Uncertainty avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance

The importance of drivers education is beyond measurable, six teens between 16-19 die a day due to automobile accidents. In 2017 around 2,364 teens in the United states were killed and 300,000 were hospitalized due to injuries. In 2017, the National Household Travel Survey indicated that the crash rate for new drivers is 1.5 times higher than an 18-19 year old. This data is crucial for understanding the importance of drivers education. I can recall many instances when I was driving and almost involved in an accident. A vehicle is not a toy it is a 2,871 pound piece of metal that needs instruction in order to operate. The anniversary of my cousin’s passing is coming up and she would be here today if her best friend could have seen the truck. Nicole Minier ( Melinn ) was on her way to a halloween party when tragedy struck. Her friend approached a stop sign with numorouse trees surrounding it making visibility difficult. As she stopped she was unsure if anyone was coming and decided to pull out unknowingly in front of a truck. The truck hit the car and killed Nicole on impact. The driver who was Nicole’s best friend survived the accident. As the days passed since the accident her friend never stopped talking to her via her obituary. I have read through Nicoles obituary page numerous times and each time I read the words of others I cannot help but tear up.

“ My Darling Nicki,

Last night your brother & sister (Jake and little Paige) came over with Josie. They helped to make a wonderful, fun floral arrangement for you. It is a butterfly bucket with different colored mums we picked from my yard, tucked in all around. We made the colorful paper butterflies using bright pipe cleaners for their antennas. I’m sure that you will notice the ladybug’s flying about as well. I know that you were watching us, we’ve been talking about you for days. Conner couldn’t be there because he was at sixth grade camp for school. Can you believe it, he has a real live chicken to take care of this year (he is absolutely loving it). Wish you could be here to share these things with us in person.

Your little sister Paige has such loving and tender characteristics about her that are just like yours. I can see you in her more and more.

Miss you terribly…

Grandma Cynthy “.

This excerpt is directly from the obituary website, my grandmother is the one who wrote this beautiful piece. This is only one of 244 entries written by friends and family. As a parent your worst fear is losing a child, I would not wish this on my worst enemy because this pain is continuous. When I read these entries all I can think about is what if. What if she made it out alive? Or what if the accident didn’t happen? I believe this happened for a reason that only God knows, I feel this story deserves to serve a purpose of bringing awareness to young drivers. This story is one of many young adults that have lost their lives due to an automobile accident.

Seeing the negative impact such an event can have on a family only pushes me further to bring awareness. Drivers education is where this begins, this is where stories like these can shape new drivers differently. Teaching teens can be challenging to get them to understand the importance of drivers safety but it’s something that must not be overlooked. I live with the pain and regret of not knowing my cousin as well as I should have. The aftermath left my family devastated, she was only 20 years old. I use this as a reminder that life is too short to not to double check. Every time I get into a vehicle whether I am driving or not I always double check. I strive to alert others that our time on earth is a blessing and that nothing is certain.

The feeling of losing a friend, family member, or a child is a form of pain you feel may never go away. So I ask you this, if we can reduce the number of fatalities in teen drivers today why not start now? As a young driver I have seen the amount of carelessness a teen driver has and it’s a deadly trait. I believe these types of drivers can be prevented with the help of drivers education. Learning how to drive is only a portion of the class but understanding the importance is the other. A simple reminder that a driver’s license is not a right but a privilege should change the perspective of many teens. I will forever be reminded of how easy it is to make a mistake even when I wasn’t the one who made the mistake. By no means does this mean don’t let your teen drive but give them a better understanding as to why it’s so important to be cautious. When I was going through driver’s education I can remember watching a video about drunk driving and texting, my class thought the movies were cheesy and odd. I believe there should be more videos about misconception instead. More often than not an accident occurs when both drivers are neither intoxicated nor distracted. The accident happens due to the lack of certainty, people take small windows of opportunity that are fueled from impatience and uncertainty. Would you gamble your life due to the lack of patience? I encourage my friends to practice patience and abstinence, staying away from drugs, alcohol, and technology when driving is important.The best way to stay safe when driving is to always be alert, it takes 1.5 seconds for an attentive driver to react. Within those 1.5 seconds your thoughts are nowhere to be found. Young drivers tend to swerve to avoid collision however this not only puts the driver at risk but everyone else in the area. Swerving is a method that should be replaced with critical instruction and practice. I believe that with practice we can teach our young drivers to react effectively rather dangerously. Overall I believe drivers education is important when it comes to the wellbeing of others especially young drivers.