Driving

“Responsibility is the price of freedom.” Elbert Hubbard said. This is a quote that I feel greatly drawn to because it represents how I feel about driving. Not many things come free, just free. There is a  price to pay with about everything. Responsibility normally comes along with anything you are in control of, including driving. While others might feel free, I feel it is a duty carried out with caution. I’m going to express my opinion on how driving can be both a responsibility and a freedom and how driving can take a toll on not only drivers, but everyone else.

Most people typically are ecstatic, thrilled, or have a sense of being free when they are able to drive for the first time. “Driving is not a right, it is a privilege”,  is what we are told by our teachers, our driving instructors and our parents. Feeling free when you can drive is perfectly fine and usually expected. Feeling this way is hard when there are important laws to follow. There are expenses to pay: gas, time, and repairs. I feel like people, at first chance of driving, think it's absolutely great. My mom, during her many miles she has driven, bringing her four kids around to sports, friends and anywhere we needed or wanted to go. Hearing her complain about being in the car “forever”  has made me not too thrilled about driving.

At first I was a little excited to get my permit but was fine with waiting for a while. When I passed the test, I was so relieved of the stress of failing. I drove home from the test with exhilarating anticipation of what could happen on the first stretch of road. Since my family has many events we all have to attend, there are many opportunities to drive. Though I don't drive as often as I think I should or what the average hours are. I ask to drive, but I am not totally disappointed if I am turned down.  When I am driving, I have a sense of being trapped. There are rules of the road, such as speed limit, waiting your turn, watching constantly so you do not offend or anger other drivers. That’s another thing, you have to watch and be alert at all times for cars, people, animals and anything. Being alert and vigilant is tiring and frustrating, but something necessary for all drivers to do to remain safe. My mom always told me that it would get easier driving and would come naturally. Sometimes, the repetitive, long driving makes me want to go really fast or swerve around, but I don’t. The most important driving is safe driving.

If a driver does not follow laws such as : obeying the speed limit,  NOT drinking and driving , and even stopping at lights and signs, it could be the difference of not harming or killing someone. An example is my father’s brother, Ed-vern Albert Black usually called Eddie, son of Ed-vern and Sharon Black, my grandparents. Eddie had many friends, he played a lot of sports and was a tough kid just like the rest of his family.  Eddie was the eldest of four boys: Marcel, my father Tim, and the youngest, Scott. His life was cut short at the age of 21. It was a winter night and a semi was parked on the edge of the road without flares or any lights. Eddie and his friends were driving in a 75 Monte Carlo and crashed into the rear end of a semi. There were four people in the vehicle, two in the front and Eddie and another person in the back.The only people to survive were the drivers of the car and semi. My father believes it was not proven that the four boys had alcohol in their system because they didn’t test it back then or it was too long after, but he does think that they had been drinking. It was proven that the semi driver was at fault because he didn’t use flares to signal that he was pulled over in the dark.  Additionally, the company had a record of not following safety protocols. My father was only in 7th grade when he, Scott and his parents, vacationing in Texas, found out that Eddie had died.  Eddie’s death was very traumatic for not only the family, but for Eddie’s friends and the entire community.  Eddie never had a chance to have a family of his own, and I never got to know my uncle.  Some people may not care if they get hurt , but there are other drivers on the road. If you get in a crash with another vehicle, you could hurt yourself and your passengers, but also the other vehicle’s passengers that you collide with. Their passengers could be harmed or killed, which means kids, family, innocent people. You could affect someone's life immensely. Still, not even the driver and passengers, but their families and friends.  If you crashed and killed somebody it may not have been intentional and may not seem like murder, but could still be,  because you were not careful in carrying out your responsibilities of safe driving.There isn't just a physical and mental toll it can take on a person, it can cause very much financial damage. If you are responsible for a crash you will have to pay for the damage and could get sued. Driving can become a bad situation quickly and take a toll on you and others.

“Responsibility is the price of freedom” and driving is the ultimate responsibility and freedom. Having control of a vehicle, a purpose and adult responsibilities gives a sense of freedom and of becoming your own person.  Financial worries, safety worries and the thought that you could be responsible for changing so many people’s lives by not being responsible is sometimes overwhelming. These points are important to consider when YOU decide to get behind the wheel.