“In The Driver’s Seat”

Hannah Peevy

11/24/20

“In The Driver’s Seat”

Imagine you are a teenager and today is your birthday. You have just turned sixteen years old. Today is the day you get to experience freedom for the first time. That is if you pass your driver’s test. You have prepared by reading your Driver’s Education Manual that you got when you turned fifteen to study for your permit test, which you barely passed. Since your last birthday, you have driven with adults several times to many different places to learn the road and the basic feel of driving. You might have even taken a summer driving course. You walk into the DMV office, but are you actually ready for this huge, possibly life-changing responsibility?

Highway and road fatalities happen all over the world daily. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death of almost all ages. All it takes is a couple seconds for it to happen. Every seat in a vehicle is dangerous, but the driver’s seat is the most important and the worst. The person who calls that seat to sit in is taking an enormous responsibility and a huge risk. Lives are quite literally in their hands. However, there are many ways to increase safety while operating a motor vehicle. The knowledge of driving is an important factor to safety. How much a person understands the vehicle and laws of the road affects how they are as a driver. It also results in fewer car crashes. Being educated on driver safety can save lives and reduce numbers in death.

Young and newer drivers tend to be less cautious than a person who is older and has been driving for a long period of time. Watching out for others and your surroundings is a skill that takes time to learn and adapt to. Most accidents are preventable. Like before starting the car make sure every person is seated correctly and has their seatbelt buckled. Seatbelts and proper seating can make an accident go from being severe to minor. Many drivers take this for granted far too often.

In the generation we currently live in today and all of the new ones becoming, technology is a con. Cell phones are one of the world’s biggest distractions. Constantly, people are looking at a screen. As soon as your eyes go off of the road, even for a second, your life and other people’s lives are in danger. Just a glance could cause a fatality in the blink of an eye. There are lots of ways to prevent the inevitable result from happening. While driving a car, place your device in a safe, distraction-free zone. You should pull over on the side of the road to access your phone in any way and if a text needs to be sent. New technology in cars have improved accidents from occurring as often, but drivers still need to be aware of the risks.