Name: Saylor Priest
From: Leesburg, Ohio
Votes: 0
There
are many risks to driving, but there are also endless possibilities
to lessen the probability of an accident or fatality. Too often,
reckless driving by inexperienced teens is the catalyst for any
automobile accident. This is often the case with a newly licensed
teen who chooses to show off or one that believes they are immortal.
Teenagers always say “It could never happen to me”, and therefore
choose to forget the risks when sitting behind the wheel. There are
many positive driving habits that you can form, and these are;
staying alert, refraining from substance abuse, not texting and
driving, and education behind the wheel. The most important way to
stay a safe driver is to first be aware of your surroundings.
Constantly staying alert and looking for any possible signs of danger
is one of the best ways to actively stay cautious in areas of danger.
Another way to stay safe while driving is to stay sober from both
drugs and alcohol. Although teens are below the legal age, and should
not have access to these substances, at times, drug abuse begins at
an early age. Adults do have access to alcohol and prescribed
medications, and operating heavy machinery is illegal while under the
influence. I do not condone these actions but refrain from driving
and putting either yourself or others in danger. Another massive
issue in today’s society is the amount of teens who text and drive.
I believe that doing this stems from carelessness and neglect of both
their safety and all other drivers on the road. A simple text could
mean someone’s life. It is so much easier to simply turn off the
phone while driving, and in turn, you are giving yourself a mental
break from the sad reality of social media. The best way to reinforce
safety measures and prevent unnecessary death is to educate our
youth. Teaching students right from wrong, and instilling within them
courtesy for themselves and others around them is the best prevention
method. Our country is allowing 16-year-olds to handle a large
responsibility, and this is a responsibility that those teenagers
must respect. Education of traffic laws, how to handle situations
while driving, and how to properly maneuver and handle a vehicle is
not possible without driver training. Personally, this was the most
crucial step in my drivers ed, and I implement the knowledge I
have learned in these classes each and every day. There are many
steps to be taken to ensure safe driving and to do away with the
recklessness of inexperienced drivers, but I believe that driver
education is of utmost importance. All people learn by doing, and
practicing safe behaviors behind the wheel every day is important to
create healthy habits when driving.
