Driving like others lives depend on it

Driving is not easy. It takes practice. It takes responsibility. It takes maturity and it takes wisdom. It takes time to learn and diligence to understand. Do you know what drivers’ education is? It a course of study that teaches students the techniques of driving a vehicle while also teaching them skills they need to know when getting behind the wheel. Driver education can help reduce the number of deaths due to vehicle accidents. It teaches you about distracted driving, the consequences of not paying close attention to what you are doing when driving and the privilege that it is to get behind the wheel. Driving is dangerous. There is on average, 34,000 deaths, each year as a result of driving. That is more than the total number of American soldiers that died during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The steps to reduce the number of deaths related to driving are simple. Well clearly not that simple or everyone would do it. They include, paying attention, not getting behind the wheel while under the influence, obeying all traffic laws, and even one as simple as driving with an adequate amount of sleep. They are such simple steps yet so many deaths are caused by failure to follow the steps. Sleep is detrimental for your body. If you are going on lack of sleep then it impairs your ability to drive and concentrate. When I was 17 years old, I was headed to my high school at around 6:50 in the morning. It was a Friday and on the second Friday of every month I got Chick-f-la for myself. I approached a stop light and obviously stopped. I noticed another teenager girl coming up behind me with her head down and she was not stopping. It was almost as if I could see it happening in slow motion. Seconds later she ran into the back of me. I was in a little bit of shock at first but called the police as you always should. When the cop got there, he talked to the other girl who hit me from behind and she was on snapchat and was also not wearing a seat belt. It could’ve been much worse. What if she hit me so hard her airbags went off? What if she flew through the window of her car? For what? All for a snapchat that apparently couldn’t wait. I’m here to tell you this. Whatever it is, it can wait. That text can wait. That snapchat can wait. That post on Instagram can wait. There is nothing more important than the life of yourself or the lives of others. One of my close friends was in a really bad car accident about 6 years ago. She was in her sophomore year of high school. She lived in the state of Mississippi. She was driving her dark grey Volkswagen Jetta. She was headed to school at around 6:30 in the morning and another vehicle blew through a stop sign and T-boned her car. He flipped multiple times. There were two people in the vehicle. Both who were not wearing seat belts. The passenger of the vehicle was the driver’s girlfriend. She was eventually pronounced brain dead later on that day at the hospital. The driver was her boyfriend. Due to his distracted driving, he is responsible for the death of his own girlfriend. He did not have insurance or registered license plates on his vehicle. He now has to live with that guilt. If he simply was paying attention, then the love of his life may still be alive. My friend was okay. She had some cuts and bruises, and her car was totaled but she is lucky to be alive. When turning 16 years old, everyone counts down until the day they can drive. It is such an exciting time of life but when you are a teenager, you don’t realize the privilege it is to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. When stepping foot into a vehicle, here is a little thing to think about. There are going to be many people on the road. All of which have a family and friends to get home to. Jobs to attend. Dinners to be made. The result of your poor driving could end their life. It could tear their family apart. It could make you end up being in jail for causing the death of another individual. It isn’t worth it. Stay focused. Stay responsible and drive like others’ lives depend on it.