My suburban neighborhood was always prone to change. Renters moved in and out frequently, small stores nearby closed just to be replaced by even smaller stores, and there were new, expensive homes constantly being built. The place I once called home is now unrecognizable to me.
But down the street from my house, across from our local Wal-Mart, lay the makeshift memorial of my former schoolmate for many years. No matter how much time passed since her untimely death, there were always fresh flowers and teddy bears adorning a small section on the sidewalk of the intersection where she had crashed several years ago. She was only 13. At the time, I knew she was young, but now that I am an adult, I realize I didn’t truly understand how young she was, how much growth there is shortly after 13.
Even though I did not know her personally, I felt the ripple effects of her death throughout my community. She was only a year older than me, so we shared some mutual friends, and it was painful to see them all collectively in mourning.
But perhaps the most painful part of the entire tragedy was how preventable it was. The streets had been slippery and wet that night from all the rain, and since the driver of the sole vehicle in the accident was only 17-years-old, that meant she was far too inexperienced to be driving a 13-year-old passenger without adult supervision. Making matters even worse, the driver hadn’t been wearing her seatbelt, so when she lost control of her car and hit a tree, she was instantly ejected from her seat and killed.
When getting behind the wheel, it is important to remember that there are all types of people out there on the road, several of whom may not even be driving legally. While you can’t necessarily control the actions of those around you, you can always control your own. Defensive driving is key to road safety. It’s not enough to just follow the law. You need to be prepared for any and all situations or conditions you may encounter while driving. Since distracted driving is the cause for so many car accidents, it is most important that drivers always be alert to what is happening in front of them on the road. Avoiding distractions like texting, eating, drinking, or listening to excessively loud music while driving can potentially prevent another terrible accident.
The importance of focus and discipline while driving became even more apparent to me when I was nearing 16 and learning how to drive for the first time. I couldn’t forget the story of that young girl whose life had been cut short all because of an innocent mistake. She’d trusted her friend to bring her home safely, and they’d both died for it. Teenagers, out of all drivers, need to be especially cautious whenever they are operating a motor vehicle. There are laws in place restricting their driving privileges for good reason. People who are ages 16-19 are 3 times more likely to get into a fatal car crash, making them the riskiest drivers out of all age groups.
I only wish more teenagers realized this. Despite laws against it, it has become normalized for teenagers to drive unlicensed minors in their car without adult supervision. Such risky behavior should be strongly discouraged from all parents and guardians involved. There is almost always a safer travel alternative than allowing an inexperienced teenager to drive other inexperienced teenagers on a road full of dangerous motorists.
During my junior year of high school, yet another student from my class was tragically killed in a car accident less than 5 miles away from my home. Only this time, she was run over at night by a drunk driver while crossing an uncrowded street. Instead of calling for help, the driver frantically sped off from the scene of the accident. The victim was just 17. Because she was in my grade, her death felt even closer to me. I’d never met or known her personally, but I probably passed by her in the hallway a few times. Maybe I’d seen her on the morning announcements before. Maybe I’d scrolled past her account on Instagram more than once.
Sometimes, I wonder if I’m lucky to have never known these people before they died. I didn’t have to mourn their loss like everyone else did. But then I wonder if the real loss was having never known them at all. Both of them were so well-liked. They’d touched so many people in just a few short years of their life. Being so young, I always thought that I was invincible. Teenagers aren’t supposed to die with so much time ahead of them. But tragedy doesn’t discriminate against anyone.
When our school did PSAs on drunk driving like the famous Every 15 Minutes program, I was quick to dismiss them as dramatic and unnecessary wastes of time. But now I look back on them as vital to educating students on the dangers of driving while intoxicated. If it convinces even one person to always avoid driving under the influence, then how can it really be unnecessary? If even one life is saved from it, I’d call the PSAs a success.
I remember when a spokesperson from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) came to our school and delivered a speech on how her childhood friend was killed in a drunk driving accident before she’d even made it to high school. I never forgot that story. The whole auditorium had been shunned into silence, as she tearfully recalled the effects of her friend’s loss in her life. I cannot imagine anyone choosing to get behind the wheel drunk after hearing stories like that.
I believe that drunk driving is by far the biggest road safety hazard. An innocent life in my community was stolen by a drunk driver, who was unfortunately unsafe to drive and failed to immediately report their accident to the police. The victim hadn’t died instantly from the impact of the car. She’d eventually been found by someone and taken to the hospital where she had died later. So if the drunk driver had just gotten her help right then, perhaps there would have been more time to save her.
However, there is no room for “what-if?” scenarios. All that I can think about is “what next?” How can we educate more people of all ages on safe driving? What laws can we put in place to prevent more car accidents in the future? It’s a stressful conversation to have, but we cannot afford to ignore it whatsoever. Every life matters, and every choice we make behind the wheel could mean the difference between life and death. Let’s commit to making safer roads for everyone, one responsible decision at a time.