The number of Americans that die each year as a result of driving is unacceptable. More often than not, the victims of these accidents are not in the wrong. It is all too common that fatal accidents are caused by those driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Driving is something that most people do every day, whether it be to commute to work, school, or the store. Without driving, people would have to find other ways to get where they are going. Public transportation does not operate all hours of the day, some places are not easily accessible by bike, while others are simply too far to walk. However, the dangers of driving are very real, to the point where some are too afraid to drive. My grandmother, for instance, used to drive all the time, but with the increase in deaths in car accidents, she stopped driving completely. Additionally, my grandfather has an aversion to driving at night due to the decreased visibility. He worries that he may not be able to see if another driver speeds past him too quickly while he is attempting to change lanes. It is important to reduce the number of deaths due to driving so that Americans feel safer on the roads. It is an unfortunate reality that some drivers feel unsafe in their own vehicles. We must work to ensure that this issue is resolved as soon as possible.
Some steps that could be taken to reduce the number of deaths due to driving include harsher consequences for driving under the influence (DUI) and enforcing traffic laws more strictly. There are many drivers who do not take driving as seriously as they should. I was taught by my father that driving is a privilege and it is important to always be alert and drive defensively. However, some drivers have grown complacent and may ignore simple traffic laws such as speeding or stopping at stop signs. While these offenses may seem rather insignificant to some, a history of ignoring minor infractions can lead to causing a major accident in the future. Enforcing these laws more strictly would result in drivers being less complacent, thus increasing road safety. Furthermore, many adults are too reliant on the safety of the roads and may believe that driving after drinking is safe. This is never true. Alcohol and other drugs can severely impact judgement and reaction time, two crucial parts to driving. If a driver is not able to judge that a situation requires them to hit the brakes and is unable to brake in time, innocent people in other vehicles can be injured or in some cases, even killed. Harsher consequences for DUIs would likely reduce the number of drunk drivers causing accidents on the roads. However, not all accidents are avoidable. Some are caused by vehicle malfunctions or dangerous weather conditions. It is good to keep up with vehicle maintenance and drive extra carefully in snow or heavy rain.
Another important component to staying safe on the road is controlling road rage. It is all too easy to get frustrated when stuck behind a slow driver—I have experienced this feeling several times, especially if I’m running late. It can be tempting to follow close behind the car in front to pressure them into going faster. However, it is important to note that there may be something ahead of the car and the driver is just being cautious. Once, I was on my way home and I got stuck behind a slow driver. I was getting frustrated since I couldn't comprehend why the other driver was moving so slowly. A moment later, I saw that a massive tree branch had come down across the road and cars were having to drive around while it was being moved out of the way. Overall, it is far better to maintain a calm and clear head when driving.
My family loves taking road trips for vacations and all too often we have seen horrific accidents where semi trucks are off the road or on fire or small cars are involved in terrible crashes. One time I was looking out the window to get a better view of the accident on the side of the road and I saw a conglomeration of all sorts of emergency vehicles—two fire trucks, two ambulances, and several police cars. As I looked on, I saw a body being loaded onto a stretcher—I had no idea if the person was alive or dead.
Another instance of a death due to driving unfortunately occurred on the first day of my senior year of high school. A student was driving home from school and was killed in an accident in which the other driver ran a red light. It was a devastation for all at my school and there was a newfound appreciation for driving safely. We all learned that our lives are extraordinarily valuable and that nothing in life is guaranteed—not even the next day.
It is important to take whatever steps possible to reduce the number of deaths caused by driving. Start by controlling road rage. Recognize driving as a privilege. Nothing in life is guaranteed, so it is necessary to take every precaution and keep America’s roads safe.