We, in America, have done a great job in raising awareness about the responsibility we have that comes with the Right to Bear Arms. While tragedies do still happen, we are generally more aware of the risks involved with firearms and how to treat them responsibly.
Along with this awareness, most people have come to the understanding that the guns are not the problem by themselves. This is a behavior problem, and we have seen a lot of frustration in so many areas of our lives which continue to perpetuate the painful challenges that contribute to the divide within our country on this subject.
According to The Trace and CDC data, there were 48,117 deaths by firearms in 2022. Of these, 56% (26,993) of all gun deaths were suicide, and 41% (19,592) were homicide.
While every death is certainly a tragedy, and we need to focus on the behaviors associated with this violence, there is another behavior and weapon that is largely ignored. We put a lot of focus on semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles, etc., but there is another weapon that is responsible for nearly as many lives lost, and many more of these deaths have to do with bad behavior than they do with the weapons themselves.
10 years ago I lost my god-daughter needlessly. She was joyriding with her boyfriend and another friend, and the driver made a terrible decision which ultimately led to the end of her life. She was one of the most beautiful, fun, and energetic young women I had the opportunity to mentor, and at the tender age of 14 her light was extinguished forever. This was one of the most emotionally painful events I've ever experienced, and it could have been avoided easily.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were 42,795 fatalities related to traffic crashes in the United States in 2022. According to Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, LLC an estimated 90-96% of vehicular accidents are caused by human error. This means that at least 38,516 lives were lost due to bad behavior behind the wheel, eclipsing the 26,993 firearm homicides in the same year by 42.6%
Why do we not place more urgency behind being responsible drivers? I hear people all the time saying that they are excellent drivers, but the data just doesn't support that claim. Pacin Levine law estimates that 77% of Americans have been involved in at least one accident in their lifetime. What would it look like if we treated our cars like loaded weapons?
At least 38,516 lives were lost due to bad behavior behind the wheel, eclipsing the 26,993 firearms homicides in the same year by 42.6%
The average weight of a mid-size car is 3,300 pounds. The time it takes to stop that much mass at speed is much longer than most people estimate. This is obvious when you observe traffic going down the highway. People follow too close (you're not going to speed them up, I promise), they change lanes quickly and without looking to make sure it's safe (your mirrors are there for a reason), and they act like they are completely safe in their little steel world.
Add to this the road rage we all see every time we get behind the wheel. Some of you reading this article are guilty of this as well.
Think about this. What if we treated irresponsible or reckless driving with the same vigor that we treat bad behavior with firearms? How would behaviors change in your town, city, or on our national highways?
What would it look like if we treated our cars like loaded weapons?
Until we are able to enforce the traffic laws that we have in place today, it's up to you to start making this difference. Think about the lives you may save by paying attention when you're driving, and not thinking that you're the only person on the road. You're sharing the road with other people, not a mass of cars.
Here are a few behaviors that you can adopt that could save your life, and the lives of everyone you share the road with. If we can get these ideas into the heads of every driver in our country we'll save thousands of lives each year.
Leave earlier - When you're not in a rush you can be more calm during your commute.
Give enough space to account for errors - People will still make bad decisions, so giving yourself an 'out' could remove your odds of being involved in an accident.
Use your blinkers - Communicating to other drivers will allow them to make decisions that will give you room to maneuver.
Allow others to merge - Your trip is not going to be delays by losing twenty more feet in traffic. When you don't allow people to merge you increase the chances that they'll need to move suddenly and are more likely to get in an accident.
Back off - The closer you are to the vehicle in front of you, the higher your chances of being in an accident. This reduces visibility, decreases the amount of time you have to react in an emergency situation, and may cause the person in front of you to panic and act unexpectedly.
Remove all distractions - Texting has the same effect on driving as alcohol. You are not able to multi-task according to this article by The Atlantic, so the more things you try to do while driving exponentially increases your chances of making a critical error.
Pay attention - Driving is the most dangerous activity that we all engage in on a day-to-day basis. Because it's so common we take it for granted, and with millions of drivers on the road every day, there are millions of things that can go wrong at any given moment. The closer you pay attention to the traffic around you, the safer you'll be.
Many of us have known someone who was killed in a traffic accident. Nearly all of these losses could have been avoided, and it's up to each of us to change our culture. The next time you get in your car, think of it like picking up a loaded weapon.
Drive safe and respectfully.
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