No Distraction Is Worth A Life

No Distraction Is Worth A Life

Drivers ed is important not only for new drivers but for drivers who have become comfortable behind the wheel and may have forgotten important safety rules and behaviors. 1.6 million accidents are caused by texting or cell phone use while driving. And approximately 30 people die from drunk driving every day. The worst part about that statistic is it does not only relate to the people who were drinking and driving. It also refers to innocent people (pedestrians, other drivers, passengers) who were killed by drunk drivers. 

To prevent drunk driving with teenagers, parents should take the responsibility to talk to their kids. To assume that your child does not go to parties or drink when with friends is denial and could be harmful in the long run. Parents should gain the trust of their children so they can be comfortable enough and not scared to call them in case of an emergency or if they are too intoxicated to drive home. Although driving under the influence is mostly stressed in teens, it is also important to educate adults about their drinking and driving habits because it may not have been made a big deal when they were growing up. 

I lost an aunt to drunk driving. She was going the wrong direction, 70 mph, on a road that she had driven down every day. She had multiple DWI’s on record, but she had always just gotten a ticket or had to appear in court. This time she was not so lucky. She left behind her parents and two daughters. I am grateful that no one else was on the road that night and no innocent lives were taken. Although it was devastating for our family, it was also a learning opportunity and made the statistics of drunk driving real. Because of this tragedy, I think twice before picking up my phone to change the song or to check a text. I also tell my friends to get off their phones while driving. If they are texting or looking for directions, I always take their phone and tell them I will do it for them. You hear about how many people die and you see the videos in health class and drivers ed but it becomes a reality when you watch your cousins lose their mother and your family cry because they can’t believe she is gone. 

Family members of people who have lost their loved ones due to distracted driving should be brought to schools. A teacher telling you not to do something is very different than hearing people’s stories and relating to their personal experiences. Having a required course after someone is pulled over for texting or a DWI would also hopefully lower the deaths and accidents of distracted driving. In the end, education is what is necessary to eliminate lives being taken. A life is too important to risk for a drink, text, or call.