Fear

Fear

Driving always terrified me. The idea of being responsible for a
fast-moving car weighing thousands of pounds was horrifying. While
driving, one mistake can kill. I had never experienced having that
much influence before. What other situation could I be in where an
overzealous sneeze can lead to catastrophe? My hesitance intensified
when my town was struck by tragedy in my sophomore year of high
school. My small school lost three students in one accident and our
entire community was greatly affected. Driving was one of the last
things I wanted to do when I hit my sixteenth birthday. Despite this,
my parents and I knew I needed to eventually get a license. So, we
took it slow. It took six months for me to leave a parking lot, but
I’m glad now I have surpassed the crippling fear I possessed.

One thing that helped me overcome my apprehensions to driving was
drivers ed. Attending courses about driving as a teen is
fundamentally important to reduce accidents and to help make safe
drivers. As a society we are plagued with driving casualties. As
DMVedu.org states, driving is comparable to- and even surpasses- the
danger level of war when looking at statistics of deaths. Driver’s
education ensures that students are aware of the lethal nature that
driving can possess, and it can help calm the students like myself
who harbor great fear towards driving. With modern distractions, and
influences that aren’t always great, it’s easy to forget the
impact you can cause in a car.

There are some easy guidelines to follow and ensure you’re driving
safely. Keeping your phone tucked away automatically takes away the
urge to use it. Don’t drive tired, or under any sort of
intoxication. If you know your friend shouldn’t be driving, take
them somewhere yourself or have them stay over. Being knowledgeable
about how alert you are is necessary as well. Keeping the music down
and your eyes on the road is an easy way to prevent accidents. Speed
limits are there for a reason- follow them. When you’re driving,
have that be the only activity you’re doing. No accident is worth
the french-fry you had to take your eyes off the road to grab off the
passenger seat. Education and practicing with good drivers are
essential as well to learn how to use the road and to learn the laws.