The Truth of Driving

I as well as many teenagers and even adults sometimes do not think about driving consequences. We are all aware that driving is extremely unsafe and that car accidents happen on a daily basis. Though many still continue to speed, be on their phones, and also partake in many other distractions while driving. I have been driving for almost two years now, and I am always checking my surroundings, as everyone should do while driving. I personally have never had a close encounter with a car accident or anything related to that, but I know multiple people who have.

I have driven in a car with people that were on their phones while driving. It makes me nervous being there with them because you never know what can happen in a short time looking at a phone screen. There have been multiple instances where the driver was not paying attention around stop lights and did not realize that cars in front of them were stopping, therefore I had to tell them. If I would not have been paying attention then we would have gotten in a car accident. Every time I am ever with someone when they are driving and on their phone I say something to them about it, reminding them that you never know what could happen in a few short seconds.

Last school year a girl that is in the same grade as me got in a really bad car incident on her way to school. She was going a little too fast around a curve, lost control, and hit a tree. She was perfectly fine, though the police officers, firefighters, and medical team said that if she weighed a little more she more than likely could have died in that car accident. Not that I wasn’t aware before, but this truly opened my eyes to how vulnerable you truly are when driving a car. I knew this girl and if things ended up differently I would be traumatized to ever drive a car again.

That being said, driver education is extremely important. When I took the drivers education class I did not realize how much is truly involved in driving. There is so much information said in these classes that everyone needs to hear about. I believe that every state should require people to take these classes before they can even get a permit. It is important to know and understand the factors of driving. At the time I believed I should not have to take the class because I thought I already knew all of the basics. Little did I know there is so much more to it. Driver education can save many lives from car incidents that happen multiple times a day. People do not take driving as seriously as it should be. Driver education teaches you not only about signs, important things inside you car, and what you should and shouldn’t do while driving, but it also talks about how driving under any sort of influence is extremely unsafe.

I remember watching videos about different drugs that people have been on while driving and the causes of it. We also watched videos about what alcohol can do to someone while driving as well. Seeing those videos really scared me. Not because of anything harsh to the eye just the thought that someone’s poor actions can put so many people’s lives in danger.

I can truthfully say that because of this class and everything I learned I am constantly checking my mirrors. I am always examining my surroundings to potentially avoid any sort of accident. I will begin to slow down even though cars are way in front of me. I am always nervous to be close to cars in front of me because you never know if they will have to slam on your breaks. Multiple cars and damage can be done just by being too close to other cars.