Remembering Why Safe Driving is Important

I have a reason why it’s important to me to be a safe driver, and it is very special to me. When I was an 8th grader, a senior at my school was killed in a car accident. She was a cheerleader, and was a very special mentor to me when I was a young cheerleader. Now I am the senior cheerleader and I still think about her. She was such a special person and she had so many plans for her future.

Teaching teenagers about safe driving is very important. Young drivers might not realize how unsafe their driving is. They might not be thinking that they could get hurt or killed. Sadly, I know from experience that it is possible. Education for young drivers could begin with an explanation of just how serious it is to drive a vehicle. There are many things that could go wrong and there are serious consequences. A driver could manage to do their driving for months while texting or speeding without an accident. However, all it takes is one time for it to go wrong. If they were reminded of others who texted and caused an accident, they might imagine what it would be like if it happened to them.

I know that there are consequences if a teenage driver gets in an accident or gets a ticket. This is because I lost my license for three months when I was a new driver. When I first got my license, I was leaving school in a very busy parking lot. It was the first week of school and the traffic was not organized at all. I was distracted and looked off to the side. I was watching students walking near me and I didn’t realize the person in front of me stopped quickly because of all the traffic. I hit the back of her car. Thankfully I wasn’t going fast at all. I regret being distracted. I was too concerned with what the other kids were doing while they were walking through the parking lot. Months after that, I got a speeding ticket. Because of the fact that I got two tickets while I was sixteen years old, my license was suspended for three months.

That was a hard time for me. It was hard to spend three months without my license. I did learn a lesson though. Sometimes we have to learn a lesson the hard way. I knew that I had lost a friend and cheerleading mentor in a car accident when I was younger, but I still wasn’t driving as safely as I could. That really shows that we tend to think that these things won’t happen to us.

Even though I was uncomfortable when I had my license suspended, I still think it is a good idea to have strict rules for teenage drivers. I think that these consequences are an important step toward reducing the number of deaths caused by dangerous driving. Some drivers might be more careful because they don’t want to risk losing their license. Some other drivers might be like me and they might learn a lesson the hard way and start being more careful after they have lost their license. I mentioned earlier that educating new drivers about the dangers of unsafe driving can help decrease the number of deaths. Strict rules and consequences can be another tool to encourage drivers to be safe.

There are steps that I’m taking to be a safer driver. First, I have learned how important it is to make sure I’m not distracted when I’m driving. I regret being distracted and bumping into a car in the school parking lot. I already know how important it is to make sure I’m not texting and driving. I was educated about how unsafe that is. In fact it can be deadly. Now I realize that you can also be distracted by other cars or by people who are walking nearby. In fact, there are tons of things that can distract a driver. Passengers in the car could be distracting. Even looking at the radio and changing songs is unsafe. I know that the notifications on my phone are another thing that could cause me to look away from the road. A driver might not technically be texting, but just looking at the screen for a moment to check a notification might be all it takes to miss something important on the road.

I have also learned how important it is to not speed. At the time when I got my ticket, I was anxious. I know that isn’t a good excuse. I have learned that a driver can’t let their mood affect how they are driving. Another example of this is rushing to get somewhere when you are late. It is better to be late to something than to hurt yourself or someone else.

I have been told many times about how dangerous it is to drink or do drugs. I already know that these aren’t smart choices. If someone is drinking or doing drugs, they definitely shouldn’t drive. This is something that I think a lot of teenagers have been taught about. It would be smart to have a plan in case I would find myself in a situation where a driver has been drinking or doing drugs. I know that I could call my parents or certain friends to pick me up if I don’t have a safe ride.

There are other things I can do as a passenger to make sure that we are driving safely. I can make sure I’m not distracting the driver when I am a passenger. I could also remind my friends about safe driving. That might be awkward but it is very important because someone could get hurt or killed.

I want to honor my friend who was killed in a car accident. It was sad and scary when that happened. Our whole cheerleading team was heartbroken. I remember that she wanted to join the Navy after she graduated in a few months. We talked about how she was very brave and strong. Sometimes I think that the only thing I can do for her is that I can drive safely.