Ouch.

To be frank with whoever is reading this, I hated driver’s training. But I am grateful that all new drivers in the country are required to take both Segment One and Segment Two of driver’s education. I do not want to get to personal but when I was fourteen and starting my driver’s class I was scared out of my mind, afraid I would crash or look stupid when I got behind the wheel, however, one of the instructors was very kind to me offering my with extra lessons whenever I felt like it just so I would be confident in my driving ability. At seventeen I feel like a skilled driver, although I am aware of my surroundings at all times because my dad always taught me that although I may be a good, safe driver, others aren’t. I am more than grateful for my instructor. Watching the news seeing teens die because of drunk or distracted driving accidents shakes me in my bones knowing that at any time it could very well happen to me. One of the news that stuck with me the most was Nick Saban, Alabama football head coach, his interview about Henry Ruggs III and how drunk driving destroyed his life. I will always take my friends keys away from them when I feel they are too intoxicated to drive nor even walk on their own. “But would he be better off now or is he better off where he was going 156 miles an hour and running his ass into someone and killing them? And is in jail and he doesn’t have a career anymore and he’s a good kid and he never had one problem on our team at Alabama?” This one part of the interview stuck with me through the past year of high school, no matter what even if they may think of me less because I took their keys away I would rather have to go visit my friend in the emergency room getting their stomach pumped than having to visit them behind a glass wall at the jail. In 2021 drunk driving killed 13,384 people, that is 13,384 lives who didn’t get to say goodbye to their family. 13,384 preventable deaths. So why did I share this with you, well because I know and believe that all of these deaths can be prevented by just a few key ideas to reducing fatalities on the road. Some steps could be developing the right attitude toward driving, limiting night time driving, or training for driving during bad weather conditions. I also know that most people may be shaking their head at that saying I am a well skilled driver, that may be true but others aren’t and you never know when a car could come out of nowhere and end it for you right there. In my life I have experienced two car accidents and one very close call. Both of the accidents occurred with a friend when I was fifteen and he was sixteen within four months of each other. He was not paying attention to how close the cars stopped in front of us were and we slid on ice and rear ended the car going 50 mph. The airbags went off and I suffered a minor concussion, he was very sorry and didn’t forgive himself for many weeks however that had been my first accident so I understand. The second time however was not our fault, again on the same road just four months later we were stopped waiting to pull out onto the highway when the car behind us hit us, not very hard but noticeable. The car behind them had fallen asleep at the wheel going about 35 mph and they rolled forward and hit us. Both of these accidents showed me that distraction is a big reason for most car accidents and with proper teaching, kids can learn to always pay attention to their surroundings when driving before actually being able to drive alone. I am very thankful that my dad always told me to be an aware driver because at the beginning of this school year I was heading to the middle school campus for one of my classes and I was crossing the highway with no other cars in front or behind me. Luckily for me I was only halfway across when I saw a semi-truck in my peripheral, it came barreling through the red light and I had to slam on my brakes to just nearly miss it. If I hadn’t stopped or if there had been a car behind me who hit me into the path I would likely not be here writing this essay. On that note I will share some final thoughts on tips that I have for myself. I think that the best way I could be a safer driver on the road is to stay off my phone while driving and pay attention and always take the keys away from a friend who I believe is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Because I don’t want one of my friends to be one of the 37 people a day that die or kill someone from alcohol impaired driving.