Name: Briauna Rushin
From: Virginia Beach , Virginia
Votes: 0
A
Life in Your Hands
In
the state of Virginia, a teen at the young age of 16 years and 3
months can legally drive. It’s an exhilarating and exciting
experience to finally gain the last true bit of freedom before
becoming an adult at the age of 18. Many teens fail to fully
comprehend the repercussions of this new freedom. If teens
understood, it would manifest itself into a common practice of safety
into adulthood.
In
modern times, technology and real life experiences heavily influence
behavior. Two years ago, my brother got into a major car accident as
the result of driving carelessly on icy roads. He ended up in the ICU
of Virginia Beach General Hospital for about two weeks and was not
discharged out of the hospital until about two months later. Through
that experience, I have learned to be a more cautious driver because
as I sit behind the wheel, my life and the lives of those around me
are in my very hands. Additionally, a year after his accident, I was
chosen to be apart of my schools “Every 15 Minutes” program. The
statistic in the 90s, when the program began, was that every 15
minutes there was a car accident as a result of drunk driving. Taking
place over the course of the school year, this program allowed me to
see each and every aspect of what takes place when a car accident
happens as the result of drunk driving, staged of course. I witnessed
the car accident. I witnessed the emergency room. I witnessed the
intake process of the drunk driver at the local jail. I witnessed a
mock trial. I witnessed the pain of a mother losing her child. I
witnessed a mock funeral. I witnessed a life altering experience.
Moreover,
I believe that every student should be able to experience something
similar to the “Every 15 Minutes” program. Becoming educated on
more than statistics or grim stories changed my outlook and could
potentially influence others. Education is not restricted to facts,
but can be expanded to real life experiences and feelings due to the
fact that they carry more weight on teens rather than meaningless
words. Teens would then remember these experiences into adulthood and
would then share their stories with their peers.
In
conclusion, many steps can be taken to be a better and safer driver
and reduce deaths related to driving. One of them being keeping your
phone out of sight; a phone dinging or lighting up with every
notification may lure drivers to pick it up making it more of a
distraction. Another step would be to have a mental checklist as soon
as you get behind the wheel. Lastly, before making an impulsive
decision to drive carelessly or intoxicated, think about how your
loved ones would feel if you got badly injured. When you’re
driving, your life and the lives of those around you are in your very
hands.
