Learning
Second Nature

Driving
irresponsibly can cause a ripple effect in your life, spreading grief
from one part to the next and carrying on to others. With enough
drivers ed, individuals will never forget how driving
irresponsibly puts the lives of themselves and others at risk.
Reckless driving and alcohol tore apart my uncle’s life. He was an
intelligent man with a beautiful wife. But he was forced to choose
between his wife and alcohol, choosing to let his love go. He fell
deeper into the pit of his addiction, and one night while driving
home drunk from a golf course, he collided into another driver. But
instead of his own life ending there, he ended the life of the other
driver. He served in prison, living in the guilt of his actions. Soon
after his release, his addiction worsened, leading to his death. The
decision to drive irresponsibly will not only ruin your life goals,
relationships, and lifespan but also ruins those of the innocent
people around you. 
Driving
under the influence is common for my age group as a teenager, as we
expand our social lives to partying. Last summer, a graduate from my
high school, crashed her car intoxicated and shortly passed away. As
children, most of the mistakes we learn can be undone and learned
from. Unfortunately, this mistake cannot be. A memorial on the broken
fence commemorated her life, a young and beautiful girl. The memorial
was a reminder to take care of ourselves and not to drive while
intoxicated, nor let our friends drive while intoxicated. But soon
after, the fence was rebuilt and the flowers of the memorial
decomposed. The canvas of her face disappeared, along with the
countless messages of grief. No one would have known that a girl lost
her life at the wooden fence in the bend of the road. This is why
drivers ed to prevent accidents is a continuous battle. It is
so easy to let these incidents slip your mind at the moment of
deciding. Drivers ed is important because, with enough of it,
these decisions won’t be a choice. It will be second nature to
refuse to drive. 
There
are countless ways to reduce deaths from irresponsible driving and
promote safety. First of all, encourage others by setting a good
example by following the rules of the road yourself and practicing
what you preach. Don't let distracted driving go unchecked; speak up
and say something. Never drive while drowsy or tired. When I feel
like this, I like to take a short car nap in a safe location or pick
up a cup of coffee. I personally can take steps by offering friends a
ride home from parties. Other options include asking them if I can
take their keys and return them when they are sober or encourage
others to use apps such as Lyft or Uber as an alternative to driving.
And finally, let us never forget those who lost their lives to
driving accidents.