Holding the Weight of Responsibility

Holding
the Weight of Responsibility

Positioned
in the passenger seat, I watched my mother glide through the streets
with ease. Wind passing through her hair, singing her favorite song,
while navigating seemingly endless roads was the freedom I desired.
My turn to drive finally came, but rather than feeling free, I
tensely grasped the wheel feeling the weight of responsibility.

Drivers’
education doesn’t simply teach the rules of the road, but the dire
consequences that can result from disobeying them. Without education,
drivers feel invincible without understanding how their actions
affect others. If drivers speed in a school zone, they can kill a
child, leaving the child’s family with immense grief, and the
driver suffering from guilt. If we ensure to educate drivers on the
severity of their actions before they are allowed to drive, they will
be more considerate of their choices behind the wheel, which can save
many lives.

Reducing
the number of driving-related deaths means we must make driving
personal. While in high school, my class was told a story about
someone losing her mother to drunk driving. The sound of anguish was
evident in the cracking voice of the daughter as she spoke of her
mother’s death. My classmates and I listened with distress as we
imagined someone we love being killed by careless drivers, while also
thinking that we would never want to be responsible for inflicting
that pain upon another person. If stories like this are spread to all
drivers, drivers will be more mindful because their empathy will
overcome their recklessness, resulting in fewer deaths.

When
my friend obtained her license we were consumed in excitement without
noticing our surroundings. Distracted by blaring sounds of music and
laughter, we got lost in once familiar streets. My friend pulled over
and when she returned to the road, she forgot to check her mirrors
and we were almost squashed by an enormous truck. The thundering
sound of the truck’s horn felt like it was sinking through my body.
After that incident, we turned off the music and remained silent as I
contemplated how we almost died and caused inconceivable harm because
we weren’t being alert.

When
I enter the car I will do a mind and body check. This is beneficial
because I will know if I’m in the best shape to be behind the
wheel. Although tiredness seems normal, being overly tired can cause
one to lack the attentiveness needed to ensure a safe journey.
Sometimes my mind races due to lateness, however, when I take the
time to notice my mind’s rushed state I remember that speeding is
not worth the consequences that can transpire. To help my fellow
drivers to make safe decisions on the road I will post driving PSAs
on social media and encourage others to share them, in order to make
people understand that driving must be taken seriously. Making our
roads safer isn’t going to happen because of an individual, but
rather responsible individual acts that form a collective unit to
combat recklessness.