My heart was pounding as I briskly walked through the parking lot to get to school. It was an early Monday morning, and in just a few moments I would be taking the dreaded AP Calculus exam. As I walked through the entrance, I felt a buzz coming from my pocket. Knowing I had to put my device away soon, I quickly glanced at the notification. My stomach dropped. It was a news article sent by my friend about a senior from my school who had been killed the night before in a car crash. The world froze, and I could hear nothing but the frantic beating of my heart. I made my way through the hallways of school in a daze as I observed other students reading the article and sobbing. During the AP test, several of my classmates walked out because the weight of the death was too much for them to bear. The boy who died had been a year older than me and was well-known in our school. He was smart, popular, and looking forward to graduating and attending college in the fall. His entire life had been tragically cut short, and it was all due to an irresponsible driver who hit his car. The driver had been driving under the influence with his lights off and speeding at 132 miles per hour at night on a local road when the crash occurred. The death had a huge impact on my community, with hundreds if not thousands paying their respects at the crash site daily and displaying their concern about the unsafe driving that led to the crash.

Driver’s education is crucial in reducing the number of deaths that occur on the road because it informs people of the need for safe driving. There are so many preventable deaths that happen every day because people drive distracted, under the influence, or too fast. I participated in my driver’s education class two years ago, and that program is one that I still think about to this day. We watched several documentaries about kids who lost their lives due to driving dangerously themselves or being in a car with a dangerous driver. I remember those videos and knew from that moment that I would never allow myself to be in a situation where I felt unsafe in a vehicle. But for how long will I remember?

There are several steps that can be taken at a national level to reduce the number of deaths related to reckless driving. One step is to better raise awareness of safe driving in high schools and after high school. New drivers tend to get into crashes more often than experienced ones, and most new drivers are teenagers. Everyone has a cell phone and the urge to look at it while driving is real. Making students aware of the dangers of driving irresponsibly through assemblies, guest speakers who have lived through tragedy, or documentaries highlighting true stories will help ensure safe driving habits. However, there should be some refresher training after getting one’s driver’s license. Legislation should be passed that requires periodic training for all drivers. It could be done as a prerequisite to renewing your driver’s license. Another step is to call for increased technology designed to prevent dangerous driving. Many countries around the world have implemented cameras on the roads to ticket people who drive above the speed limit. Investing money to increase the amount of such technology in the United States would most definitely lead to people being more cautious while driving.

I personally have had the experience of seeing a friend drive irresponsibly. One of my best friends used to enjoy speeding and racing other cars because of the adrenaline rush she felt. Despite constant pleas from myself and others, she refused to slow down. I knew that I should not be risking my life by having her drive me unsafely, so I stopped asking for rides. When the boy from our school died a few months ago, my friend finally started to understand the danger of driving too fast. Death was a reality for her now. Although it is unfortunate that it took his death for her to realize, she thankfully no longer drives this way and now abides by the speed limit. I am grateful that nothing bad happened to her due to her dangerous driving because I cannot even begin to imagine losing a close friend in an instant; the acquaintance from my high school was hard enough.

There are several things I can do to be a better and safer driver. The first is to always make sure I am never a distracted driver. Using my phone, eating, blasting music, and chatting with friends are all easy ways to lose focus on the road ahead of me. Distracted driving causes me to be a worse driver and also does not allow me to be aware of my surroundings. Even though I may be following the rules of the road, that does not guarantee that all other drivers are as well. Second, I need to make sure I am with a driver I trust when I am a passenger in the car. Many deaths, especially among teenagers, occur due to driving under the influence. When getting into a vehicle I should always make sure my driver is in the right state of mind and is driving responsibly. I will do my part to ensure that I, along with those around me, remain safe while driving. I hope to model such behavior and encourage others to do so as well. I pass the memorial to my classmate at the site of the accident every day and it is a sad reminder of a life taken too soon.