With
Being a Good Driver Comes Having Great Responsibility
The
date was July 4th, 1994 and twenty-eight-year-old Jeff Gochnauer was
driving home from his brother-in-law’s viewing in the late
afternoon sunshine. Unfortunately, he would never get there. Before
he could reach his destination, Mr. Gochnauer was hit by a drunk
driver. He died on impact, leaving behind his twenty-six-year-old
wife and two young children, besides a plethora of family and
friends.

Mr.
Gochnauer’s story is not the only chronicle of death while driving,
in fact, Mr. Gochnauer’s story is one in thousands of stories of
those who have died because of driving. According to DMVEdu, “an
average of 34,000 each year as a result of driving”
which is more than the culmination of deaths that occurred between
the Iraq and Afghanistan wars (DMVEdu.org). This staggering statistic
does not have to be an ultimatum, however. Additional driving deaths
can be prevented by becoming a society of educated and responsible
drivers who take action to ensure that they follow circumspect
driving procedures.

There
are two major steps to being an exemplary driver and the first step
is to ensure that the driver is an attentive and conscientious
driver. They must be unimpaired by drugs, alcohol or other substances
that may inhibit their physical or mental faculties. Driving under
the influence of any substance that causes a lack of judgment places
not only the debilitated driver in danger but also other drivers and
passersby that may encounter the impaired driver. Drivers must also
be spacially aware; they must be watching for any dangers or
potential problems down the road in order to be able to react in a
timely and safe fashion. Self-awareness also plays a part in
responsible driving. Drivers must be paying attention to how they are
feeling and reacting to the situations around them. Self and spacial
awareness will ultimately help them to become better drivers and aid
in the protection of all motorists.

The
next procedure in being a conscientious driver is to be educated and
obedient. All drivers should be educated about current driving laws;
these laws are put in place to protect all motorists on the road.
Knowing these laws is not where the responsibility stops, however. A
conscientious driver will not only know the driving laws but will
also take care to obey these laws.

Driving
is a vigilant task, one that cannot be taken lightly or
irresponsibly. Personally, I have been in vehicles with drivers who
have not taken the care to be attentive drivers; drivers who have
been preoccupied with activities that are distracting from their
imperative responsibility. This type of irresponsible driving can be
extremely dangerous with steep consequences for those who practice
it. For the good of all motorists and passersby, safe driving must be
a driver’s supreme concern. We drivers must be attentive,
cognitive, and responsible in order to prevent more stories like Jeff
Gochnauer’s. Driving cannot be flippantly managed: it is a great
power that comes with great responsibility.