A Road for All

I
have been in one car accident with my best friend in the driver seat.
She drove over black ice on the way to school after getting donuts
and coffee. Everything seemed fine until she suddenly lost control of
the car. In one instant, we went from singing to the radio to smushed
against a sign outside of a church. Luckily we were fine and the car
suffered minor damage, however, what surprised me was the little
control we had over that situation. This same friend loves to drive
fast but believes she knows how to control her vehicle perfectly.
After having a license for less than two years, she has been in three
accidents, totaled two out of the three cars she’s driven and has
received multiple speeding tickets. However, the accidents occurred
because of black ice, another person disobeying a road sign, and
another person rear-ending her. They didn’t occur because of her
occasionally reckless driving but, ironically, because of events, she
couldn’t control. I don’t want to hark on my peers, but almost
every friend I’ve been in the car with has driven way too fast and
often irresponsibly. Teenagers aren’t even the only ones driving
irresponsibly. One of my friend’s parents drives without a seatbelt
because it’s “uncomfortable,” answers countless phone calls,
and even watches whole basketball games all while behind the wheel.
The fact is most accidents occur because of inexperience or
inattention. We all want to believe that those around us will drive
carefully to keep the safety of themselves and others in mind.
Unfortunately, most individuals simply view driving as an
insignificant part of their daily routine and don’t pay nearly
enough attention.

The
first word that popped into my mind when I first got in the driver’s
seat was “adventure.” I’d finally get the freedom to go on road
trips and places on my own rather than relying on others. However,
after being among other drivers I’m terrified by what I see. On top
of my inexperience, I drive on the same road as those who text and
drive, drive uninhibited, or even apply makeup while driving. There
are distracted drivers everywhere. Part of the problem, in my
opinion, is the lack of real caution when it comes to road safety. We
slowly build bad habits when it comes to being on the road because
everyone believes “it won’t happen to me.” It only takes one
second, one text, one distraction to end a life. There needs to be
more emphasis placed on taking responsibility for how we drive. As
new drivers, teenagers and young adults can take a pledge to drive
cautiously and take responsibility for the real impact they have on
the lives of others. As passengers, we can call out drivers when they
are driving distracted and convince drive more responsibly. Educating
those on the road and ensuring they take responsibility for how they
drive is the only way we can create a road safe for all.