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BY STEPHANIE BOSCOVITCH
Now that it's summer, teenagers are on the roads more often than usual. Car radios are blaring, sunroofs are open, and everyone is ready to party.
But in light of the recent automobile-related deaths of Riverbend High School students Brandon Bates and Hunter Garner, some may wonder what it will take for teenagers to start making better decisions when getting behind the wheel of a car.
Realizing how big a responsibility driving is seemed to be the highest concern for students.
"My feelings on the whole issue are that when you step into the car, you have to be aware of the dangers that you could possibly be getting yourself into," said Devin Millhorn, a rising junior at Riverbend.
"You can't have the mind-set that it's never going to happen to you, because you don't know that."
While the loss of two friends and classmates is making many adolescent drivers at Riverbend realize that driving is a responsibility, not a privilege, some people think that the effect of this tragedy won't last long.
"It will for a while. But the sad truth is that, over time, it will wear off," said Riverbend English teacher Renee DeCoskey.
"Sadly, they won't be the last [students] in an accident. When it wears off and the kids aren't so newly affected by it, we'll be back to square one."
However, some, like Alan Shackelford, a rising senior at Riverbend, say otherwise: "I think that the past accidents have opened the eyes of many teenagers to drive more responsibly. It has helped many teens realize that the decisions they make while driving could not just affect them, but all the people that they care about as well."
It's scary to think that the people sitting next to us in biology class are the ones who might be racing down the road past our mothers' cars. Teens have to realize that if an accident were to occur, not only would it affect the driver and the people they hit, but all those who care for them.
Driving is a serious issue and should never be taken lightly. Safe driving has become so important an issue that the Vatican recently issued its own "Ten Commandments" for drivers. Some of its "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" are:
Cars shall not be an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
And, most importantly:
Feel responsible toward others.
What else should be done to get teen drivers to realize the importance of making good decisions while driving? Passengers can also make a difference, said Michael Howie, a rising junior at Riverbend.
Lives might be spared by "more people refusing to ride with people with dangerous driving habits," said Howie.
Changing the atmosphere inside the car might help too, added DeCoskey. "You get a car full of 16-year-olds, the music goes up and they stop paying attention, and accidents happen," she said.
Teens have several ideas to help make roads safer. Some feel that more speed limit signs are needed, and that parents should be more involved.
Parents becoming more involved in their children's driving could be a huge help. It seems obvious that parents alone know how mature their children are and what they can handle.
"I think that parents should be responsible in deciding whether or not it's a good thing for [teens] to drive, and if they are OK with it, then it's fine with me," said Carlos Ruiz, a rising senior at Riverbend.
Possibly, more laws should be added, or at least existing laws should be better enforced.
When driving, however, it is ultimately our own responsibility to make the right choices. We can only hope that these past accidents will be the ticket teens need to stop making bad choices.
Stephanie Boscovitch is a rising sophomore at Riverbend High School.