Name: Caitlin Bowling
From: Dayton , Ohio
Votes: 0
First,
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Caitlin Bowling. I am a
high school junior at Fairborn High School in Dayton, Ohio, dedicated
to paying college through scholarships and grants. I plan on
attending a local community college to gain an Associates degree and
a Bachelors at a University. I hope to pursue a degree in computer
engineering or business. I look forward to pursuing a higher
education and the opportunity to grow and learn.
Becoming
a safe and experienced driver can be a long and tedious task, but it
is essential to reduce the number of deaths as a result of driving. I
remember when I got my permit, standing in the loud and cramped BMV.
The small piece of plastic sitting in my hands felt like a piece of
gold. But as I sat in the driver’s seat of my mother’s car I did
not feel excited. Instead, I felt scared and anxious. My head was
wrapping around the fact that I could easily kill myself and others
with a two-ton hunk of metal. That day I drove in circles around the
pothole filled parking lot for 30 minutes. My growth as a driver
developed slowly but surely, from driving up and down my street, to
enrolling in a driving education course, to becoming the driver I am
today. Driving education is imperative to gain the information and
experience to become a safe, knowledgeable, and defensive driver.
Many
factors impact the amount of deaths related to driving. The obvious
factors are weather and road conditions but there are many others
that are preventable. These include not practicing good driving
habits, driving distracted or under the influence, and/or disobeying
traffic laws. The good news is that these bad habits are reversible.
Make sure to always use your indicator lights, pay attention to the
road, always silence your phone and put it away, have a designated
driver, and drive the speed limit. Changing bad habits can take time,
but in the end it is necessary to save lives, including your own.
Unfortunately
I have had multiple friends who have been in car accidents. The most
serious case was my friend who was traveling in a car with her
grandmother and sister. They were about to turn left on a green arrow
when they collided with a motorcyclist attempting to run a red light.
The motorcyclist died upon impact, but his body slid under the car to
the other side. Due to the damage to the car, my friend had to step
over his body to exit the vehicle. That experience left her with
damaging emotional scars that she will have for the rest of her life.
My friend was extremely lucky to survive the accident, but not
everyone is as fortunate as my friend.
Everyone,
including myself, needs to make smart and informed decisions. Make
sure to focus on the road, obey traffic laws, wear your seatbelt, and
exercise good driving habits. Make sure to encourage others to drive
safely as well. Breaking bad habits can be hard, but in the end, your
life and the lives of others are the top priority.
In
conclusion, make sure to always remember that the quality of your
driving affects the safety of others. Driving is a serious
responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Thank you for the
opportunity to share my message and remember to drive safely!
