An Awakening

An
Awakening

I sat in my creaky school desk, head falling out of my hands, eyelids
sinking down. I waited for the bell to ring so we could all go home
for winter break. I had Drivers Ed coming up, and I was not
looking forward to it. I had heard many stories of the boredom loops
that awaited me there. There was nothing special about that day,
until one friend showed me something on his phone. It was an
advertisement on the risks of texting and driving. I was expecting
something nonchalant, like how they usually are, but this video was 4
minutes and 16 seconds long, and it was graphic. To be honest, it was
life changing, because the video spared no expense on how real how
bad an accident can get. On my ride home from the bus, I couldn’t
help but watch each driver, what they do, their habits, if they look
like they’re in a hurry and if they look like they have a family.
The video didn’t change my life forever, but I was definitely shown
the truth of the matter. Unsafe driving could change you and innocent
other’s lives in an instant.

Driver’s school came, and the video was still in my head. They
never showed the video in Drivers Ed, but they did show other
videos that were just as graphic. I’m not an advocate for gore, but
in drivers ed, it’s important to be very real with the
consequences of unsafe driving. It becomes a reality check for people
like myself, who luckily have not been in a terrible accident;
terrible things can happen as a result. Reality checks for people
will always stick in their minds, everytime they go to grab their
phone on the road, they will remember what they saw. Hopefully it can
prevent many deaths that would have happened.

Imagine if drivers ed was not required. We would live in a
messy and dangerous world where going to the store to get milk would
be considered a risk. Drivers ed is important to reduce deaths
because it teaches us the consequences of irresponsible behavior, and
reminds us that we do not want to live like those that we saw in the
videos at school.

Drivers ed should show the aftermath of irresponsible driving to
reduce the number of deaths to driving, and encourage healthy driving
habits while on the road. Drivers should also be empathetic and
realize everyone else has somewhere to go, something to do, and
someone to see, and something you do may unintentionally affect
others.

The video I watched on YouTube one year ago is still on there, and
has been on YouTube for 7 years. I recommend people watch it, but be
warned, it is a very real video, and it will give you a reality
check.