The Road Ahead

It
was 11:34 pm on a January Saturday night when I got that call. It was
my dad on the line. He tells me his friend’s daughter almost died.
The daughter had this nice car, was hanging out with her girlfriends,
and wanted to have some fun. One of the girlfriends supposedly asked
to drive, a girl that did not have her license. They were having a
blast driving down the road. It was supposedly so fun until the car
ran into the guard rail, slashing through the front of the car,
shattering the front windshield, with the nail covered wooden rail
slicing through the car like cake, coming inches from some of the
girl’s faces. 

Let’s
face it. People are irresponsible! Kids act dumb! Even adults act
irresponsibly, making uneducated chooses and have road rage. It’s
wrong! It’s unsafe! It’s dangerous! Yet, it goes on for years,
only to change people’s actions when they are personally affected
one way or another or by watching someone get hurt or die from
irresponsible driving. It’s a problem that needs to be fixed, and
the only way it will is through responsible educated people getting
the word out to society and having people not just know but
understand how to stay safe on the road.

So
where do we start? It starts with education. I’m not just talking
about the rules of the road, what signs look like, but with the
facts, the facts no one wants to hear but needs to know in order for
the truth about driving to be heard. People need to know the
statistics of how many people die from being irresponsible drivers,
from texting and driving to talking to others in the car, listening
to the music loudly, or even dancing in the car. There are
consequences for our actions, and people need to realize this so they
do not die. It’s that simple. Drivers ed and informing
the general population are crucial to keep people alive and our roads
safe.

After
education, the next step is action. With people educated, we must see
people follow the laws and rules. If people do not follow laws, then
changes in the law should be considered. In addition, with rapid
advances in technological changes, automobiles should be equipped
with the systems and programs to keep the vehicle in line in case
irresponsible action occurs and maybe even automatically notifies the
proper authorities too. As young individuals are a huge part of
unsafe driving, movements to incorporate drivers’ education and
information into the school system are imperative to keep the next
generation safe.

For
me, learning never stops. I’m motivated to learn. That’s why I
have a 4.46-weighted GPA and an Eagle Scout. I want to help stop this
problem, but it will take a team. We all must work together to stop
irresponsible driving, keeping our roads safe for many generations to
come and always focusing on the road ahead.