The
Real Dangers of Driving
By
Asher Book


A
couple years ago, it was a normal day. My dad and I were driving home
from my grandparents’ house. I was reading a book when my dad
utters a soft. “Wow, what in t…” Before I had time to look up,
the car slammed to a stop. There I saw it. A tan colored sedan had
just hit the guardrail on the other side of the highway and was
airborne directly in front of us. Everything happened shocking slowly
in my mind, but it was almost instantaneous. The car flipped three
times before landing upside-down in the ditch on our side of the
road. It was completely silent. Then two girls got out of the car,
screaming. It was blood chilling. After sitting there for almost an
hour, we were finally released by the police, as we were first-hand
witnesses, and went home. A couple days later the police report came
out. The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was driving
distracted, when his car swerved. The driver then over-adjusted and
hit the center guardrail, before being ejected through the open
sunroof while the car was airborne. The driver died. The girls in the
car lost their father. The saddest part was, police and fire
department on the scene, said had he been wearing a seatbelt and not
been ejected, he would have been fine. The roads are a truly crazy
place. Not only do you need to be responsible for yourself, you need
to be responsible for knowing everything that’s going on around
you, for your own safety. Everyone and everything on the road are a
potential hazard, and you never know when things are going to go
haywire. Had my dad not hit the brakes because he wasn’t paying
attention, our car would have been hit directly by the car in the
accident. The number of driver deaths per year in America are
astonishing. Wikipedia states that an average of 34,000 people die
due to car related incidents, every year. Most of these accidents are
fully preventable as well! The easiest way to stay safe in a car is
to simply follow all road laws. Do not text while drive. Do not drink
and drive. Follow all road signs and road procedures. Most
importantly, always wear your seatbelt. These rules are in place to
keep you safe! Drivers Ed is vital to all drivers, as it teaches new
drivers all the rules and workings of the road, before you even get
out in it to practice. It also shows the tremendous effects that
little actions can have on, not only them, but everyone around them.
Almost every accident is easily preventable by doing exactly what you
are supposed to. Had the driver in the accident been wearing a
seatbelt, he may have been alive today. Had the driver not been
distracted, there would not have even been an accident.