Caution: Weapon on the Road

Caution: Weapon on the Road

I operate a weapon multiple times a week. One thinks driver education only teaches about what road signs mean or which pedal is the brake and gas, but it teaches you so much more than that. Driver education also explains road laws and the atrocities that can occur when one loses concentration while driving. During my first week of driver education, my teacher told me that driving home when tired is essentially the same as driving home while intoxicated. It was mind-blowing to me that so many factors can make someone incapable of safely operating a vehicle.

When taking driver education, most of the time, it is seen as a chore you have to do before you get to the fun part- I know I thought that way. It wasn’t until my third class when I had to watch a video of people talking about how they were responsible for their best friend’s death because they decided to drive while they were tired that I took that class seriously. Getting a driver’s license is a big part of a teenager’s life, but the fact that driving accidents kill about ten people a day should not be hidden.

The town I live in is known as a “Night sky community.” On a Wednesday night, driving home, when there are no cars on the road, and pitch black outside, does not make for a great mixture. When driving home from my friend’s house, I go straight for about eight miles. I can quickly lose concentration and begin to rely on muscle memory to get me home. That didn’t work out too well for me a few weeks ago when a deer came running across the street while I was going sixty miles an hour. There should never be a moment when concentration is lost while driving.

As a driver, our job is to control thousands of pounds of metal. With the safety precautions inside the car, we cannot afford to forget about the damage done to outside forces. It’s important to remember to use specific tools to help you get home safely. If I start focusing too much on whether or not I can sing “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys rather than my driving, I know that it is most definitely a better option to turn off the music and keep my attention on the road. If I feel way too tired to drive, then I shouldn’t. It’s not worth harming others for the sake of me getting home faster. When I get too comfortable while driving, it helps me to remember that I am essentially operating a weapon. This weapon is responsible for taking people’s lives, and that is not just something that is stated in “Don’t text while driving” commercials; it’s the real deal.