Driving With Shadows

Paige
Lucas

Highschool
Junior

Driving
with Shadows

Worlds
of blue, red, white and black flash before your eyes at amazing
speeds. Faster than one could ever dream of running, these vehicles
hurl down roads, raceways and everywhere in between. As for the
people in these vehicles? They are all unique individuals, their
style shown in colors and personalization throughout their
automotives. Their lives center around the lives of others, and the
other lives center around more of us. So many of us have people we
love and care about, and the grief of losing a singular life, is
simply not worth words across a screen.

Everyone knows how to be a safe driver, yet everyday people make the
decision to not be. Whether it is driving under the influence,
driving without seatbelts, eating, or looking at their phones, these
choices endanger the person involved and all the people around them.
The importance of drivers ed is to help give understanding to
the idea that no one is immortal, everyone is impacted by everyone
else’s decisions and driving is dangerous. Simply learning to avoid
extra distractions could reduce the amount of deaths overall. For
example eliminating cup holders so that drivers can not drink while
driving, passing laws like in Germany, where driving without a hands
free device in the car is illegal. We can all come together as a
community to help avoid distractions that involve passengers as well.
By being in the car with multiple other people, you are already
somewhat distracted. Add to the fact that your phone is going off.
Instead of picking up your phone, ask a friend to answer the call or
text for you. Texting and driving is as much as an impairment as
drinking four beers and then trying to drive home. Nothing is scarier
than when someone is swerving their car while you’re in the seat next
to them, all because they are searching for their phone in their
pocket, or shuffling through the music on their phone. Would you put
your life in danger for the name of listening to the perfect 3 minute
song? If not, then why would you do that to someone else. Overall,
society needs to look at the facts and believe in our laws that are
designated for our safety and the safety of others. It’s up to all
of us to be safe, we owe it to the driver next to us with kids, to
the woman who takes care of her immobile veteran husband, and to the
children in your own backseat, putting their lives in your hands.