Name: Samantha Petchonka
From: Selden , NY
Votes: 0
Drivers ed Initiative Award Summer 2019 Things that can happen to you
Driving is very dangerous and it is a privilege at the same time and is one of the most important milestones in ones life. You must be responsible and be educated driver, this will reduce the number of accidents and/or deaths. I can give statics and numbers, but will that really matter. You need to make the choice to take steps to be better driver.
I have yet to be in an accident but I have seen friends hurt from accidents. My mom works with people who suffered from Traumatic Brain Injuries, and 90% of them came from car accidents. When I became a teenager she took me to work with her to meet some of her patients and I remember talking to one guy who was 23 years old, who told me if he wasnt a distracted driver he would not be where he was today. He was driving home from a party he had a bit too much to drink and he was answering texts. He went out of control and hit a tree. He stated he was lucky to be alive but know he has short term memory loss and cant remember things as well as being paralyzed and in a wheel chair for life. He stated his life was changed even before it started. That moment meeting my moms patients who had their lives changed in a blink of an eye from a car accident made me realize that I have to do everything in my power to be educated and responsible driver to reduce accidents and/ or deaths. So now I have a rules in my car, when I drive to put your phone in the glove box and when the car reaches its destination the phones will be given back. The driver needs to be focus on driving and eyes on the road at all times. When I am driving or in the car as a passenger I tell them no-multi-tasking while driving, put all the distractions away and focus on what is happening around you. I wake up a little bit earlier so I can leave for my commute a few minutes earlier. Doing so helps me slow down and gives myself some extra time in case there are accidents my way to my destination.
Put that phone away, dont get behind the wheel even after one sip of alcohol, and stay focused on what is happening around you. I feel these few choices will reduce the amounts of distractions and help avoid any unwanted accidents. Your life is precious and it can change in an instant.
