Slamming the Breaks on Bad Driving

Slamming the Breaks on Bad Driving

It was a cold night in Nebraska. When a person would breathe, steam would float through the air while they were driving. Brock sped around the corner at high rates, lost control of the vehicle, and whipped right into the ditch. The next memory he had was when he woke up in a hospital bed . . . dazed and confused.

This story is very similar to other stories that I am sure you have heard before. I am Jaycee Lapp and I grew up in small town Hayes Center, Nebraska. Similar to many other rural communities in Nebraska, many kids are behind the wheel of a tractor, car, truck, or pickup before the age 10. While this is very helpful especially on the farms, I believe that we are quickly headed down the wrong road by allowing underage and irresponsible people driving down the country roads and highways.

Passing a driver education class is especially important when trying to avoid a car crash. A driver education course can help teach you the “rules of the road.” While this seems very simple, a person might be surprised by how the basic rules could save a person’s life. For example, it is very important to yield at a red light even if you want to turn right. If a proper yield was not performed it would be very easy for the driver who has the right of way to hit the car entering the lane. A driver’s class can also help you be aware of how much drugs and alcohol can affect the ability of a person to drive. At these courses the instructor will present stories of real people who experienced heartache from family members or friends who lost their lives in a car crash. In addition, sometimes law enforcement or first responders are brought in to talk about their experiences of being on a scene of a wreck. Driver’s courses can teach people about defensive driving techniques. These are important to learn because it helps people notice angry drivers and know when and how to safely pull off the road in different circumstances. In these classes, people are taught that they are to take personal responsibility for their actions on the road. The driver is always responsible for themselves and the people in the car.

I think that there are many approaches that can be made when trying to reduce death that is caused by car crashes. I think the most important approach is having every person pass a driver’s education course by actually driving with a registered DMV person. While the test is important, I think the actual driving portion is critical when deciding if a person is actually a responsible driver. Other steps include obeying traffic laws, avoiding driving while you are sleeping, keeping distractions out of reach, and not driving while you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

I actually have had someone very close to me get into a car crash. This kid was a high school student. He was very active in sports and other extracurricular activities. He had gone to his friends house one night and they were drinking. While he thought he would be staying the night, his mom texted him and told him that he had to be home by midnight. So, he started his pickup and took off driving back home very drunk down the windy country roads. He was accelerating at high rates and glanced at his phone to text his mom back that he had left. Soon enough, he flipped off the side of the road right into the ditch. There he lay, startled to death of what had just happened. While this incident could have been avoided, he made the choice to drive under the conditions he did. I know I am not the only person who has experienced this before. In addition to this story, people that I ride in the car with sometimes will be on their phones, or they will drive at excessively high speeds because they think it is “cool”. This is not cool at all . . . it is actually very dangerous. We have all heard the horror story, and people still text while driving, drive under the influence, not wear a seatbelt, go way beyond the speed limit, and more. This problem needs to be recognized and solved! I hope one day drivers of all ages will make more responsible driving choices.

I believe that there are many steps that I can take to ensure safe driving across the state of Nebraska. I will follow the rules of the road by turning my blinker on in advance to my turn, driving the speed limit/at an appropriate speed for the road’s conditions, look both ways before entering incoming traffic, and more. The most important thing I will do is help people understand how crucial it is to drive safely and responsibly. I hope that everybody can join me in attacking this deadly driving problem in our state and country!