It is Never Worth It

Soledad
Gonzales

Las
Cruces, New Mexico

It is
Never Worth It

`“Don’t
shake, so bad, it’s just a little blood!” Those were the words
that my nana used to comfort the firefighter who was there to rescue
her.

Driver
education is of utmost importance in my opinion because so many
people, especially young people, take driving for granted and don’t
take it seriously. It doesn’t seem like many people nowadays take
driving as seriously as they should. Driving is seen as a privilege
and a given, not as a responsibility. It seems a norm that teenagers
participate in drivers ed courses only because it is now a
state requirement. Gone are the days, where people actually took the
classes seriously and applied what they’ve learned to the road. It
seems that many teenagers underestimate their responsibility of
maneuvering a 2000 pound machine. If drivers can learn to look out
for other drivers knowing that they trust what their doing and the
rules of the road are being followed to ensure our safety. Following
traffic rules and common courtesy go a long way in ensuring the
safety of themselves and other drivers. With so many distractions
like phones and radios, it’s easy to forget that you’re not the
only driver on the road. This brings me to the day that changed my
nanas life.

Many
of you may think that at young, inexperienced driver changed her life
forever. But in her case it was a 95 year old retired judge that
forever altered my nanas young life. The judge ran a red light and
slammed into the blue oldsmobile, holding her 6 month old son, and
the driver her 21 year old husband and her 20 year old self. The
impact required the infant to be in a body cast from the neck down
for almost a year due to several broken bones. Her husband suffered a
broken arm. My nana took the brunt of the impact, which caused losing
her right eye, shards of glass throughout her face and many of her
teeth knocked out at just 20 years old. An insurance settlement was
reached for thousands of dollars, but that could never replace the
youth, self-esteem and vibrancy that she lost.

To
reduce the injury brought on drivers, driving tests should be more
intensive and licenses should be more closely regulated. If possible
it would benefit a society as a whole if cell phones were unable to
operate while a vehicle is in motion. This can be done, because newer
models of cars do not let a phone sync to bluetooth unless the
vehicle is in park. Yes, laws have been made to prohibit the use of
phones while driving but this will still not completely dissolve the
problem. Just as alcohol is outlawed while driving, many people don’t
follow this important law even with the danger of accompanying it.

I
have made a vow since day one to never drink and drive or drive
recklessly especially with a distraction of a phone that will be
there after the drive. I lived up to this promise and hope that many
other drivers can do that as well. I have created a document that my
friends and their parents can sign, vowing to drive responsibly and
open their eyes on that the distractions are not worth anyone’s life
or the guilt that will follow. If people could take driving as a
serious task as a citizen on the road to protect others, many lives
could be saved. It is never worth it.