My Life or Yours?

When you open the door, I see the sadness that has settled on your face and know that it has been another long night at the office. I wait for you to go into your bedroom, after giving me a long hug and telling me that you love me, before I tiptoe to your door to listen to what has made you so lost. I make sure you don’t hear me because you try to hide the horrors of your job so as not to worry me. I listen as dad asks what is wrong and hear your voice tremble, I can tell that you are crying softly not to wake anyone else in the house. Another teenager has lost their life tonight and you have held in all the emotions in order to be there for the family. This has become normal in my life being the daughter of a law enforcement officer and it never gets any easier.

There are many states that are requiring students to complete driver’s education in order to graduate from high school. I came from one of those states before I moved to Arkansas. It is a requirement and it is documented through the Department of Motor Vehicles in order to get your license as well. Driver’s education is a course that is taken that shows the operator of a vehicle the rules of the road and also they have to log a set amount of driving hours in order to complete the course. It gives the person behind the wheel the knowledge of what to look for while also educating them on what could happen just by being distracted for a moment. Drivers education brings to light the causes and warning signs of distracted or impared driving in order to make the operator more aware of what could happen.

The steps that I believe would help to reduce the number of deaths in automobile accidents is by making it mandatory to take driver’s education. It would have to be a requirement in order to graduate from high school for all states and would be documented through the Department of Motor vehicles. We have to take hunters education in order to hunt and also many states make you have a license in order to have a gun, why not take a driving class so that we can make young adults safer on the roads. People that have been arrested or have so many tickets on record for driving offenses should have to retake the class at their expense in order to maintain their license. This would help cut down on court costs, help our officers be able to assist more with other offenses that are going on and also would create revenue for many of the states struggling during this economic crisis.

I have not yet been in a car accident but I have family that has been and my stepmom has to deal with them on a daily basis. I watch as she has to relive those moments each time we come across an accident on the road and her eyes dim. She has a fear of having to assist in her own children’s accidents and being on the other side of the conversation. I have watched family members get caught up in use of cell phones and other technology while on our roadways. Because of this and overhearing the stories, it has made me become a more cautious driver. I have taken driver’s education and it scares me to see other drivers so distracted even with their own children in the vehicle with them. I have taken upon myself to make sure that all passengers in my car have a seatbelt on while the car is in a forward motion. I also put my cell phone in the glove box or center console to ensure that I am not tempted to look at it. Many cars like mine are equipped with bluetooth and I encourage everyone to sync their phone to it so that you can answer your phone through your car speakers and not have to take your eyes off the road or maybe they just pull over. I would caution everyone to make sure they keep their eyes on the road and focus on what is the bigger picture at the moment. Is it going to be my life or yours? Just think about how your family is going to feel when they have to get the news that you are not coming home, and ask that you do not put my family through the pain that my mom has to deal with on a daily basis as she relives it for you.