Driving Shouldn’t Be Easy

Kayla Sprenger

Dmvedu.org

In the Driver’s Seat Essay

10 May 2021

Driving Shouldn’t Be Easy

I was about seven years old, sitting in the back of my mom’s car. It was downpouring and we were waiting for the storm to let up before walking inside. While waiting, my mom told me how dangerous driving in the rain is, and that lots of accidents happen because people can’t see well. At that moment, I resolved to never get my license. I was so scared I decided the bus, subway, or even riding a bike everywhere for the rest of my life would be better than driving myself.

Flash forward and my opinion changed completely. As I sat next to my mom signing up for my Driver’s Ed classes, I couldn’t wait to get my license. However, as I went through the driver’s education classes, I was surprised how easy passing the lessons was. Every multiple-choice question had only one obvious answer. And by the time I had finished all 12 hours of actual Behind the Wheel, I was far from a comfortable, experienced driver. Furthermore, when I went for my driver’s test, I was appalled that it lasted only seven minutes and although I messed up a ton, they still granted me my license. At the time, I was glad for this because I was aching for freedom, but in retrospect, I am frightened by the fact that they gave me a license before I was ready.

It’s scary to think of the many teenagers given their licenses before they are a good driver. What is even scarier is, talking to my peers, quite a few of them are waiting until they are 18 to get their license because they won’t have to take all the behind the wheel courses–they just have to pass the DMV test. In fact, in Wisconsin, anyone over 18 only has to have their Instruction Permit for seven days before being eligible for their probationary driver’s license (Parent’s Supervised Driving Program). If I felt like I didn’t know how to drive after six months with an instruction permit, I can only imagine how these people feel. An average of 3,700 people die every day from car crashes (Road Safety Facts). Facts like this need to be taken to heart, and people need to realize the responsibility and risk they take when getting in the driver’s seat.

One way to reduce deaths related to driving would be to change certain criteria. Everyone, regardless of age, should have to complete the same amount of practice hours. Of course, simply knowing what you should do won’t always stop accidents. People are often rushed or distracted. There should also be stricter laws on phone usage while driving and people should have regular reminders of the catastrophes caused by careless driving. One way to do this is sharing stories of accidents and close calls.

About 6 months ago, I was in the passenger seat of my friend’s car driving at night in the rain. She looked at her phone for two seconds to skip a song, and didn’t see that the road curved nearly 90°. She slammed on the breaks and had to cross into the other lane to avoid flying down the hill in front of us. Luckily, there was no oncoming traffic in our way. This experience was a reality check for me. I realized that the statistics aren’t kidding about how dangerous it is to look down at your phone for just five seconds.

Reflecting on that night, I’ve realized some precautions I can take to be a safer driver. I can turn on Do Not Disturb on my phone and keep it out of sight, take extra caution at night, be careful in rain, and encourage others to do this too. If I’m with a friend and they try going on their phone, I can speak up about how dangerous that is. Also, I can avoid texting or calling my friends when I know they’re driving.

While seven-year-old me planning to avoid driving forever in order to be safe was an impractical thought, the fear I had was not. It’s important to realize the tremendous responsibility you take for your life, the lives of your passengers, and the lives of other drivers and pedestrians. More supervised driving experience and greater education on distracted driving could greatly decrease the number of car accidents and fatalities. Safe driving all starts with me and with you, taking responsibility when we get in the driver’s seat.

Works Cited

“Parent’s Supervised Driving Program.” Wisconsin DMV Official Government Site, State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation, wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/teen-driver/prnt-spnsr/psdp.aspx.

“Road Safety Facts.” Association for Safe International Road Travel, ASIRT, 3 Mar. 2021, www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/#:~:text=Approximately%201.35%20million%20people%20die,resulting%20in%20long%2Dterm%20disabilities.