Keep Our Roadways Safe

As a sophomore in
high school, I’ve’ experienced it many times- a friend turns
sixteen and skips school to get their license, smiling brightly for
their picture. For the first time, they get behind the wheel of a
vehicle all on their own. Within a month of their sixteenth birthday,
most of my peers have ended up in ditches, gotten a ticker, or even
had a major crash.

I myself know the
thrum and excitement that courses through your body while sitting in
the driver’s seat. It’s thrilling. However, if the driver
disregards safety procedures and laws put in place for the safety of
the public and themselves, it’s not just thrilling. It’s
dangerous.

Cars are massive
metal beasts that can achieve incredible speed. That king of power
can kill, main, and destroy if not used correctly. The single most
important key to safety is following laws and regulations. Driver’s
education is designed to teach these rules to upcoming drivers. If a
driver goes through all that learning just to disregard the
knowledge, what’s the point? Why would somebody risk the safety of
everybody for some cheap thrills?

I’ve personally
been in vehicles when the driver is checking their phone or yelling
along to the radio, pushing the gas pedal until the speedometer
reaches ninety. It was terrifying knowing that if another car had
pull out and we had crashed, somebody could certainly die. It’s not
fun for the passengers, and it shouldn’t be fun for the driver.

This behavior
leads to deaths on the roadway, period.

Driving is fun. It gives young men and women a sense of freedom, but
with freedom comes responsibility. If you won’t drive safely for
yourself, drive safely for your future victims. Operating a motor
vehicle is not a game. Laws are not suggestions. Safety is not an
option.

Keep our roadways
safe.