In the United States, there are roughly 25,000 to 40,000 licensed morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors. Considering the country's population, that number isn't all that high, and it's not hard to imagine why.
It's a difficult job. You need a different kind of resilience and mental fortitude to make sure what you see and do doesn't constantly traumatize you. But there are times in an undertaker's career when they're shocked beyond belief by what they see, and it's usually linked to someone's reckless behavior while they’re still alive. Here are five of the most important pieces of advice they have.
Influencer and mortician Lauren Frost recently let her viewers know the behaviors she will not be partaking in after seeing the results at her job
Image credits: Lauren the Mortician / YouTube
Among them was the very common act of riding a motorcycle, which the undertaker says she will never do — neither as a driver nor as a passenger
Morticians have the kind of job that makes most of us say, "Well, somebody's gotta do it." Despite having made a career of caring for those who have left us, they still want to enjoy life with the living. That's why Lauren, a mortician who shares the ins and outs of her profession on YouTube, revealed the kinds of activities she refuses to take part in after everything she's seen, and urges you to do the same.
The first piece of advice she gives — and one that many of us already follow for a wide variety of reasons — is to avoid riding a motorcycle. The mortician explains that she has had to work hard to restore someone's appearance after a gruesome motorcycle accident, and no, it wasn't an isolated incident, because young people like “really fast bikes.”
In fact, she says most people never think these accidents will happen to them, but after seeing what can happen, she'll never ride a motorcycle again. And her fear isn't unfounded. Statistics show that motorcyclists are around 28 times more likely to die in a crash than people traveling in cars, since motorcycles leave riders far more vulnerable than fully enclosed vehicles.
Image credits: freepik / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Followed by motorbikes, she includes not fighting on the road with a semi-truck after seeing the results of a gnarly accident
Another piece of advice that won't surprise anyone who spends time on the road is this: "Never mess with a semi-truck." Lauren shared this warning after caring for a group of girls following a particularly horrifying crash in which their car was crushed by a semi-truck. "They didn't even look human anymore," she said.
She urges everyone to stay calm behind the wheel and never brake-check semi-trucks or cut them off. It's simply not worth risking your life. The standard weight limit for a semi-truck in Europe is 40 tonnes. To put that into perspective, the average European car weighs no more than about 2 tonnes. As far as Lauren is concerned, messing around with a semi-truck at high speed is something she would never even consider.
Image credits: pasindu88 / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Still on vehicles, snowmobile riding is a fun and unique winter activity, but one that Lauren, the mortician, would not do under the influence
Image credits: 02irina / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Perhaps a little different from riding a vehicle, but Lauren says riding on a car's hood, or "car surfing," is a common way to end up in her "office"
Perhaps the most surprising item on this list is snowmobiling. According to the YouTuber-slash-mortician, the activity isn't necessarily more dangerous than the others, but it has claimed far too many lives because people often ride snowmobiles after dark — and after drinking. So, "don't drink and drive" is a rule Lauren now applies to every vehicle.
That also includes riding on someone else's car. Not in the car — on it. That's right. Apparently, people getting hurt while "car surfing" is far more common than you'd think. The trend involves sitting or standing on top of a moving car, but no one ever expects the driver to suddenly lose control or slam on the brakes. Lauren calls it a "high-stress situation" and says she doesn't trust anyone to make the right call in that moment.
Image credits: freepik / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Last but not least, seatbelts exist for a reason, and everyone will easily advise you to wear them as they can prevent tragedy from knocking on your window
The least surprising piece of advice — and probably the one we hear most often growing up — is to wear seat belts. The mortician recalls being called in far too many times after someone was involved in an accident that could have been survivable if they had been wearing one. "There was a very real chance they would have survived," she said. "It makes such a big difference."
Unfortunately, studies show that Lauren is right: not wearing a seatbelt, especially while using your phone behind the wheel, contributes to many preventable tragedies. And yes, a whole of 66% of active drivers admit to using their phone while driving, which is absolutely mind-boggling. To quote Lauren: "Your life is not worth a text message."
Image credits: rawpixel.com / Magnific (not the actual photo)
In response to this news, netizens were fairly quick to share their own experiences while doing these activities — but thankfully, it didn't land them in Lauren's office. So, after hearing all of this advice and picturing the unfortunate scenes Lauren has witnessed, will you actually put any of these rules into practice in your daily life? Let us know if you will, or, if not, why?
Netizens fully understand the dangers of being on the road and driving, and unfortunately, many know far too well what it's like to lose someone to aggressive accidents
