Don’t Be The Reason

Don’t be the reason for putting someone’s life at risk. At 16, the thrill of being able to drive around town and do what we want is something that we all got excited about. We sometimes forget that if we are careless, lives are at risk. When my father was in 3rd grade, his mom was hit by a driver who was drunk driving and she did not make it. As you can imagine, losing a parent at such a young age is something that you can never recover from. The pain that I see in my fathers eyes every year when the day she dies rolls around is something that truly hurts my heart. I was never able to meet my grandmother, and she was never able to see what a great dad he truly is. It warms my heart to know that she is watching over my family from Heaven, and I know that she is proud of my dad. Prevention of drunk driving would be learned during the driver education course. Driver education can teach you the rules of the road, as well as how to be a safe and cautious driver. When I went to driver education I learned one of the most important things, which is to not put others in danger or at risk. The drunk driver who killed my grandmother was being selfish and was not thinking of others’ lives they could impact. All of my grandparents have passed already, and I always wonder if she would still be here with us today, if it hadn’t been for the drunk driver who struck her. Losing a family member is never easy, but it’s also not easy when you never get to meet them and show them who you are as a person. I would love to have shown her how my dad raised me, and why I am the way I am. I know that I am not the only one who has experienced or gone through something like this. When I have other people in the car with me, I am extremely cautious and aware of what is going on around me. Other important things that would be taught is if you are tired, do not drive. If you feel as if something may be wrong with your car and something might go wrong, do not drive. Although accidents happen, there are ways to prevent them and save lives and grief from families. Major things can happen just from running a stop sign. If you are riding with a friend or loved one who is not driving safely, please speak up for yourself. You could be saving your life, as well as someone else’s. For our country to reduce the number of deaths related to driving, we need to be aware of our surroundings and not be selfish. When you are behind the wheel, you are responsible for everyone around you. Looking at your phone to change the song or text someone back is not more important than someone’s life. Wanting to get home just to sleep in your own bed after drinking is not as important as someone’s life. Other people on the roads have families, children, and loved ones that are important to them and care for them. Do not be the reason that their loved ones have to lose someone so close to them. In order to help others be safe on the road, you must apply the same rules to yourself. Be an example to others while you are driving, and they may follow in your footsteps to be a safer and more cautious driver. Ways you can set an example for others while driving is to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you, do not drive intoxicated, follow the traffic laws, and change your driving for weather conditions. Driver education should be mandatory in order to get your permit license. Driver education would teach you everything that you need to know in order to be a safe driver, which is why it is so important to go and learn the rules of the road. Take the next step to becoming a safer driver and go to driver education to not only learn the rules of the road, but to save someone’s life. We can be the generation that makes sure drivers are prepared for the road. Next time you are driving, remember to be cautious and stay focused on what is happening around you. Lives are in your hands, and driver education can help you gain the knowledge to be the safest driver you can be.