Drive Safely… or You Might Regret It

Driving is what most teenagers think about doing when they become 16 years old. Getting a license is the key to there new form of freedom. I had gotten my license in the September of my junior year. I was one of the lasts of may friends to get a license, but when I finally got my license, I was so happy to finally have some independence. I liked the idea of being able to go without having to drive with my parents. In my car I got to listen to my own music and sing in the car. However, even though I had the new freedom of driving, I still was aware about the dangers of the road. There are so many people on the road who drive over the speed limit, especially on the highway. At often times it can be scary, which is why I always make sure to drive with caution while on any road. Whenever I would leave my house I always made sure to have my seat belt always fastened, I would check my mirrors to make sure that I could see my surroundings. It’s important to take the precautions because using these precautions can eliminate the risks of getting injured in a car accident. Additionally, it is important to have driver education so that teenagers can be aware of all the road rules, the road signs, etc. Having an education about driving will most certainly allow for the deaths of drivers to decrease. This is because, drivers will be informed with the knowledge and the cautions of driving. My mom for example, got into a car accident and the person that hit her was not paying attention on the road. Due to the driver who did not pay attention, it caused my mom’s car to spin 5 times and it resulted in her car to be totaled. When I found out that she had gotten into a car accident I was scared and wondered if she was okay due to the extremity of how her car turned out. Luckily, she was okay, but from the car accident, she still experiences some back pain from the impact of where the car hit her. I believe that one of the reasons that she was not injured as much was because she was wearing her seatbelt. In 2021, there were about 26,325 vehicle occupants who were killed, and from that, 50% of the occupants were not wearing a seatbelt. This goes to show how important it is to where seatbelt. Wearing a seatbelt should be the most important step to take and it can end up saving your life. In addition to this, I also believe that it is important to not drive late as well. The reason for this is because, there are many drunk drivers on the road at this time. Driving during the day would be the best for driving because the nice sun is out. In addition, there are many things that you should not do to limit the amount of times that you could get in a car accident such as: speeding, driving under the influence, tailgating, driving tired, recklessly driving, running stop lights or stop signs. All in all, I believe that teenagers should never underestimate the power of driving because your life can change in a minute from driving. When teenagers are given the key for their new driving journey, it would be best to check mirrors, wear a seatbelt, adjust the steering wheel, adjust your headset, check the dashboard, etc. Driving is a privilege and being cautious on the road should be ideal. I remember my first time driving on the road by myself. I was not scared on the road, but for the longest time, I did not like to go on the highway because it was fast and it looked scary. But I finally did and it was the best experience. I can finally say that I have been driving for over a year, but I am not a pro-driver and to this day, there are still many things that I can do to get better. Going on the road for the first time alone may be scary, but once you drive many times, driving will feel like a breeze. Almost like walking. Well… not really like walking, but it will definitely get easier. I am so glad to be able to drive knowing that I know all the information from taking a drivers-ed course. Without the course I genuinely feel like driving would have been much more difficult. Hopefully from the information provided, you can take in that it is quite important to be safe and an educated driver on the road.