Name: Aleah Katherine Jacobs
From: Valentine, NE
Votes: 0
You most likely have no idea who
is driving the car right next to you. They could be a grown adult
with years of experience, or a sixteen-year-old who just got their
license last week. No matter what the case, every single person on
the road should be properly educated in the field of driver
education. Yet, how do we define proper drivers ed? Some
individuals define this education as teaching their young child how
to drive the family pickup through empty pastures. Others earn their
education by meeting with a drivers education instructor and doing
endless hours of practice driving with them. When it really comes
down to it, the majority of people don’t truly comprehend the
importance of proper driving education.
According
to The New York Times, nothing kills more teenagers than car crashes.
With this being said, it is dire, to say the least, that these teens
are at least being taught proper driving safety. However, this can be
a difficult task to complete. There is no national standard for
drivers ed courses. Meaning that in many states, teens and even
adults often side step important steps when going through the process
of getting a license. Such as skipping the required hours of practice
with a certified instructor.
This
is an issue that needs immediate attention. Without proper training
behind the wheel, the number of deaths in teens and adults
skyrockets. For the safety of everyone on the road, there needs to be
solid national standards for every person acquiring a license. This
is only one step of many that should be taken in order to make our
roads a safer place. One other large factor in driving related deaths
is the use of cellphones while driving. In the state of Tennessee, it
is against the law to even be holding your phone whilst driving. This
law should be present in all fifty states. Decreasing the use of
cellphones being used behind the wheel can decrease the amount of
deaths drastically. According to the research of the National Safety
Council, cell phone usage while driving leads to around 1.6 million
crashes each year. One out of every four accidents in the United
States is caused by texting and driving (edgar snyder &
associates).
With
all of this being said, the United States has much to do in order to
lessen the dangers of the road. However, there are several steps that
YOU can take in order to be a safe driver. The first step being to
always go through with the proper driving education. Meaning putting
in the practice hours, taking the written test, and learning from the
books. The next step everyone young and old needs to follow is
drastically decreasing the amount of cell phone use behind the wheel.
Lastly, keep in mind that your life and the lives of others is truly
in the palm of your hands when you turn that car on. Follow the
proper safety steps so that your next cruise, road trip, or errand
run won’t be your last.
