Think Before You Drive

Think Before You Drive

Driving
is an everyday task used by the majority of our country. Therefore,
driving under the influence, or driving while being tired puts you
and everyone else on the road at risk. Drivers ed is mandatory
before anyone can start driving. It teaches you the rules on the road
and warns you about the consequences of unsafe driving. The sad truth
is that no matter what they teach in Drivers Ed, there will still
be people that break the rules. Usually people don’t change their
habits until someone they know is affected. Drunk driving is one of
these issues. Most people think that they are fine after a few beers,
but there’s no reason to risk it. My Dad told me a story once, that
I will never forget. He went to the University of Idaho which is only
about 7 miles from Washington State University. It was common to
party at WSU and then drive back to U of I. Most of the time, no one
was sober on the drive back but they would somehow make it home. One
night, my Dad’s cousin and his best friend went to WSU and got very
drunk. They ended up getting in a car accident and they were both
ejected from the vehicle. The best friend didn’t survive, and they
were unable to prove who was driving. His cousin was so drunk that he
had no memory of what happened that night. However, he asked to be
convicted because he felt so guilty for what happened to his best
friend. The court was never able to convict him without proof. Ever
since this happened, my dad and his friends have never drove drunk.
It’s extremely sad that a situation like this has to happen in
order for people to change their mindset. That’s how our society
works, though. People never think about the consequences of their
actions until someone they know is affected. Therefore, I think
teaching more stories like this will reduce the number of unsafe
drivers. No one will read this story and not be affected. Just
hearing what my dad’s cousin went through has affected my whole
family’s view on unsafe driving. Hearing, sharing, and experiencing
real life stories of people dying everyday due to unsafe driving will
alter the numbers. Be the difference, and think about how your
actions will affect people around you.