Freedom vs. Responsibility

For most teenagers, driving is a symbolism for personal freedom. Nothing seems more exciting than an open road with windows down and music blasting. Your 16th birthday resembles coming of age and having the responsibility of wherever you want to go and when. But with freedom comes responsibility.

When it comes to driving education, knowing how to properly navigate the road and your vehicle is one of the most important steps to becoming a safe driver. Personally when I turned 15, I realized there is much more to driving a car then just turning it on and hoping for the best. The North Carolina Drivers Education class allowed me to learn about: the ways of the road, important signs to follow, what to do when a fire truck is coming down the road, avoiding road range and how to get help if a car accident may occur.

While owning your own car and having the open road may sound intriguing, if proper safety is not taken into account, serious injuries including death may occur. According to NHTSA, an estimated 20,160 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the first half of 2021, up 18.4% over 2020. That’s the largest number of projected fatalities in that time period since 2006 (NHTSA). To avoid dangers while driving there are many steps one can take to be a safe driver. First, absolutely no texting while driving, that person on the other end of the phone can wait or if you think it is urgent to respond, just pull over…it’s that simple. Second, for those at the age of drinking, do not drink while driving. If you know you are going to be above the alcohol limit and need to get home, grab a ride from a sober friend or call an uber. Better to end up at home safe and sound then in an ambulance. Thirdly, do not depend on other drivers. You may be driving safely, but 9 times out of ten the person in front of you just ran a red light and almost crashed into somebody. Be cautious, when the light turns green wait 5 seconds before pressing on the gas for those who run red lights. According to Drivers Education, not only should you concentrate on your own driving, you should also be well aware of the other vehicles around you (Drivers Education). Fourthly, always drive the speed limit. While it may be tempting to go 80 mph on the highway, there may be an instance where the cars in front of you may be coming to a stop and you may be going too fast to stop in time. Drive safely, don’t let your bad decisions affect others. Although there are many ways to be a safe driver, my last suggestion is not to engage in road rage. According to Colonial Driving school, road rage is impulsive and counterproductive, it can often lead to alterations, street fights or even collisions and is also referred to as extremely aggressive driving. Road rage distracts drivers so that you end up driving unsafely (Colonial Driving School).

Even when you take safety precautions, accidents are accidents and still may occur. When I was in second grade I was on the way home from school with my mom and a large thunderstorm was over us. When we got to a busy road near our street we noticed a large tree had fallen on a woman’s car and the police had not come to rescue her yet. We aided this woman, who was covered in blood and glass shards, to our safe car and waited for authorities. In no way was this accident the womens fault, but the accident was traumatizing for the women. Another instance where I personally have experienced an accident was when my best friend and I were in the Dunkin Donuts drive through ordering and before we could order, the woman behind us rammed into the back of my friend’s car, leaving us traumatized and her car damaged. In this situation, my best friend and I took the right precautions, we called the police and they came and aided us and we explained to authorities that we were in no way at fault and the women agreed. We later found out that the woman worked in the medical field and had been awake for more than 48 hours due to her work and because of her lack of sleep, she reached for the gas pedal instead of using the brake.

Driving is more than getting from one place to another, your life and others are constantly on the line. Of course, accidents can happen despite your efforts to stay safe, but it is better to be prepared when it comes to driving safely. Learning to drive may sound intimidating, but with practice, awareness, and safety, driving can be a compelling and fun experience.