The carnage left behind after crashes are becoming a more and more common occurrence on the streets of Redbridge with mortality rates running into the 10’s of thousands across the nation.

These cold, metallic vehicles are seen to be fundamental to this day and age’s way of life, yet what cost are we willing to pay for the sake of ease of transport?

Every day the high price of a life is paid and these figures are alarmingly rising, with every 1 in 5 likely to be in a car accident at least once in their lifetime. With an all time high of around 880,000 casualties a year, questions as to what the causes of these unnecessary tragedies are raised.

Wearing a seatbelt, inexperience drivers and drink driving are major factors which make the difference between life and death in many circumstances. A further 430 people a year are killed for speeding; with another 300 for general careless driving involving being "careless, reckless or in a hurry". These excuses are not good enough. Driving can kill. This can ruin not only the victims’ life but yours too with a prison sentence lasting longer than 15 years.

Last week Woodford County High School and Ilford Ursuline Academy where given a presentation, ‘Safe Drive, Stay Alive’, in Kenneth Moore Theatre and it is an experience that I, personally, will never forget. The presentation, representing life in its harshest, left people shaking with sobs. Victims of crashes left without limbs and a mother who had lost her son were brave enough to face over 200 people to talk about their very personal tragedies, leaving the audience shaken. Losing a mother, father, brother, sister, friend, son or daughter is something I don’t ever want to have to experience. Their message was clear: Safe Drive, Stay Alive.

A Met Police officer who specialised in investigating crashes also spoke, saying that in the 20 years that he had been investigating, he had ‘never come across a crash that could not have been prevented’ which was absolutely horrifying to hear. Not only do these crashes place extreme emotional toll on the loved ones of the victims of crashes but also bring pain to the brave police officers, ambulance drivers and firemen who have dedicated their lives to helping the public. This waste of life is unnecessary and pointless.

So next time you decide to use your phone whilst driving or are in a rush and decide to speed over the limit Remember that your split second decision could ruin lives scarring not only physically but mentally, people who are undeserving of suffering at the hand of such selfish actions.

Anisa Chowdhury, Woodford County High School