Is it Worth It?

Everyone
has his or her own dreams in life. People who wish to fulfill these
dreams of theirs however, often need to take risks; risks judged on
the phrase, “is it worth it?” Driving is a risk that roughly
eighty-seven percent of legally able Americans deem worth it, and
rightfully so. These Americans undertake driving on a semi-regular to
frequent basis, even after being informed of its dangers. In a world
where driving is often more dangerous than being in a modern day
warzone, it is important that we teach drivers to make the most
informed decisions they can on the road. As new drivers are taught to
avoid distractions such as their ever present phones, avoid speeding,
and never drive under any questionable circumstances, the number of
driving related death will begin to decrease. The realization needs
to be reached that it is our job to keep the roads safe.

As
I was turning sixteen, the legal driving age in Texas, I was always
very eager to drive. I had a particularly late birthday and most of
my friends had been driving months if not some over a year before I
was able to. After going through a drivers ed program I distinctly
remember the instructor doing something that would stick with me
throughout my years of driving. My class was taught to always
consider the consequences of our actions, and I think that because of
this,we’d already been saved from accidents both minor and major in
our lives. By always considering the worth of my actions while
driving, I was able to put aside distractions such as my phone and
always focus on the road. Steps such as these can help everyone in
lessening the hold that unneeded activities have on their focus while
driving.

In
my personal experience driving, while I’ve never been in a real
accident I’ve had close calls often due to distractions such as
people in the car. I know that I could be a better driver by becoming
more patient and reducing the urge to speed. The problem that I and
everyone else has is that there is no real end all-be all solution to
stop driving related deaths. Human error and poor judgment will
always be present and there will always be consequences for making
poor decisions. All that any of us can and should do is enforce safe
driving practices ourselves, and try and inform others to do the
same. Even if it comes down to just telling a friend to get off their
phone while driving or slow down, or even teach by example, it will
always take effort on our part to lower the risk of driving
fatalities. Only when we ourselves practice safe driving habits and
really take time to consider if what we’re doing is worth it, will
we really be able to make the roads a safer place. It is our job.