“NPWD”

The very week I was eligible, I signed up for a driver’s education course. I was ecstatic about achieving the freedom of driving myself places and wanted to get my license as soon as possible. I would picture myself in the driver’s seat, windows down, blaring my playlist and singing along joyfully. What I would learn in that driving course would alter my perspective on being a driver completely. I realized that driving came with major accountability for my decisions as a driver. My hands that would soon grip the wheel would eventually cradle the lives of the people around me.

The choices a driver makes contribute to the safety of all citizens. I learned the importance of the choices I would soon make while on the road during my time in driver’s education classes. The lessons I was taught in these classes developed my understanding of the responsibilities I was about to take on as a new driver. These responsibilities included proper usage of a seatbelt, not driving while under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, driving defensively, and not using a phone while operating at any time. All these factors can significantly contribute to deaths related to driving. In driving class, I vividly remember watching numerous horrific videos of accidents caused by phone usage while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and other poor choices. It haunts me to think about how those videos are real-life scenarios that destroy the lives of innocent people. As a deeply empathetic individual, watching a father lose his baby to a distracted driver on her cell phone in one of the videos brought tears to my eyes. The others in my class seemed horrified as well. No one should ever lose their life or a loved one to something as insignificant as a selfie or text. The younger generations have arguably much more exposure to new technologies such as cell phones, which makes it even scarier to consider the possibility that more people will lose their lives from people’s poor decisions to use their phones at the wrong time. It is essential to share information and statistics to make more people aware of this growing issue. From cell phones to seat belts to sobriety, these small choices can save someone’s life. Through education provided by my driving school, I have learned the choices to make that can prevent the sickening deaths that are caused by recklessness. Through the proper instruction, many others can learn the same; as a community, we can work towards promoting safer driving.

Now, as someone who is 18 and long past driving school, I am proud to say I drive defensively to protect others around me. I use what I’ve learned during driving school and in my driving lessons to be careful and alert on the roads. I have always been against phone usage while driving; it truly saddens me that people can be so selfish to use their phones when they’re not supposed to and potentially kill innocent people in crashes. It’s not much of a sacrifice to wait until you have arrived at your destination to do whatever you please on your cell phone. Besides it being the safe choice, I like to be phone-free while driving because it gives me a break from technology while enjoying the drive like I always have looked forward to experiencing. Regardless, not everyone makes the same choice as me. That even includes some of my close friends. Snapchat is a prevalent social media platform that many people my age and myself use. Numerous people make the ignorant decision to send “snapchats” while driving. In no way is there any excuse for this to be validated. It is an unbearable thought to consider someone’s life being taken because someone was trying to send a selfie. I would never want anyone, especially my friends, to have to live with the guilt of ending someone else’s life.

Something I do to gently remind my friends to drive safely is text them “NPWD”, which stands for “No phone while driving”, whenever I open a picture from them of them behind the steering wheel. This is my way of spreading a message to my friends to let them know I care about their safety and the safety of others. In addition, if I’m in the car with someone trying to do something on their phone while driving, I kindly offer to send that text message for them to eliminate that distraction. These strategies I have implemented allow me to set a good example for my friends in a laid-back, but effective way.

I strive to set an example that helps my friends and others become better drivers. By applying the principles I learned through driving education, I had the tools to make an educated decision to drive safely. Although I consider myself a responsible driver, I believe there are still some areas in my driving that I can improve to make my driving even more cautious. I am someone who occasionally goes a few miles over the speed limit. While I have never been in an accident or received a ticket, reducing my speed is crucial to becoming a more careful driver. One experience that informed me of the significant difference speeding makes is when a program came to my high school that involved an interactive experience. Students in groups of four were escorted into cars with a professional driver in each of them. The driver then drove towards a mock obstacle and braked and swerved just before making contact. This was done at speeds of 30 mph, 35, and 40. My friends and I did it together and it was a fun and enlightening experience. The difference that even 5 miles faster made to the braking distance was mind-boggling. Reflecting on this experience, I am striving to become a safer driver by complying with speed limits because they are set to keep the community as secure as possible.

I am thankful for opportunities like this that educate me on driving safety. Looking back at the excited girl I was who was eager to have the privilege of driving, I still enjoy driving myself around, rolling the windows down, and listening to my favorite songs, but I am educated to make good choices while going on a drive. I know others can do the same as me; I aim to be a role model that my friends can look up to and make better decisions when using their phones. I strive to become a better driver by driving slower and obeying speed limits. Most importantly, I want to inspire others, perhaps individuals reading this essay, to spread the word about safe driving, because it can save thousands of lives.