Both the very young and the teenager are vulnerable to automobile accidents but for quite different reasons. Teenagers and young adults often fall victim to their own folly. The very young are almost always victims of someone else’s negligence. For example, in the United States “automobile accidents kill and injure more children, 0-4 years of age, than did the worst year of the polio epidemic,” reports Human Factors Society Safety Technical Group Newsletter. And World Health notes this about Nigeria’s youth: “Young people of secondary school and college are more liable to die on the road than to be killed by communicable diseases.”

Ignorance, carelessness, selfishness, and impatience are the root causes of most traffic accidents. When driving, have you noticed these traits in yourself? Have others? For example, how do you react when another driver cuts you off? Prevent dangerous feelings from surfacing by developing a good attitude, one that is free from resentment, frustration, and anger. In brief, have emotional control. Follow this wise advice: “If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it.”​—Proverbs 19:11, Today’s English Version.