Name: Emily Matson
From: Newtown, PA
Votes: 0
The
Responsibility of a Driver
I
remember my first time behind the wheel. I was scared, excited, and
nervous all at once. You really can’t compare driving to any other
experience. I think for most teenagers, this is a huge milestone. You
feel as if you’ve jumped to the next level of young adulthood.
Although there is so much excitement to driving, there are also many
responsibilities and concerns that come along with it. My twin sister
and I are the oldest children in my family so of course to my parents
this was overwhelming. They were not going to allow us to drive on
our own, until we fully understood the responsibilities that came
along with driving.
My
parents take driving very seriously. After I passed my permit test,
my parents continued to have my twin sister and I read all the
material offered by the Department of Motor Vehicles and insurance
company. Both my parents work in health related fields and have seen
too many tragedies related to car accidents. They also know that
teenagers have a higher risk of motor vehicle crashes than any other
age group. They had us practice for hours every week in open parking
lots, quiet neighborhoods and other less populated areas until they
felt we were ready to move on to a driving program. I was nervous at
first to drive with someone other than one of my parents but I
quickly felt confident. I was happy that my parents had me practice
so much. I learned quite a bit from the teacher. Not only did she
help me continue to drive safely, but she would explain fully how to
handle certain situations. Her confidence in me made me realize that
I was ready to take on this responsibility. I believe driver’s
education should be required for all drivers. I know based on
studies, accidents are more likely in young drivers that did not take
drivers ed. When it was time to take the test, I did so with
confidence and passed. This was just the beginning of my driving
journey.
Once
I had my license, I was much more aware of how others were driving
including my friends, school mates and even my parents. I became more
critical of others. I saw too many people on their phones, not
following the speed limits or wearing seat belts. I know many smart
phones disable if you are driving, but we need to have more rigorous
enforcement. I know too many people that have been in car accidents
because of phone use. I know there is nothing more important than
everyone’s safety while I am driving. I also know that driving too
fast causes serious accidents.
This
past summer, my mother and younger twin sisters were driving back
from a lacrosse tournament. I picked up the phone and never heard my
mother so scared. She was practically in tears telling me she was in
a terrible car accident and that a truck behind her was speeding and
pushed her into another car. The car was totaled. Thankfully there
was a police officer right there. The officer that witnessed the
accident told my Mom that it was lifesaving that she was not speeding
and kept a safe distance from the car in front of her. The accident
could have been a lot of worse. I have never been so scared.
Another
terrible accident happened this past Fall at school. While crossing
the street at the crosswalk, 2 students were hit by a woman speeding
down the street. My friends were rushed to the hospital. Thankfully
both are now fine, but they had to miss school and go through
physical therapy. People do not realize just how dangerous speeding
can be to others. More programs and information needs to be available
regarding the dangers of speeding. Social media should be the
platform as young drivers will find that more appealing. In addition,
if someone is stopped for speeding, required courses should be
mandatory along with online tests. Maybe this will make drivers more
aware.
Driving
is essential to our modern day lives. It is very hard to manage
without it. Since this is a part of our everyday lives, everyone
needs to follow the safety rules. Lives are at stake when someone
gets behind the wheel and it needs to be recognized as a serious
matter.
