A couple of months ago I was in my car jamming out to music in my car. While I was waiting at a red light, I felt my body being jolted forward as a car behind me crashed into the back of my car. Shocked and terrified as I was, I slowly turned my music down and pulled off to the side. Luckily, no one in this mishap was hurt and my car had very little damage due to it being a Tahoe and being able to handle a little rear-end situation. The man who hit my car was pleading that he was “distracted” and didn’t see me. Later on that day, I felt pain in my neck and I was still shaky due to the accident. I took one single Tylenol pill to make my head feel better and that was the end of my story. This isn’t the case for a lot of people. My neck pain was nothing compared to the pain of losing someone due to a car accident. My shaky hands were nothing compared to thousands of broken bones or lost lives. I was lucky enough to only have to take a Tylenol pill, rather than be in a hospital bed. My simple rear-end accident and millions of other accidents can be avoided if drivers on the road were to simply stay away from distractions.

70% of California crashes are due to distractions while driving. This includes being distracted by phones, the radio, other people in the car, eating, doing makeup, getting ready, etc. The majority of people who drive are most likely guilty of committing one of these practices while driving. These distractions take away your senses to notice your surroundings and ultimately lead to a higher chance of getting into a car accident. If using a phone, make sure it is hands-free use such as a speaker phone. The easiest way to not be distracted by a phone is to put it on silent mode or put it away so the driver won’t be tempted to check on it. This is easier said than done, but when looking at the statistics of vehicle fatalities, it should be more motivating to do.

When eliminating this major distraction, it opens up the possibility of seeing the environment around the driver to make sure they are aware of their surroundings, lowering their chance of getting into an accident. Being under the influence also causes impaired and distracted driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “About 30% of all traffic crash fatalities in the United States involve drunk drivers (with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher). In 2020, there were 11,654 people killed in these preventable crashes.” This distraction is a major factor in fatal car crashes. Simply taking time in between drinking and driving or not drinking at all and being responsible with alcohol or any other substance can ultimately avoid these crashes.

Being responsible with your privilege of driving is something most people take advantage of. Being responsible includes knowing the road rules and laws, taking care of one's vehicle, or even keeping one's emotions intact and not allowing yourself to act upon them causing conflict on the road. In the process of getting a driver's license, those who are under the age of 18 are required to take Drivers Ed which includes rules and safety of the road. These should not be ignored and skimmed through, but rather enforced more strictly because many drivers tend to ignore these regulations. It includes defensive driving skills which create responsible driving habits. These habits then lead to the practice of keeping good maintenance of one's vehicle. Whether one's vehicle varies to a regular car or a motorcycle, it should always be kept up to date with regular tire, brake, or motor checkups to decrease any accidents that could potentially happen on the road.

Creating a safe environment for oneself also creates it for everyone driving around them. People on the road can make ignorant decisions, but when acting upon that it can create conflict which can distract drivers or put someone in potential harm of getting into a physical fight. The best way to avoid this is to simply look away and ignore it. One's actions can affect everyone else whether it's realized or not. Being an irresponsible driver can create risk for everyone on the road, thus increasing the chances of car crashes.

To conclude, simply following road regulations and laws can collectively decrease almost all causes of car crashes. These include knowing road signs, the speed limits, light and seatbelt laws, and many more. Speeding is a major factor in crashes which include up to 30% of traffic fatalities according to the National Safety Council. Getting to the destination safely should be the priority rather than speeding and getting there faster. Being lazy or irresponsible isn’t an excuse to disobey traffic laws.

Simple steps to reduce traffic can not only cause fewer accidents but save millions of lives. Turning those keys in the ignition is a risk every day for everyone who is driving, only because many people don’t want to follow rules which leads to potential danger. Don’t be the reason for grieving families, seeing crosses with flowers and teddy bears on the sides of roads for a memorial of those who died, or even a reason for a single Tylenol. The safety of the community should be the main focus while driving.