Safe Driving

Safe Driving

On May 7, 2019, my friend Emily came to pick me up to drive us to school. It seemed to be just an ordinary day. However, as we were leaving my house and approaching a four-way stop, our daily drive to school took a turn. She stopped and waited for her turn to go, just like she was taught to. However, the car to our right did not stop and before we knew it, the car had hit my friend’s car on the passenger side. We were both young, sophomores in high school, who were newly experienced drivers. Both of us were physically okay but we were mentally stressed as only one other person was nice enough to stop for us and make sure we were okay. Two years later, I still stress every time I get to a four-way stop and am always extra careful that every car has stopped and that it is my turn to go.

In a world full of technology, it becomes easy to get distracted. As teenagers learn to drive during a time where technology devices are everywhere and easily become distractions and take their attention away from the road, it starts to get dangerous to drive. However, teenagers are not the only ones who tend to drive while paying attention to their phones. Adults do it as well. It is easy for one to turn their eyes away from the road for a moment if their phone dings or if they want to switch the song that is playing. The urge to answer a snapchat or watch a quick video while driving takes over. People have the tendency to think “if I take my eyes away from the road for just a couple of seconds, it won’t be dangerous.” However, when someone takes their eyes off of the road, anything could happen. A kid or animal could run onto the street and the driver would not notice in time because they were looking down at their device. The car in front of them could brake or slow down and the distracted driver could potentially hit the car in front of them. It is extremely important to know what is happening around while someone is driving. There could be an upcoming stop sign that they wouldn’t notice because they are texting back their friend. Paying attention to only the road and traffic while driving could save lives. When someone is distracted, they don’t only put themselves at risk of danger, but also their friends, family, and strangers. While driving, phones should be put away to where they will not be a distraction and drivers should pay no attention to their devices and give all their attention to driving safely.

Another big responsibility drivers must have is to make sure that when they are driving, they are physically able to. There are a lot of deaths caused by driving while the drivers are under the influence. This means that the driver has either drank too much or has taken another substance that may affect their ability to drive safely. When driving under the influence, the driver not only puts his own life at risk, but others as well. The mind is not able to properly think after it has been fed alcohol or other harmful drugs, therefore driving during that time is very dangerous. Drivers are not capable of being aware of their surroundings and put anyone out on the road and themselves at risk. Therefore, driving under the influence of alcohol or other harmful substances is very dangerous and plays a great role in the deaths that happen while driving.

Education is extremely important when it comes to driving. People have the opportunity to learn how to drive at the age of 14 and a half in Idaho. This is important because they take classes that teach them about the safety of driving and how to follow the laws of driving. However, once one turns 17 years old, they do not need to take driver’s education. They must learn the rules and safety measures on their own before they can get their driver’s license. Proper classes of driving can help with safety because the students were forced to learn about it. If someone did not take a class and decided to learn it on their own, they might not know everything they need to know to drive safely. They might also get into bad habits of things they are not supposed to do because they were never taught not to do it and it could become dangerous for them and others to keep driving. Education is a principal aspect of driving. With education, one can learn how to keep themselves and others safer than if they didn’t take any education driving class.

As a driver, I have told myself I would never drive under the influence. If something were to ever happen to me when I would not physically be able to drive, I know that the best option for me would be to call my parents or someone else who is sober and has the ability to safely drive. I know by not driving while I am under the influence, I could be saving people’s lives. To continue, I need to be better about staying off my phone. It is easy for me, a teenager, to get easily distracted by this technology. However, being distracted, especially by a phone, is extremely dangerous while driving and I need to be better about it.