Driver Education Initiative 2024: In The Driver’s Seat

My name is Shontaya Robbins.

The importance of driver’s education in reducing the number of deaths as a result of driving should be safety first and foremost, being aware of your surroundings, being a defensive driver, knowing and being familiar with your vehicle, and knowing/following the rules of the road.

Some steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving would be to follow the rules of the road by not texting and driving, not drinking and driving, not using any substance that can impair your thought process or vision, not speeding or tailgating another vehicle, not being an aggressive driver, not being a distracted driver, and being visual of bicyclists and pedestrians, and not listening to overly loud music.

Some steps that can be taken to be a better and safer driver are staying focused on the road itself, wearing your seatbelt every time you get into a vehicle, putting away anything that will distract you from driving or that can jar your attention from the road, being knowledgeable of road signs and what they mean/stand for, knowing you aren’t the only driver on the road, using your signals when lane changing or making turns, and always checking your mirrors/blind spots.

My personal experience of being in a car accident was when I was a teenager.

I was with three of my friends and we’d left school early to start our Christmas shopping. We had been in the holiday traffic all day and were rushing home to get dressed for work. We were stopped at a red light in the turning lane. When the turning lane light turned green, our vehicle proceeded into traffic to turn, and another came speeding toward our vehicle and t-boned us. The driver of the vehicle I was in was irresponsible because she was checking her messages on her cell phone because our light had turned green she pulled out speeding and not paying attention to oncoming traffic, and she had been smoking marijuana.

My friend who was driving was bruised, my other friend on the passenger side broke her arm and fractured her pelvic bone, the other friend who was in the backseat beside me had gotten glass in her eyes, and I had a broken nose and a fractured right wrist and a fractured left ankle. We all were wearing our seatbelts and if it wasn’t for our seatbelts the accident would’ve been worse than it was.

Another personal experience I had with someone driving irresponsibly was my younger brother’s ‘friend. His friend had just gotten a new car that was equipped for driving on a racetrack.

His parents had told him to only drive that vehicle when the family went out to the racetrack on the weekends. My brother’s friend snuck the vehicle from his house without his parents knowing. He was speeding and racing on a curvy rural road that had slopes and hills. The vehicle hit a patch of gravel on the edge/side of the road, and the friend lost control and tried to overcorrect. When he overcorrected, the vehicle went airborne, and hit a utility pole, and my brother flew through the windshield and the vehicle fell on top of my brother crushing his body. The driver only had scrapes, bruises, and a gash in his right hand.

When my family and I got to the accident scene we weren’t allowed to see my brother because his body was in terrible condition. Preparing to bury my brother, we had to make a closed casket for his funeral because his body was seeable.

My brother’s friend was driving irresponsibly because of them not wearing a seatbelt, the driver was speeding/racing, the driver wasn’t paying attention to the road, and stealing his vehicle when his parents told him not to.

I was always taught whenever I get into a vehicle to always put my seatbelt on even if it’s to go around the corner.

Getting my license when I was 15 years old, I have never had an accident where I was at fault.

Going through my driver’s education class, I learned the rules of the road, what each sign meant/stood for, how to be a defensive driver, and how to not have anything in my reach that could distract me while driving.

Going through my driver’s education class taught me the value of life and most importantly a vehicle is a heavy machine, and it can kill you.

I believe the car accident I was in if it wasn’t for wearing my seatbelt, between my friends and me, one of us could have been killed.

I believe if my little brother was wearing his seatbelt he may have lived.