How to Save a Life

Annabelle Lambert

How
to Save A Life

As
the youth of today reach the high school years of their lives, there
are many milestones to endure during this time, the major one being
driving. At the age of 14, we anticipate the entrance of high school.
At the age of 15 we earn our learners permit. And finally, at the age
of 16, we are on the roads. All the adults that surround are filled
with fear and distress. However, us new drivers are filled with
excitement and we finally get a taste of freedom and adulthood. What
many teenagers fail to realize is with this newly gained freedom,
there is truckloads of responsibility. Not only do we have to worry
about our life, but also the lives of everyone else on the road.

At
the moment that I gained my license, my parents were determined to
make me a well-rounded safe driver. Since my mother is a police
officer, she has witnessed many horrific scenes on the road. This
placed an even bigger fear in her mind of her daughter driving. At
the age of 15, I signed up for my schools drivers ed course. This
class taught me so much about driving and made me feel comfortable
about being behind the wheel. I believe all schools should replace a
drivers ed program, by reason of driving being a near essential
part of our lives in today’s world. Programs like this can be found
not only in classrooms, but also online and in stand alone
businesses. In America, on average 34,000 die each year as a result
of driving. This is why courses on driving are imperative, because
they can decrease this number easily. Often times there are drivers
on the roads who only know few driving laws. Nevertheless, rules of
the road will be permanently engraved in the minds of those who
participate in drivers ed.

The
American society is evolving everyday, with the help of the latest
inventions in technology. While technology can be useful to us, it
also can have its down fall in the driving world.
According the CDC,
distracted driving caused an average of 9 deaths and 1,000 injuries
per day in 2018.
The use of cellular devices while operating a
car is prohibited in many states, however this does not stop
Americans from checking social media of sending a text back while
driving. It is significant to remember that a text can wait. It is
better to not respond than to be the cause of a deadly car accident.
If one finds it too difficult to divert themselves from their cell
phones, it is always a quick solution to place it out of reach before
starting the car. Furthermore, most cars are now including bluetooth,
so phone calls can be answered hands free.

Fortunately,
I have not been involved in a dangerous car crash. Although many of
my peers have. This includes my best friend while she was on the way
to school. Luckily, she made it out with no permanent injuries, but
many consequences still remain. The accident was caused by simply not
checking well before she proceeded to cross intersections. I will
never forget the anxiety I felt when I received the call that she was
hurt. We did not have any details yet so I was not sure what to
expect. I was relieved when we heard it was only cuts, bruises and a
sling that she had to suffer from. But despite that, it still could
have been so much worse. Her car was totaled and now her family is
not only faced with financial payments being due, but also the fear
of it all recurring.

After
the wreck, both of our families decided to take precautions in order
to be insured of our safety. For starters, we both now take a route
to school that is not busy and has no intersections. This is not a
bad idea for parents of new drivers to encourage their children to
do. Secondly, our parents downloaded trackers on our phones. While
many students dread this, it is worth the reassurance for our
parents. If I am ever involved in a wreck, the app immediately alerts
my mother and she can get me the help I may need.

Overall,
some precautions may seem overbearing, but it is always better to be
safe than sorry. Reckless driving is the root to many fatalities,
therefore do not be the reason someone is faced with losing a loved
one.