Creating a Hole

I
love being able to drive. The freedom, flexibility, and ability to be
on time that it offers are very appealing. I also think that I am a
safe driver. I do not check my phone when I am driving, I drive the
speed limit, and I always check twice before turning.

I
also know that for many people, driving is not the same privilege as
it is for me. They lack the sense of responsibility that is needed
when taking the road. I know this for certain because several weeks
ago, a recent graduate of my high school, Mia, had her life taken by
an intoxicated driver. He swerved into her lane going a high amount
over the speed limit. She was on her way home on her college campus
with 3 of her friends in the car. Except one of the friends was a
little bit more than just a friend, it was her twin sister. One twin
survived and the other was killed on impact. In addition, another
girl was also killed.

As
the days passed after Mia’s accident, I watched our community
grieve the loss of one of its own. Mia had a huge impact on what
seemed like everyone. One of the hardest things I have ever witnessed
was at a prayer service that our school put on. The image of watching
as Mia’s best friends and softball coach sobbed at the thought of
her loss will never leave me. Every time I think about speeding
because I am late, I think of the huge hole at the heart of our
community the loss of Mia has created.

All
of this pain was preventable. If one man had decided that he would
call an Uber or maybe even not go out when intoxicated, this
horrendous accident would have never occurred. This incident proves
that many people do not think of the consequences of driving.

I
believe that this can all be changed. I remember taking driver’s
education and I remember the topic of drunk driving is covered.
However, it seemed more like the scene from “Mean Girls” when the
P.E. teacher was covering sex education. It was more like “DO NOT
DO IT” than actually showing what the effects of drunk driving are.
Many teens are just trying to pass the drivers ed course so
that they can get their license. If the impacts of drunk driving were
more realistic to teenagers, maybe they would be less likely to do
it. How can this be brought into perspective for them, you may ask.
One way would be to bring in a guest speaker, someone who has been
affected by drunk driving (whether it be the driver, a mother whose
daughter was killed, or a survivor of an accident) to speak to large
groups of teenagers. I know that this would have been more impactful
for my peers and myself.