Driving a Weapon

Driving
a Weapon

By:
Hannah Drager

In
2012, over 30,000 people died from driving incidents. This proves
that drivers ed is very important; it could reduce this number
significantly. If drivers remembered that they are driving a weapon,
they would be more cognizant of their speed and abrupt decisions. The
number of deaths as a result of driving would go down if drivers were
fully prepared for the fast paced situations they will face on the
road. This instruction should include teaching the laws and
regulations of driving, but also should cover the seriousness of this
responsibility. A car is like a weapon; it is a threat to the driver,
passengers, other citizens, and to property if not used correctly.

Fortunately,
I have never been in a car accident. I attended driving school which
prepared me for many stressful situations that require quick
decisions. However, not all of my friends had this instruction and
experience. I watched a very close friend of mine lose control of his
car and almost drive into a ditch. He didn’t realize how fast his
turn came up, and by the time he turned the wheel, it was too late.
He was very lucky that his car did not roll into the ditch. He knows
the rules of the road, but the severity of the situation did not hit
him until after he got into the accident. He could have killed or
seriously injured himself and others. This was very eye opening to
me. The responsibility of driving is very frequently disregarded and
until I watched him get into his accident, I did not fully grasp how
one poor choice can affect so many lives. The more informed and
educated drivers are, the better decisions they will make. For
example, I will never make a last minute turn after watching that
happen.

I
have seen many people texting and driving; whether it is my friends
or other drivers at stoplights. This is dangerous for obvious
reasons; it is distracting and takes the focus off of driving. This
may seem harmless to the drivers who do this frequently, but it is
very irresponsible. I heard one story of a girl who was texting and
driving and accidentally killed a biker. After being informed of
this, I will never text and drive because I realized the severity of
it.

I
believe that driving school made me a safe driver, but I can become
an even safer driver by recalling that driving is very dangerous
everytime I start my car. I do not want to add to that number of
deaths so my decisions need to be smart and thought through fully. I
can help others become safer on the road by informing them that
driving is a very serious task, using the stories that I have shared.
I can remind them that driving is not something to “cruise”
through; it needs to be taken seriously because it is a matter of
life or death.