The Cost of a Second

Tires marks imprint the road guiding to a car that is now torn apart in half, tipped over on its head and glass spread across the road - its cab is crushed into itself. Another car is completely mangled also, off to the side of the road and dozens of emergency personnel are on scene. There’s a knock on your door with a grim police officer standing there, and says the haunting words nobody within the world would want to hear, but it’s to you. Your own child, relative, or even someone you know is dead. 

Dead from a car crash, the words seem to blur everything out as the word dead imprints itself within your mind. 

Being a safe and educated driver doesn’t mean just following road laws and regulations, it means to make sure your loved ones are able to see you once more. It means that not only you will be able to see them once more but even complete strangers to you can see their loved ones. This means wearing your seatbelt or following that speed limit. Being safe isn’t an option, it’s a privilege that drivers often take for granted because nobody expects it to be them. 

Education with road laws is a must, knowing when to slow down so your car doesn’t flip from taking a turn too fast, even knowing how to take the simplest unprotected left hand turn, people should know. Reading your local DMV handbook to driving and even going to a driving academy or doing driving courses will best ensure safety, as safety doesn’t come without knowledge. Now, don’t just zone out whilst you're taking your classes, take them in, understand the laws and how to drive in a proper manner. Being within the driver's seat is a privilege, it’s not just a right, and that privilege comes with the price of being well informed. This education isn’t only  just for drivers, it’s for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and passengers. 

Being safe means taking that extra second of waiting when trying to turn, just to be sure you don’t wreck. It could mean to wear your seatbelt, as if you get in a wreck it would hurt more if you get ejected from your windshield. Nearly 9,785 to 11,000 people per year lose their lives due to being unbuckled, and according to NHTSA thousands of lives per year could be saved if everyone just buckled up. Keep your phone out of reach and give it your full attention, make sure you drive sober and NEVER operate a vehicle under the influences as just in the United States alone there is 178,000 deaths per year. Not only should the driver be aware of what they’re doing but watch out for cyclists and pedestrians that may be crossing or walking next to the road. Most importantly, one thing most drivers are guilty of is slowing down, slowing down and following the law. If there are detrimental weather conditions that make driving unsafe, slow down, give the road your full attention, and be aware of others. With teens and young adults, make sure you don’t take unsafe steps when driving just to show off either. 

Not only does this mean watching your own and others actions, make sure your vehicle is suited to drive. If your tires are in bad condition get them changed, maintain your vehicle, make sure it’s reliable. 45,000 traffic accidents a year within the US are from vehicle malfunction or poor maintenance, invest the money into what makes you sure. Education is a big factor into this, know your vehicle, and what needs maintenance on it. Be able to identify the factors which can cause an accident, address them, and resolve them.

I could list on and on about how to be safe, but this is where you need that education as simply learning it from another is not enough. I beg people to be educated rightfully, don’t take those classes unseriously, and treat driving as a privilege. It’s not against the law or the amendments to not be able to drive, it’s a right that we earn through actually learning road laws and being safe on the road. From statistics given to us by the NHTSA globally there are more than 1.19 million people who die each year worldwide from road traffic crashes. This is 1.19 million people who are elders, kids, teens, adults - all with families, friends, loved ones who will never get to speak to them again just because of driving. 

So save the devastating car crash that wakes your family up in the middle of the night for, instead, slow down and take your time. You won’t have any time left if you don’t drive responsibility.