Name: Jaysen Derick Oliver
From: Owensboro, Kentucky
Votes: 0
Oliver,
Jaysen
When
I got my permit at 16, I felt powerful and free. But in the back of
my mind, I knew that driving is a privilege we cannot afford to
abuse. A vehicle can kill, and we must all work to prevent
vehicle-related deaths.
Although
I’ve never been in a car accident myself, I’ve seen the results
of one. When I was eight, a teenage family friend was in a major car
accident. Although she was only allowed to have one friend in the car
with her, she had three. She had become distracted while driving, hit
a tree head-on, and became quadriplegic; one of her friends busted
her kneecap and needed a knee replacement, another broke her
shoulder, and the third was lucky enough to only receive minor
injuries. I always think about what she’s told me time and time
again – vehicles are killing machines, and when you drive
distracted, it’s like having your finger on the trigger of a loaded
gun.
A
drivers’ education course can serve as the first introduction to
safe driving habits for many new drivers. Instead of just copying the
driving habits of someone they look up to, drivers are taught safe
driving methods. Opportunities to practice with the instructor allow
those safe habits to be instilled in new drivers, and they may be the
only chances for some new drivers to practice at all. These safe
habits include driving in various conditions – construction, snow,
rain, ice, and such. Drivers’ education classes also provide an
opportunity for new drivers to see what can happen when people don’t
drive safely; with videos, statistics, and even personal testimonies,
new drivers learn that driving affects more than just the person
behind the wheel.
Beyond
the driver, other parties can also contribute to safe driving. States
should make drivers’ education courses necessary before teenagers
are able to receive an intermediate license or a full driver’s
license. Driving laws should also be more heavily enforced and ticket
fees should be increased; more traffic cameras should be placed at
intersections, and these cameras should be monitored to catch driving
infractions. Personally, one can choose to not ride with others who
are breaking laws; if your friend is speeding or texting while
driving, you should encourage them to stop. It’s also possible for
parents to use the Life360 app to monitor their child’s driving.
The app shows when the driver is speeding, braking too hard, or using
their phone while driving, and it lets parents know when the driver
has departed for and arrived at a destination.
New
drivers should be taught that their actions have consequences, not
only for themselves, but for others around them, as well. A drivers’
education course is the first place many drivers will be introduced
to this idea, and it should be necessary. States should also work
harder to combat driving infractions. Ultimately, we must all work
together to create safer roads.
