Responsibility on the Road

Drivers
Education is essential for setting the criteria for what constitutes
a safe and responsible driver. Through this education, drivers are
more likely to take the steps necessary to ensure that there are as
few avoidable accidents as possible, which inturn helps reduce the
number of deaths caused through driving. I remember hearing stories
in Drivers Ed about accidents caused by irresponsible driving that
often resulted in death. These firsthand stories had an enormous
impact on me because they were often told by a loved-one of the
person who had died in the accident. I know that this aspect of
Drivers Ed has certainly influenced me to practice responsible
driving. In order to reduce the number of deaths related to driving,
it is essential that drivers remain focused on the road. This
includes staying off their phones, not eating while driving, not
driving under the influence, and frequently checking their mirrors
and surroundings.

Unfortunately,
a few years ago, one of my classmates passed away in a drunk driving
accident. He and his brother were on their way home one night when
they were hit by an out of control drunk driver on the interstate.
The loss of our classmate had an extreme affect upon my peers and me,
and the image of his mother sobbing at his funeral is still ingrained
in many of our minds. It was so angering that he had lost his life
because of someone else’s stupidity, in an accident that was
completely avoidable. Each year there had been many DUIs at our
school, but after the passing of our classmate, this number
drastically decreased. It was unfortunate that it took something so
tragic for people to finally start recognizing the repercussions that
drinking and driving could have.

As
a teenager, it is easy to become distracted by loud music, your
friends, or your phone. When I drive, I stay off of my phone, and
never multitask. I try to remind myself that whatever text I want to
respond to can almost always wait until I am no longer driving.
However, many of my friends do not practice this same type of
responsible driving. This is why I try to remind them to buckle their
seatbelts, stay off their phone, and pay attention to the road when
I’m in the car with them.