Name: Olivia Sutter
From: Chardon, OH
Votes: 0
Be
Aware of Life when in the Driver’s Seat (by Olivia Sutter)
As
a new driver, were you exhilarated about learning how to drive so you
could have more independence and freedom? Did you understand the
responsibility of life that you would behold when you take the wheel?
It is very frightening once you understand how dangerous distracted
driving is. However, the convenience of driving is usually why people
take the risk anyway. There is a risk anytime you step a foot out of
your door. The risk of a car accident is there every time you get in
a car, driving or not. Drivers ed plays an enormous role in
educating people on becoming proactive drivers. They show a glimpse
into the consequences of distracted and unsafe driving. Driver’s
Education also teaches the foundations of how to properly drive.
Being a proactive driver means you do all you can to minimize the
risks when you’re in a car.
Minimizing
car accident-related deaths is a team effort amongst all drivers.
However, even when you’re not driving you can help the driver stay
focused. You can help navigate, respond to the driver’s cellphone,
and make sure they are not texting or intoxicated. Driving or not,
you have to be aware of your surroundings. Of course, always wear
your seatbelts because they really do save lives. Another way to
reduce the number of deaths is to not act resiliently to car
accidents. Understand that they can happen to anyone, anywhere, and
anytime. This mindset of “ressiliance” from car accidents is the
type of behavior that causes most accidents. People think since
they’ve never been in a car accident, it allows them to drive more
carelessly. It only takes one moment of carelessness to be involved
in a gruesome car accident.
Unfortunately,
I have been involved in a car accident. In July of 2019 on my
family’s last day of vacation, we were involved in a head-on
collision. We were in the US Virgin Islands; they drive on the left
side of the road, unlike the States. My mom had been doing great
driving the rental car all week until we were looking for a castle to
visit before our flight took off later that afternoon. My mom saw a
sign saying that the castle was closed due to repairs from the
previous hurricane. The next thing we all knew was the car was filled
with chalky dust and busted airbags. Luckily, we all were wearing our
seatbelts so there were only very minor injuries. That was all of our
first car accident and we were scared and shaken up, especially since
we crashed a rental car, outside of the states. Plus, we didn’t
have much time because of our flight taking off rather soon. The car
ended up being totaled and we were almost late to our flight.
Although it was very bad that the car was totaled, we were extremely
thankful nobody was really hurt. My mom looked away from the winding
road for a couple of seconds and it caused us to be in the head-on
collision. Don’t let this happen to you! It is crazy how fast your
or another person’s life can be changed from a decision of a couple
of seconds. We were the lucky ones. Make the right decision and stay
focused on the road, please.
More
ways to reduce the number of car-related deaths would be, stay off of
your phone. Place your phone out of reach so you don’t get tempted
to check your phone’s notification while driving. Don’t hold your
phone while driving either, use safety features like Bluetooth, if
your car has it, to make and answer calls from your cellphone.
Another way is to follow the speed limits. The speed limits are there
for a reason, and that reason is public safety. Even if you think
that going a couple of miles per hour over the speed limit isn’t
that bad, imagine if everyone does that. It would defeat the purpose
of a speed limit. Be aware and put your mind into the perspective of
other drivers. Pay attention and try to think about what other
drivers are trying to do so you can ensure that they will be safe,
along with you. For example, if a car is turning on it’s turn
signal and starting to break but not turning for a while, assume that
they are looking for an unfamiliar house. Don’t just assume they’re
going to turn right away. Also, once a light turns green, wait a
couple of seconds to ensure nobody is going to attempt to go through
a yellow light, although it’s red. Never drive intoxicated. Don’t
even let other people drive intoxicated. Make it your purpose to stop
friends and family from getting in a car while being under drug or
alcohol influence. It is extremely dangerous to themselves and
others. It is not worth it to lose a life over a stupid decision like
that. Call an Uber or find assign a designated driver before. There
are many new ways to make sure people who are intoxicated can get a
ride home safely with the new technology. Finally, another way that I
can personally help minimize the number of deaths related to
car-accidents is to inform others about the statistics of car
accidents. I can inform my peers in high school, family, and friends.
When people learn about scary statistics, it opens up their minds to
realize that they can change their habits to become safer. It makes
people think about the impact and consequences that entail with the
responsibilities of driving. Although driving is a very convenient
activity, it should be taken very seriously with caution to ensure
the safety of yourself and others on the road.
