Your Worthy of Living

Sarah Cooper

Centennial High School,

Boise Idaho 83713

Your Worthy of Living

Growing up I was always excited to start driving and get my own car, gain freedom. My father has always told me that it’s a privilege to be able to drive and have that trust. Weather it is staying off my phone, taking precautions during weather, or being responsible to not go into anyone’s car while they are under any influence.

Over 4 million US adults are involved in alcohol related accidents are reported and an estimate of eight teenagers are killed a day while under the influence. The mindset of these people is that if they have done it before they can do it anytime, like their invincible. But in reality, one-third of accidents are from driving impaired. Also, speeding is another factor. When you combine the two there’s no way to consider yourself invincible.

This one girl at my school got into a car crash. I’ve known her since middle school, very optimistic girl and was amazing at basketball, straight A student. Freshmen year summer, she in the car with her sister and some of her friends. Their light was green and suddenly, this car went through the red light and T-Boned them. The girl wasn’t wearing her seatbelt, she flew through the wind shield killing her. The boy driving the other car was under the influence and died as well. It wasn’t fair for the girl to die but maybe, just maybe she would still be alive today if she just wore her seatbelt. It’s very hard emotionally knowing that you went to school with her, the whole school community was touched and hurt. It’s hard to pick sides of girl or the boy, they both had family that loved them very much along with friends. He was a 17-year-old boy being dumb and thinking it was cool to drive while impaired especially when he was violating traffic laws. I believe if he was alive, he would be in jail for a long time.

Social media has ranked up the numbers by double. Us teen are addicted to our phones and have the need to feel too constantly be on them. Snapping our friends, scrolling through Tik Tok, liking celebrities and our peer’s photos on Instagram. I’m guilty for going on my phone while at red light and not paying attention then before I know it the person behind me honked telling me to go. I have realized that when it comes to driving there needs to be restrictions and that my life is to worthy to lose it over a screen. Putting your phone on ‘Do not Disturb’ and putting on one playlist that you love and focus on your where abouts.

“I was turning left at an intersection onto another street. My light was green and a truck that was going straight on the street I was turning onto and almost t-boned me. Spun me around and I hit another truck. The truck that hit me then also hit a guy on a motorcycle and he was laying on the ground hurt.” That is what my mom described to me when she got into her car crash on May 24, 2004. My mom later found out that the guy driving was distracted and fled the scene.

Getting caught doing something illegal while driving is never worth it. The fines are extremely expensive and eventually if you get enough tickets, you’ll get your license suspended. Maturing is when you learn that driving is supposed to get you from point A to point B, all the non-sense can cost you your life.

I believe in school mostly high school during health there should be a day where there is set up scene by the school of a fake car accident and having them see their peers in the midst of it. I think it would teach the kids the hard truth of these situations. For lower grades like middle school there should be lessons about driving under the influence and do a project.

These lessons can be a protentional change the minds of kids. Letting them know to be smart and take one for the team and be the sober one.