Safe Driving

“You failed…again” said Mrs. Puff for the 100th time to SpongeBob as he nearly began to cry. I remember watching SpongeBob take his Driver’s test countless times and thinking to myself “Why can’t Mrs. Puff just let him pass? He is a great student!” Of course, this was long before I was a driver myself, and I now see the problem with my previous thought process. But that was television; unfortunately, reality is much more serious, and things will not magically be resolved at the end of each “episode.” When a person enters behind the wheel, they are not just maneuvering a vehicle but a weapon that can kill in an instant if not handled properly. No one wants to be responsible for taking someone else’s life because they chose to be a careless driver. This is why driver’s education is crucial; it may not fully prevent an accident 100% of the time but knowing the rules of the road and knowing how to react when others are not following them could save lives. 

One of the most basic driving distractions is the cell phone. Luckily, many modern cars and smartphones have methods that attempt to minimize the risk of distractions. If all people committed to silencing texts or simply turning on the “Do Not Disturb While Driving” button that most phones now conveniently have, they could greatly reduce the chances of becoming distracted and having a potentially fatal accident. Although that would not eliminate the possibility of becoming preoccupied, it would lessen the likelihood that a person will keep checking his phone as he hears the familiar buzz of a text message tone. And as obvious as this seems, everyone should wear a seatbelt! Seatbelts may not prevent accidents, but they can greatly reduce the chances of a person being seriously injured in one. It may be the difference between life and death.

When I was in 11th grade, a school bus carrying children hit my car while I was parked and in class. Thankfully, no one was harmed in any form and the only tragedy was me losing my car for two weeks as it was being repaired, which was really just a simple inconvenience. However, I worried about the kids inside the bus and whether they were completely safe with a driver that was unable to maneuver around a school parking lot. Although we all make mistakes, I wonder how the driver would have performed in a more pressing situation where mistakes or mishandling could be deadly. Therefore, it is important to make sure that everyone on the road is qualified to be there to protect passengers and other drivers alike.

So, Mrs. Puff may have failed SpongeBob over and over again, but we need real instructors to do the same if a person truly is not ready to be on the road and could be a potential danger to others. After all, this is not a cartoon; it is real life, and it can be dangerous. However, if people prioritize their lives along with the lives of others over keeping up with the latest news as they drive, crashes will no longer have a chance to be fatal.