Drive Safely

I
sit and try to get comfortable in the hard, wooden seat. The class
hasn’t started yet, so I listen to the conversations around me. I
hear the words “pulled over” and am immediately interested.
I turn to the right slightly. They continue with their story and say
they went one hundred and twenty miles per hour, while laughing. My
eyes bulge out of my head as I turn to tell my friend what I just
heard. Speeding is nothing new to high schoolers, but to go that
fast?

In
high school, speeding is normalized. You hear about it regularly,
wherever you go, and nobody thinks twice about it.

I
think back to having one of my friends drive me. We were going down a
parkway that had a speed limit of fifty-five miles per hour. We
talked as we drove. Before we knew it, the car was going over
seventy-five. Being distracted for only a minute led to reckless
driving and what could’ve been an accident. Nothing happened to us,
which I’m grateful for, but thousands of others cannot say the same.

Driver
education is vital in reducing the number of deaths caused by
driving. The whole point of drivers ed is to teach people how
to drive safely; it’s hard to go wrong with that. The problem lies in
the outdated and frankly boring classes that most people sit through.
In my experience, my drivers ed class was an easy A where I could
talk to my friends. The number of deaths would decrease if more
people just remembered their drivers ed class. The classes need to
become more engaging.

Multiple
steps could reduce the number of deaths related to driving. The most
obvious being limiting phone usage while driving and drinking. There
is no excuse for doing either; you not only put yourself at risk, but
you put everyone around you at risk too. They don’t deserve that. If
you want your phone close, buy a phone mount and hook it up to your
car (they’re helpful). Never step behind the wheel drunk or get in
the car when a drunk driver; always make ride plans beforehand. Also,
parents need to be open to the idea that drinking in high school is
indeed something that happens. They need to open that conversation
up, so less accidents will stop occurring from the lack of
communication.

It’s
hypocritical for me to say but try to go as close to the speed limit
as you can. That’s one thing I need to get better at as well since I
typically go five over. Always wear a seatbelt too; that’s the
simplest action you do towards being a safe driver.

Lastly,
be aware. Always be aware. Don’t even think about driving even if you
feel just a little drowsy. Know your limits. Messing up your life or
someone else’s is not worth it.

Drive
safely. If not for yourself, but for the hundreds of people you drive
alongside.