Name: Carly Marie Parks
From: Fairfax, Virginia
Votes: 0
EVERYONE DESERVES
YOUR UNDIVIDED ATTENTION WHILE DRIVING –
I remember being
a new driver and thinking it was going to be so cool to drive. I
couldn’t wait to be on my own and get my own car. I remember my
parents “preaching” to me that driving came with a huge
responsibility. I laughed to myself and brushed it off – after all
I was reaching adult hood – I had come into my own and was learning
a lot of cool new stuff in high school and I had been waiting all my
life for a car and some independence!
Then one rainy
night, I was following my friend “Autumn” home from a dance at
school. She was late getting home and had to make curfew. She lived
a few miles from my house and we were taking the same route home like
we always did. I wasn’t following her too closely but she was
driving pretty fast. I saw her headlights flicker and go into the
woods off the road. I was in shock, I hurried to get to her and once
I got to the scene, I saw that she had hit a tree. She was not
responding. I saw that blood was coming from Autumn’s head so I
called 911. The ambulance crewed lifted her into the ambulance and I
remember thinking to myself that speeding home wasn’t that
important and how I should of done something, maybe reminded her that
it was okay not to be on time or meet curfew…….to call her Mom to
let her know she’d be late.
I feel like
drivers ed is so very important because even though it
taught me the rules of the road, it didn’t teach me everyday life
situations like racing home to meet curfew or that you shouldn’t
answer a text. It taught me the basics of the road. I feel like
drivers ed should also focus on real life decisions and remind
students that the most important part about driving is to realize you
are putting everyone’s lives in your hands when you drive and don’t
pay attention. By taking additional steps in the classroom to
“preach” to the students about safety and requiring more hours of
classroom and behind the wheel – maybe this would be the key to
students taking the road more seriously.
I have never been
in an accident but I have witnessed many friends being the cause of
an accident because of carelessness and being in a hurry. I think
that some other steps we should consider is possibly some volunteer
hours in addition to the classroom hours, more requirements to obtain
your license might make everyone realize that this is important!
Think about how you would feel if someone you knew got hurt, or god
forbid killed due to a careless driver.
