Drive safe

    Doors
open, sit down, turn on the engine. My heart is racing. I’m bubbling
up with nervous excitement. I have been waiting my whole life for
this moment. The first time I can drive alone. The anxiousness and
frustration of drivers ed melts away: freedom. 

Every
single teenager has experienced these feelings. Though teens are
restless to start taking over the roads, it is crucial that they are
educated in the dangers they will face. Social media has become a big
influence in society today. With the growth of devices such as cell
phones, it becomes more difficult to drive without being distracted.
It was found that when
we are interrupted it takes our brains on average 23
minutes to return back to focus.
That is 23 dangerous minutes that a teen will experience while
driving. 23 dangerous minutes that could result in death. 

It
is important that all teens take action to drive safely and influence
their peers to do the same. Programs for cell phones should be
created that disable the phone while the car is in motion. That way a
teen would not be able to use social media or text their friends
while driving. Also,
they would not be able to receive notifications, decreasing the
distractions that they will encounter. Another limitation that should
be set is a limitation on the volume of music in the car. Studies
have shown that reaction
time can slow as much as 20% when someone is listening to loud music;
the speed of one’s reaction is significantly important for the safety
of the driver and the passengers in the car. One last limitation that
should be set is the installation of a governor in the car. This
apparatus regulates the speed of a car, ensuring that a teen would
not recklessly speed down residential roads. If every single teen in
America took these precautions, the number of deaths related to
driving will significantly decrease. The key to ensuring that someone
will be a safe driver is to instill these limitations while they are
young, and that responsibility lies with parents and drivers’
education teachers.

  Though
I have never been in a car accident, I have seen the effects of one.
My grandfather Morty suffered greatly after being hit by a drunk
driver. The accident had caused him to develop epilepsy, which
eventually led to his death. Watching him deteriorate seizure after
seizure impacted my family greatly. He was a great man and his life
was taken away from him too early. The driver was never caught, so I
will always be cautious when crossing the street. 

Something
that I can do to be a better, safer driver is to put my phone away
when driving; the text is not worth the consequences that come with
it. Additionally, I can make sure that my friends and family know the
consequences that unsafe driving can have. I never want to see
someone taken out of my life like my grandfather was.