When You’re Distracted, Who’s Driving?

I think driver
education plays a very important role in reducing the number of
deaths as a result of driving. Having gone through a drivers ed
course myself before I started driving, I remember how much it helped
me going through this course. Even though the in-class part can be
boring at times, it really showed me a lot about rules of the road,
signage, and other precautions to help me be a safe driver. The
driving portion of the class really helped me out the most though, as
having someone who was very knowledgeable in driving in the car with
me taking me through different situations really helped me learn how
to safely navigate the roads.

There are a couple
of steps that I think can be taken to reduce the number of deaths
related to driving. I think the two major ones would be really
enforcing no texting while driving and also realizing the importance
of every life that you pass on the road. My generation has the
hardest time of understanding that no text is worth taking your eye
off the road and possibly getting in a wreck and losing your life. It
can wait until you get home or wherever you are headed to. Going
along with that, following the rules of the road and practicing safe
and defensive driving is key to be a safe driver. When you think
about the importance of every life that you are passing while in your
car, it really makes you want to drive differently because of it.

It was February
2016. I was driving home from school after getting done playing in a
baseball game. I was on the interstate going about 80 miles per hour,
and I was about 5 minutes away from my house. I get ready to get in
the right lane because my exit was coming up, but a deer runs out in
front of my car and I hit it. However, through my training I did not
swerve to try and miss the deer. I just let my car hit it, and then I
had to get my car over in to the emergency lane and call my parents
and wait on them to come and get me. My car was greatly damaged, but
I realize that it could have been a lot worse if I had ended up
swerving and possibly hitting a car coming along in the lane beside
me. I am thankful that I came out of the accident with no injuries,
as I was just a bit freaked out since it was the first accident I had
ever been in. I am glad that I had the training that I did so that I
not only saved my life, but also someone else’s life if I had ended
up swerving and trying to miss the deer.

I believe that
following all the rules of the road is the biggest step I can take to
be a better and safer driver. Just thinking about the importance of
all the lives involved by getting behind the wheel should change how
I, and everyone else drives. There are a lot of lives that could be
affected because of not following the law and possibly getting in an
accident and taking someone’s loved one from them. Someone will
always be impacted by a death, and I can at least do my part in
driving safely so as to protect my life and the lives of everyone I
pass while on the road.