Name: Rachel Lisi
From: Corinth, Texas
Votes: 0
The ability to go
as far as the gas in your car will take you is a liberating feeling.
In a world as vast and diverse as ours, there is endless possibility
to experience new cultures and travel to a place unlike your own.
Even exploring the area close to home can entertain the natural
curiosity of humanity. However with the power to explore the
breathtaking world we live in, comes a responsibility. We all must
understand that we are piloting a several thousand pound machine.
Now, I’m no physicist, however several thousand pounds of pure
metal can cause a lot of destruction if not handled with care.
Distracted and reckless driving can impact not only the life of the
negligent driver, but those around them.
Thankfully, I have
personally never been in an accident, but I have been in the car with
a reckless driver. I remember being in the car with a friend who was
going well above the speed limit. Despite my requests for my friend
to slow down, they did not. I became fearful for my life and would
not allow myself to become victim to a reckless driver. I told them
to pull over to the side of the road and walked back to my car a few
miles away. I could have easily told them to just take me back to my
car, however I didn’t for several reasons. The main reason is
staying in the vehicle still puts me at risk, despite the relatively
short distance. The underlying reason is ,hopefully, the person
realizes that they put their passengers life in danger and it
encourages them to change their behavior for the well-being of
themselves and those around them.
There are many
steps we can take to prevent unnecessary disasters from happening.
According to the National Conference of State Legislators, 48 states
have a text messaging ban and 20 states have a handheld cell phone
use ban while driving. While progress has been made, anti-phone use
laws should continue to be encouraged by the general public to make
roadways safer. As more laws are put into place, the more local
agencies and law enforcement are able to create a safer environment.
While our
legislators work to create preventative laws, it is also the
responsibility of every individual to set boundaries and have no
toleration for reckless and distracted driving. Passengers must speak
up to a careless driver. If a driver is trying to use their phone
while driving, offer to do it for them. If the driver is speeding,
ask them to slow down. Ultimately, if passengers of a reckless or
distracted driver don’t speak up, nobody will. Speaking up could be
the difference between the driver possibly hurting themselves and
those around them or becoming a responsible, safe driver.
