believe this education needs to be done by the people that respond to these calls. I think more driving schools should directly work with local fire departments and law enforcement agencies to implement hands on accident education for drivers ed students and that this education should also be implemented more in the school systems. This is already being done with efforts like “every 15 minutes” that bring awareness to the dangers of intoxicated driving, especially in our youth. Having participated in some of these mock accident scenes and speaking to classmates after it really does put into perspective for them how much of a danger improper driving can cause. Sometimes a healthy level of fear is necessary to see positive change. People need to know that once you cross that line of causing an accident, especially under the influence, there is no going back. I also believe more education should be involved with getting a drivers license as in a lot of cases some drivers don’t fully understand the laws and rules of the road, and this can lead to tragedy. And nobody wants to experience tragedy. Thank you for your consideration.