Safe Drivers Save Lives

A
2004 Chevy Corvette pulls up next to an Audi at a red light. The Audi
catches the attention of the Corvette with the mocking roar of its
engine. The Corvette too, pushes the gas pedal while still in park.
Ahead of them lies a wide, straight road. The speed limit is 40 mph
but people go at least 60, treating it like a highway. By the looks
of it, one many easily mistake it as one, if they ignore the fact
that there’s no barrier separating the cars going different
directions. When the light turns green, both cars take off. It had
just finished raining and the roads are covered in puddles. The
Corvette easily takes the lead, reaching 90 mph, and eventually
passing 100. A quarter of a mile from the green light, the back tires
of the classic car give in to the slippery terrain, and the driver
loses control of the vehicle. A semi-truck in the next lane to the
left dives into the front of the Corvette, as I watch the end of not
just her Corvette, but also the life of my best friend Mackenzie.

Safe
driving may seem like a simple decision, but when caught up in the
spur of the moment, it may not be the easiest decision to make. Had
Mackenzie not let her ego get the best of her, she may have been able
to graduate and pursue her dreams of attending university and
becoming a teacher. But moreover, had she known that extra
precautions need be taken after a period of rain, and that speed
limits are implemented for a reason, she may not have made the choice
to be a threat to herself and everyone around her. Drivers ed
is important because on the road, you’re responsible for not only
your own safety, but you’re also held accountable for how your
driving impacts others around you. Driving is an interactive
activity, so intense learning and training must be done to ensure
that you are ready to obtain such responsibilities. To reduce the
number of deaths related to driving, steps that could be taken
include the creation of stricter laws that enforce the use of engine
mufflers so that drivers are forbidden to mock others. Cars could
also be created so its walls limit the number of cellular signals
that are received and sent by phones from the driver’s seat. This
way, drivers are unable to make phone calls or send texts while
driving, and in the case of an emergency, they would pull to the side
of the road, whenever safe and appropriate, then step out of the
vehicle to make a phone call to request for help. Personally, I could
contribute to helping others become safer on the road by offering the
driver to send texts or take phones for them, or guide them in
direction so that they don’t need to use a map or GPS so that they
don’t feel obliged to practice distracted driving.