Nothing is Worth Losing Your Life

Every
time you get behind the wheel, you are taking your life into your own
hands, whether you realize it or not. In order to drive, you must
pass tests, get in hours with a supervisor, learn the rules of the
road, and apply them. Failure to do so can result in the injury or
death of another human being, as well as yourself.

Driving
is dangerous. There are a multitude of things that could happen to
you while you are on the road, whether it be wildlife crossing,
weather, distracted drivers, etc. After receiving your permit, you
are required to drive with a licensed adult and meet a minimum set of
hours. During this time, the adult isn’t just teaching you how to
drive, but what to do and how to react in a given situation. They
are training you so that you are prepared for the future when a
situation may occur and you could be without someone to guide you
through it. They teach you the correct, safe way to drive to keep
yourself and others safe.

There
are many reasons why there are deaths while driving. There is
distracted driving, driving under the influence, or reckless driving,
where someone is deliberately driving in a manner that is dangerous.
Many steps can be taken to stop this type of dangerous driving. For
those who are distracted by a cell phone, turning it on silent,
laying it face down, or hiding it in a bag can help. As for people
who drive under the influence, if they are at an event with friends
or family, they can assign a designated driver in advance to drive
them home safely. Speed limits exist for a reason, and should be
followed. Speeding is reckless, and fines can be given to those who
break the laws. By simply paying attention and following the rules,
risk of death to yourself or others goes down drastically.

Last
year, the members of my high school’s jazz band, including myself,
were riding on a school bus back from a competition. On the way
back, a car stopped in front of us. Our bus slowed and came to a
stop, when suddenly we were hit from behind. A car had rear-ended
us. The girl who had hit us had been on her cell phone, and was
very ashamed of it. Luckily, because the bus was so massive and the
car that hit us was small and not going very fast, no one was hurt,
and we headed back to school. The girl had been distracted, and
could have seriously hurt people had the situation been different.

There
are many steps we all can take to become better, safer drivers, but
the biggest, most important thing we all can do is realize that when
we’re driving, we have to put driving first. Texts can wait. If
someone is distracting you, tell them to stop. If you’re late,
you’re late. Drive safe. Nothing is worth losing your life.