Name: Emily Alberts
From: Tacoma, Washington
Votes: 0
Drive
Safe and Stay Alive
Learning
how to drive and obtaining one’s driver’s license is a rite of
passage here in the United States. 16-year-olds are handed car keys
and sent off to school. However, in today’s age, with the use of
pocket technology (mainly cell phones), distracted driving is at an
all-time high. Nowadays there are just as many deaths from distracted
driving than there are from drunk driving. Steps need to be taken in
order to lower the amount of unsafe, distracted drivers on the road
through passing laws, educating people on unsafe practices, and by
encouraging friends and family to keep the phone away.
Personally,
I have seen many people text and drive, some of which were driving me
to a location. This makes me feel uncomfortable and I try to get them
to put it down. However, there is now a law in my state that made
texting and driving illegal. If distracted driving finds to be the
cause of a collision, then the suspect could face either a hefty fine
or prison time. Outlawing
the use of technology behind the wheel could save many lives as not
as many people will partake, and hopefully will decrease the number
of deaths.
Driver’s
education is a key role in reducing the number of deaths as a result
of driving because drivers ed has a responsibility to give people
the numbers of deaths, the top causes and ways to prevent death. For
example, in drivers ed we went over alcohol use and driving,
wearing a seatbelt, appropriate speeds, when it’s safe to pass, and
distracted driving as well. While some of this are scare tactics for
sure, teenagers will be less likely to go about unsafe driving habits
if they’re aware of the consequences. Drivers ed is very
important in keeping distractions out of the way and safety first
when driving.
Steps
we can all personally take in order to be a better and safer driver
is to remember to keep phones away while the car is running, and to
encourage and remind those around us. If we take a second to tell a
leaving friend “remember to not text while you’re driving,”
then we may potentially save their life the next time they’re on
the road.
So
many people die while driving due to unsafe practices and being
distracted. These incidents are preventable and together we can
educate and encourage others to not make a deadly decision. As a
community we can get the number to 0, but it starts with keeping your
eyes on the road.
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