It Can Wait

When
I turned 16 I was, like any kid, really excited to be a step closer
to getting my license. I took my permit test and passed with flying
colors and was ready to hop behind the wheel. Well, let me tell you.
Taking a multiple-choice 30 some question test with some road signs
does not mean you know how to drive. In Virginia, you are required to
do drivers ed for a certain period of time and have in-car lessons as
well before you can even attempt your certification. I thought
drivers ed was going to be something easy I could knock out in a few
hours each weekend and that it was all useless information. However,
I learned way more than I thought I knew. Drivers ed is the
single handly most important class a student can take because it
really enforces the idea that you are getting into a machine that can
hurt you and others if not used properly. There were countless
lectures and videos shown of young adults who have lost their
friends, or parents who have lost their children due to distracted
driving. You quickly learn the statistics of how distracted driving
can affect a whole population of teenagers and the number is so
appalling you definitely remember every time you step foot into a
car.

My
parents and I set up a rule, of course, where there will be no
electronic distractions used in the car. My cell phone automatically
connects to my car but there is a safety measure in my phone that
senses car movement which automatically silents my notifications and
inhibits me from going on my phone when I am in the car. I believe
that this is a smart feature that should be put in every phone
because the number of people I see in the car next to me texting
someone, on the phone, or even my friends trying to snap friends on
Snapchat at a red light is quite astonishing. I have never been in a
car accident but I know many people in my school have been and most
of the causes were due to distracted driving. I think that everyone
is preached that you should not use their phone in the car, however,
the normality of seeing people use them while driving continues. I
try to always remind my friends and family members to pay attention
to the road. Friends can wait to hear back from you and they most
certainly would not want to be the cause of your accident or death if
you were distracted by their message.

I
would encourage parents to set a better example for their children
while driving because children always learn from their parents, and
if parents do something one way they are most likely to copy. I also
would like to see more applications and driving features on a car
that inhibits phone usage unless it is an emergency. That one
notification can wait.