Suspension Teaches us a Lesson

Just like most states, in the state of Washington, the earliest age you can be to obtain a driver’s license is the age of 16. If you want to pursue the license by the age of 16, by law you must attend an accredited driver’s school to for class. I attended a local driver’s ed school in Washington. One of the many lessons I learned in my driver’s ed classes was that if you violate the road and traffic laws twice while being under the age of 18, you will have your license suspended until you are the age of 18, or for 6 months. (dol.wa.gov).

To me, this law seems completely reasonable. When discussing this topic with other drivers my age, some argue that the law is very quick to suspend licenses on the second violation. They find this law unfair, and discrimination against young drivers. But if you think about it, the law offers you a second chance to be a safer driver after your first offense, which is reasonable and fair. If you do not learn to use your second chance properly, it could just mean that you are not ready to be on the road for a while.

I personally knew 3 people in my life who had their licenses suspended while being under the age of 18. One of them was someone I used to ride home with after school during my freshman year of high school. After my friend failed to turn left properly, we were hit by a car. I was in the passenger seat. I remember my body crashing against the door of the car, and my head hitting the window. Fortunately, I did not suffer any injury, and neither did my friend who was driving, nor the people in the other car involved in the crash; only vehicle damage was done. This was my friend’s first offense. After their second offense, their license was suspended for 6 months.

I remember even after their suspension ended, I still was not ready to get in the car with them again, after seeing how their unsafe driving caused serious problems. After I while, I gave them a chance, and I was able to see how suspension taught them a lesson. They were now safe on the road, and instead of being worried if they were going to make it to school or work on time, they became focused on following all road and traffic laws, even if it meant receiving a tardy slip. That experience also helped me learn a valuable lesson; arriving alive is the goal, not arriving on time. If you are a person who does not manage time well and ends up doing everything at the last minute and rushed, I would strongly recommend you give up those ways while you are driving. Swallow your pride by driving to the speed limit and focusing on the road. There are too many dangers on the road to be driving carelessly.

Along with time management, as a driver you must be able to be attentive. Being attentive means cutting off all distractions. This means using your notification silencer and keeping your hands off the phone. The list of distractions can go on endlessly. Distractions can include pets not being properly restrained in the car, turning your eyes away to talk to your passengers, daydreaming, and so on. After suffering emotional distress, you should refrain from driving, as it is also a distraction.

You must also be able to make decisions on the road, as well as thinking ahead, allowing yourself to make driving decisions properly and with time. Having functioning cognitive thinking ties into this. To make sure you can properly make decisions, your mind should be focused on the road, and functioning. If you are under the influence of alcohol and drugs, you should not drive ever. Alcohol interferes with the brain’s communication pathways and can affect the way the brain works. Alcohol makes your brain weak for controlling balance, memory, and judgment. You need a good sense of judgment to make on spot decisions on the road. Drugs have this same affect. Poor rest from the night before causing sleep deprivation can obstruct your cognitive thinking.

These are the many causes that can cause accidents and traffic violations to happen. And if your license is suspended, take it as an opportunity to think about your poor driving decisions, and to revert them into safe driving decisions. One of the main leading causes of death in teens are car accidents, which is why we are required to attend lessons, take tests, and practice safe driving. And remember, suspension teaches us a lesson.