The Importance of Responsible Driving

My parents have always taught me the importance of driving responsibly. When my mom was just 8 years old, a tragic car accident affected her life. A high school senior was driving drunk and hit a car. This accident killed the 3 ladies in the car. In this car were my mom’s best friend, her mom, and her aunt. The other sad part about this accident was that the driver was the president of Students Against Drunk Driving. My mom at an early age had to deal with this horrific nightmare. She to this day has trouble knowing that she never went to the funeral. She could not deal with the situation at this young of an age. Driving irresponsibly affects more than just the victim’s family.

It has been instilled in me from a young age to not drive with any alcohol in my system as well as texting and driving. These both cause horrific accidents that take away family members instantly. The ones living have to live with this nightmare for the rest of their lives. They will need huge support from others to make it through this tough time.

I feel like the education is being promoted that warns everyone about the effects of driving irresponsibly, however people do not always make the right choices. This includes the young and the old population. The laws need to be enforced. The laws are set in place; however, I still see many drivers on their phones. In Illinois, where I reside, it is against the law to drive while holding a phone up to your ear. I cannot tell you how many drivers do not abide by this law. I feel if the law was enforced more people would abide by it better.

I also feel like the population looks at the younger ones being the problem. The laws are being broken by young and old. I myself have seen it. Both sets of people drive while texting, drive with alcohol in their system, and drive while talking with phones up to their ears. Motor vehicle accidents do not care what age you are; they can happen to anyone. It takes just a split second to look away from the road for a fatality to happen. You can be looking down at a text for a quick moment, and then hit a stopped car in the blink of an eye.

As I have stated previously motor vehicle accidents have affected my family’s lives, therefore I have been taught the importance of driving responsibly. There are many different ways people can drive irresponsibly such as driving under the influence whether drugs or alcohol, talking on your phone, looking down at the radio, texting your friends, etc. These times of distracted driving can cause an instant nightmare for many families. You can be injured with a spinal cord injury and never walk again. You could cause others to lose their lives. You could get a ticket and be put in prison. Nobody is invincible. We have to make good decisions while we drive or else it could affect the lives of others, not just us.