In the United States of America, a person is killed every thirteen minutes in a car accident. In the year 2005 alone, 42,643 people died in collisions, and 2.9 million more were seriously injured (car-accidents.com). Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading preventable causes of death. The number of deaths and injuries due to car accidents would be drastically reduced if reckless driving were eliminated. Drivers need to be attentive, responsible, and calm on the road to save and protect lives.
Many states are wisely banning the use of cell phones while behind the wheel. According to TMJ4, a Milwaukee news channel, “Someone talking on a phone is four times as likely to be involved in an auto accident. In fact, studies have shown that talking on a cell phone while driving is just as hazardous as driving under the influence of alcohol”. Texting has also become a major issue on the roads. Many teens, including myself, are guilty for sneaking a quick peek at their phones to check for new texts. Luckily I have not been in any accidents because of my phone, but I need to leave it alone when I am behind the wheel.
Another leading cause of vehicle crashes in the United States is “road rage”. Road rage is certainly not an uncommon occurrence on local interstates. Every time I drive through Chicago to get back home, I witness some form of road rage on I-94. Many of these incidents lead to collisions, or near-collisions. The road rage I see usually involves overly-aggressive driving, deliberately cutting off another car or preventing them from merging, honking the horn in a loud and repetitive fashion, rude gestures (such as the finger), and verbal abuse in the form of obscenities and threats. Road rage is an unnecessary and dangerous practice. To ensure safe transportation for everyone, drivers need to remain calm and polite at all times.
Today, driving is the most popular form of transportation in the United States. Most of us have had our licenses for several years and own cars. We take driving for granted and often put ourselves on auto-pilot when we get behind the wheel. However, this should not be our attitude towards driving. Drivers need to remain focused, stay responsible, and remain calm while driving. If we eliminate distractions, follow traffic laws for the areas we live in, and have patience while we are trying to travel somewhere, we could protect ourselves and others on the road driving close to us. Car accidents are one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States. By driving safely and sensibly, thousands of lives would be saved every year.
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You make very good points. People are always more distracted with other things that they do not even care how they drive. If we are running late, we always do things in the car on the way to work. I know that I am like this sometimes and I have caught myself on auto-pilot many times.
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