A Good Friend

A Good Friend

Windows down, music blasting, the youthful harmony of teenagers singing to their favorite song on the radio. It’s the dream of every 16 year old who can’t wait to get their hands behind a wheel. It’s a dream of freedom, and for most teens it’s their first taste of adulthood and what it means to be responsible. It’s a dream that can soon become a nightmare…and has for so many.

Prom, the big rival football game, or a typical friday evening. These are all the perfect breeding grounds for teenage mischief. Though I have never been in an accident, I have prevented many by being a good peer. I have also gotten several calls in the middle of the night informing me that my friend had been in an accident. Beyond the typical drivers ed class and death tolls posted in a brochure, driver safety starts with the individual. It starts with you and with me. It starts with scolding your friends for running a stop sign, or texting while driving, to making sure the drunk girl at a party gets home safely. It starts with thinking about what would happen if you didn’t say or do anything.

No one wants to get that call saying their friend was involved, injured or worse. To hear about it on the news, have your home room teacher make the announcement Monday morning. No one wants to hear the whispers in the hall, or the gossip in the lunchroom. No one wants to think about how they could have prevented the unthinkable. But so many have had to live out this scenario, light a candle on a busy street, and hope that it never happens again. The world would have less tragedies if we took the time to educate each other, to go the extra mile for a stranger, or friend. If we taught each other how important life is, that some things are never worth the risk. If we taught our companions that driving with caution and care protects them, their families, and everyone else out on the road. Driver safety starts with the individual, it starts with simply just being a good friend.