Any Influence Is a Bad Influence

DMV
Driving Essay

Maxwell
Lubeskie

    Any Influence is a Bad Influence

Every
year thousands of Americans perish in automobile accidents. According
to the DMV website on average of 34,000 people lose their lives in
our nation alone due to such accidents. How could drivers ed
help reduce this massive loss of life? There is a need to educate not
only young people but all Americans about the danger of driving under
any influence. This entails the consumption of alcohol, prescription
medication, and narcotics of any form. The leading cause for
automotive deaths in this country stems from drunk driving. There is
already a massive stigma against driving while intoxicated, however
the same stigma does not exist for these other mind-altering
substances. Drivers must be educated not only on the proper rules for
driving safely but also on how to drive responsibly under many
different circumstances. If people become more aware of how
prescription medication or any mind-altering drug can lead to severe
impairment and possible death, I feel that deaths due to impaired
driving may decline.

I
feel a way to communicate this to not only new drivers, but existing
ones as well is to make it mandatory to attend a single hour-long
session explaining the dangers of driving under any influence, and
how it is the number one cause of automotive deaths. I feel this
could be hammered home by possibly having an interview of someone
impacted by an impaired driver. This emotional appeal may help people
understand how such negligence threatens more people than just the
driver. 

I
have never been in a vehicular crash due to the fault of the driver
of my vehicle. I have an Uncle who did act in a negligent manner. His
actions nearly cost him his life and impact him to this day. He was
at his brother’s house and had drunk more than a few beers. On his
way home he went off road and was thrown through his windshield down
a steep incline. He broke his spine and many other bones in his
bodies. He was airlifted to Hershey Medical Center. He received his
last rites three separate times. It was believed by my family that he
would not survive, his wife who was six months pregnant remained by
his bedside for weeks. Miraculously he survived and was not
paralyzed, he was however left with a deformed back and lasting pain.
His night of negligence has cost him a lifetime of pain.

As
I get older, I have experienced many people who were put in a similar
position to my Uncle. They could stay where they were and stay safe
or they could put their life and others at risk. I have always tried
to convince those people to stay where they were. I know that I would
never drive under the influence. I want to ensure that not just my
friends, but any young people should never drive under the influence.
One night of fun could turn into a lifetime of pain. I try my utmost
best to be a responsible driver. However, there is only so much one
person can do. Safer roads require all of us to act in a more
responsible manner. That is the goal of this essay, and to promote
driver safety.