Crossing the Yellow Line

Drivers Ed is often brushed off by teenagers across the nation because we believe we are invincible and that we know everything; however, the numbers do not lie. Drivers Ed provides the students with different situations, teaching them how to avoid them, and how to deal with them if encountered. The classes have several hours of videos to watch, quizzes to take, and of course, driving with an experienced driver. In my class, we were required to be able to change a tire before we were allowed to drive. We had to drive for six hours across three days, where we continued approving the skills required to be a safe and comfortable driver.

Along with the class, a driver’s permit makes young drivers continue practicing safe roadway techniques while accompanied by an experienced driver. Another step to reduce the number of accidents is to limit the number of distractions in cars for all drivers. My generation has been raised on screens and instant gratification; therefore, we have formed a bad habit of picking up our phones at every new notification. I think limiting the number of screens in vehicles would go a long way, without a new alert every thirty seconds, and worrying about our BlueTooth connection to our radios would help us keep our eyes on the road.

Many cell phone companies have already included settings to mute notifications while in a car, whether it is turned on manually, by speed, or by connecting to BlueTooth. Using this setting allows me to stay focused and I believe it would help many other drivers. A car crashed into the driver’s side door of my mother’s truck when I was younger. This experience has always stuck with me, forming a beneficial habit of avoiding my phone while I drive. I always tell my family and friends to stay off their phones while driving; however, my grandmother continues to text and drive.

As I have mentioned above, I have notifications muted while I drive, but other steps I take are memorizing the street names as I pass them and listening to music. I believe all of these steps have made me into the careful driver I am today. I hope that more drivers, young and old alike, begin to take more steps to be careful drivers.