Better left unread than dead!!

Better left unread than dead

As a teenager and a teenaged driver, the effects of reckless teenage driving can be detrimental. Over the years I’ve lost a lot of classmates due to teenage driving. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2018, almost 2,500 teens in the United States aged 13–19 were killed, and about 285,000 was treated in emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle crashes. Today I will be discussing the importance of teenage driving, steps take to reduce number of deaths, my personal experience on a car accident, and steps I can take to be a better and safe driver.

Drivers Education is an important course that many of us take our first year in high school. Drivers Education is a valuable first step in teaching you everything from automobile basics, to driving laws in your state, to life-saving defensive driving maneuvers. The main purpose of Drivers Education is to supplement the knowledge of practical driving and to prepare students for anything that may happen on the road. One of the most significant lessons I learned in Drivers Ed was to check the blind spots before switching lanes. According to ForTheInjured.com statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that nearly 840,000 blind spot accidents occur each year in the United States resulting in 300 fatalities. That’s why I believe checking your blind spots is an extremely important lesson, if we just check our blind spots, we could reduce the number of accidents each year.

Many of us have lost loved ones due to numerous amounts of car accidents each year. To reduce this problem, we have to start looking at ways we can reduce the number of car accidents. We can reduce the number of car accidents by wearing a seat belt, eliminating all existing and potential driving distractions, no drinking while driving, and obeying speed limits. The main cause of teenage car crashes is due to lack of experience and distractions. As a teenager I know how distracting it may be to pick up the phone as soon as you get a notification but that one day you pick up the phone to text someone might be the one day you cause someone to get in a tragic accident. So, it’s time for us to put the phone down and keep our eyes on the road!! Or as some of us may say ‘Better left unread than dead.”

Over the years I have witnessed a lot of car accidents on many highways and roads. But I’ve never experienced being in a car accident. My parents take safe measures to make sure each time we step foot in a car we wear are seatbelts, go the speed limit, pay attention to stop lights and road signs, as well as watching for pedestrians. Parents play a major role on teenage drivers, if your parent is not setting the example and not following rules then you might result in breaking them as well. According to Parental Perceptions of Teen Driving 37% of respondents thought that parental rules have a lot of influence on preventing a teenage driver from being in a motor vehicle crash.

To be a better and safer driver I will wear a seatbelt, watch my speed limit, watch out for pedestrians, beware of blind spots, limit passengers, and deny distractions. If I do all of this, I will have less chances of getting into a car accident. To keep others safe on the road I will spread to others the importance of driving safe through social media. I will also tell my family and friends to drive when they’re on the road.