Cars...or Weapons of Not-so-Mass Destruction?

Most people have one, everyone uses one, everyone who doesn’t have one, wants one… even toddlers pretend to have them! Yet something most never realize is the potential danger we expose ourselves to through their continued and sometimes unregulated use. What am I referring to? Cars. Yes, cars are extremely necessary in the present climate, what with everyone needing to be where they need to be quickly. And yes, cars have increased rates of travel and ease of travel exponentially, yet countless individuals underestimate or simply do not acknowledge that what they are doing is potentially harmful. Most consider driving second nature, something simple which requires little thought or focus. And if any focus is attempted, it frequently concerns getting to the destination as quickly as possible, without regard to fellow cars or drivers. As such, car accidents are the 5^th leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2007).

            During my freshman year of high school I very much enjoyed visiting my friends who lived nearby. Who wouldn’t? Yet one night, three days before Christmas to be exact, I was at the mercy of a couple in a standard, white, four door sedan that conveniently had forgotten turn on their lights. As it was dark and I saw no lights veering toward me, I felt it safe to venture out into the road to cross. I did not realize that (perhaps) people forget to turn on their lights and thus I wouldn’t be able to see them, but how would I know? I didn’t yet drive. I was subsequently hit by the car and spent Christmas in the hospital and the following months recovering. Yet I am one of the exceptionally blessed; thousands die daily at the hands (or tires) of vehicles. Speeding, forgetting to turn lights on, driving under the influence, texting while driving or simply not paying due attention are all cause to associate danger (and weaponry) with people driving cars.

Now I’m not saying that you should sell your car and utilize public transportation for the greater good (unless you are perhaps, over 65). But I would like the population at large to consider that through driving, they are taking their own lives, as well as the lives around them into their own hands. Fundamentally, I suppose I am saying, “Drive safely, drive conscientiously and please, drive consciously.”