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Drive More, Text Less

Name: Macey Marie McLaurin
From: Lexington, South Carolina
Votes: 1

Drive More, Text Less

Some
of the biggest milestones people experience are during high school
years: rather if it’s walking across the stage to get your diploma
or receiving your driver’s license. These monumental moments play a
huge role in the next steps to our future. While it’s exciting to
receive these freedoms, we sometimes ignore the negative consequences
that could occur. For example, no one thinks that they’ll get into
a car accident when they are first handed their new drivers permit,
yet more than half a million people are injured or killed yearly in
the U.S. (Facts). With this being said, it is safe to say we need to
better educate society of the consequences that come with gaining new
privileges.

For
my friend, she had to learn the importance of not taking risks while
behind the wheel the hard way. As my friend was driving home one
Friday, she was t-boned by a speeding truck on her driver-side door.
Luckily, there were no fatalities; however, she broke her arm, tore
her ACL in her left leg, totaled her new vehicle and received some
points on her driving record. My friend claimed she didn’t see the
car coming but later said that she was sending her Mom a text as she
was making a turn when she looked up and saw the truck coming. “It
was too late,” she told me. This unfortunate event could’ve been
prevented if she would have listened to the rule we’ve all heard,
don’t be on your phone while driving. We all assume that tragedies
could never occur to us, however that is not the right mentality.
Establishing a mindset of “why couldn’t this be me” rather than
“this could never be me” could be life changing. After this
accident, she and I both make sure to take extra precautions for safe
driving by using a special motion-censor setting on our phones to
block any access or notifications from ringing on our phones until we
are out of the moving vehicle. We also encourage our friends to not
be on their phone while driving. If more people were to know about
this free feature on their smartphone, this would eliminate the
temptation to check our phone when we hear that familiar ding.
Knowing that texting is an unnecessary distraction that plays a role
in most car accidents is important when practicing safe driving, but
actually not texting while behind the wheel is what is most
important.


To
review, how can we prevent injuries and fatalities due to poor
driving choices? First, do not take risks. Even if you ‘think’
you can make it safely, it is always better to wait. Sometimes cars
are driving faster than they appear. You also shouldn’t drive when
you are sleepy or in a hurry. Rushing causes speeding, which
increases your chances of getting into an accident. Lastly, don’t
drive dangerously in attempts to show off to your peers or while
under the influence, this small choice could result in tragedy.

Works
Cited

Facts & Statistics About
Texting & Driving (Updated for 2018).” San Diego California,
www.personalinjurysandiego.org/topics/facts-about-texting-driving/.