Name: Francesca Mattus
From: Nashville, Tennessee
Votes: 0
Staying Safe on the Road
When
a teen is finally
able to drive it can be exciting, but also puts them at a higher risk
of being involved in an accident. Drivers ed can be an
essential class for new drivers who need to learn the skills
necessary to safely operate a car, and road knowledge to avoid
mistakes. To prevent more deaths from driving, perhaps stricter
laws, and harsher punishment would discourage distracted driving.
Drivers also need to be in good physical and mental condition while
driving, so being sleepy or under the influence of drugs or alcohol
puts them, and others, at risk of an accident.
I
have experienced being in a car accident, and it was a scary
situation. The other driver was trying to make a left turn across
multiple lanes of traffic in the rain. He may have been waved through
by the other cars, but the driver wasn’t paying attention when he
crossed two lanes of traffic and slammed into the side of my family’s
car. The force of the impact caused our car to be shoved down the
busy road backward into oncoming traffic. That could have ended up
disastrous had the other cars not been able to stop.
To
be safer on the road, something as simple as following the speed
limit could reduce the many accidents with fatalities that occur due
to speeding. Distracted driving is a big issue in today’s society.
Looking down at a cell phone for even a few seconds has the potential
for life-changing consequences. The last step is to follow the rules
of the road, which is one of the benefits of taking a drivers
education course. Becoming a better driver means developing critical
thinking skills that are taught in a course, like stopping distance,
being aware of your surroundings, avoiding dangerous positions on the
road next to semi-trailers, and how to share the road. Using these
skills can help us become better drivers.
