Name: Reagan Dykstra
From: Overland Park, KS
Votes: 0
I’d like to start
off by introducing myself. My name is Reagan Dykstra, and I am
currently a senior at Blue Valley Northwest. I have already applied
and been accepted into the University of Kansas, where I plan to
study psychology after I graduate high school. I would love to go
into forensics investigation, or criminal psychology. Those two
topics have always been a passion of mine, and pursuing a career in
them would be a dream for me.
Driver’s
education isn’t a need, but a necessity. It is crucial that in
today’s society, we are aware of the rules of the road to provide a
safer environment for not only the younger generation just learning
to drive, but for everyone in general. By enduring an eight-hour
drivers ed class, we will be informed with anything and
everything we need to know when it comes to handling a vehicle out on
the roads. Being aware of the basic rules and laws of driving is what
keeps us safe. It’s truly as simple as that.
The
most important step to reducing the number of crashes, is to lose all
distractions. It is proven that distractions when driving are the
leading causes of all car crashes. By removing cell phones, focusing
our attention on the road at all times and being aware of our
surroundings, we can easily reduce the numbers of deaths due to
vehicle accidents. No text is worth the innocent life of someone.
Personally,
I have been a victim of a car crash due to distracted driving. It was
around Christmas time and both my mother and my grandpa took my
sister and I to do some last-minute Christmas shopping at the mall.
On the way home, there was a bit of traffic, so we were forced to sit
through it and remain still on the highways for what felt like hours.
However, what happened next was completely unexpected. Out of
nowhere, the car behind us was slammed into by a driver texting,
which resulted in the back of our car getting completely smashed. Not
only was it a terrifying experience, but I couldn’t help but feel
resentment towards the man that hit us. It’s the little things such
as checking a text that can end deadly. We were lucky to make it out
of that situation, but I still fear getting onto the highways, solely
because of that experience. It was a real eye opener and, I learned a
few things from it.
As
a teen driver, I know better than to check my phone while driving.
Instead, my phone remains in my purse, which sits in the backseat. I
don’t mess with the radio unless I’m at a red light, and I follow
the rules I was taught in my drivers ed class. The class is
worth it in the end, and I strongly believe every driver should take
it once.
