Self-Awareness Prevents Saying Goodbye

Self-Awareness Prevents Saying Goodbye

September 6th, 2016, cries echoed throughout the middle school gymnasium. I looked around with a tightening chest at the tear-stained, shocked expressions. Eighth graders should never have to hear the words “a classmate has passed away due to an accident.” Gavin Beaird and I shared a theatre class, as well as acted side by side. An intelligent mind and a bright soul, he always put passion into everything he did. But, due to a careless, intoxicated driver, he and his 6-year-old sister lost their lives on their way home from a relatives’ house; a routine journey.

Much like any mistake a person can make, if you learn how to prevent it, you can (and most likely will) avoid it entirely. This can also be said of poor driving. Driver’s Ed is essential to the education of inexperienced drivers who are not yet knowledgeable about the rules of the road. Driver’s Ed is helpful for everyone, but it is especially critical in the teaching of kids who may not have a parental figure in their lives to guide them through the scary world of driving. I have experienced firsthand many kids who have driven carelessly without guidance due to no guiding force.

Driver’s Ed will teach individuals not only about the rules of the road, but will show them the dangers of being a careless driver. Many teenagers today do not understand the consequences of poor driving, and may end up critically injuring or killing someone/themselves. Very easily preventable things have been the source of many accidents around me, including driving under the influence, driving with an unbuckled seat belt, and, more often than not, texting while driving. These are all possibly fatal encounters that can easily be avoided, and can be disencouraged through a Driver’s Ed program.

Driver’s Ed is not only a program that warns about the dangers of driving, but it also teaches you how to get out of sticky situations. For example, not all accidents are caused by another individual. Bad weather, especially in the winter, can lead to hydroplaning, your car getting stuck, or even skidding on ice. Driver’s Ed will teach you defensive driving skills, and ensure that you can get out of those tough situations. It is guaranteed that you will use these skills at some point in your life, even if it is just passing the information along to someone else who may need it.

Unfortunately, in today’s society, Driver’s Ed is not taught in many schools. But, I believe that now, more than ever, it is needed. Many teenagers just simply do not stop and think: could this injure me and/or someone else? So please, buckle your seatbelt, put your phone down, and take the initiative to take a Driver’s Ed class if it is available to you. Let’s be the generation to put an end to “a student has passed away in a car accident.”