Name: Emmie
Votes: 0
In the Driver’s Seat
For as long as I can remember, I dreamed about getting my driver’s license, owning my own car, and having the freedom to drive myself and my friends around. Thoughts of costly car repairs, gas expenses, ticket citations, or potential car accidents were the last thing on my mind. As soon as I turned 15, I began working three jobs to save for a car. I tackled the online driver’s education course with gusto. By 16, I purchased my first car and was on my way to getting my Texas Driver License. It was during this time I started to realize owning a car and being a safe driver is a huge responsibility.
Shortly after starting the parent-taught drivers education program, I went on a practice drive with my mother. She took me to the school parking lot and taught me basic driving moves. I remember being so nervous, literally having to peel my hands off the steering wheel during those first few driving sessions. With each lesson, my confidence grew, until I almost drove the car off a ledge into a step ditch! I could have sworn I put the car in reverse, but I had accidently put the car into drive! It was shocking how quickly the car jumped forward towards the ditch. I gave myself and my mother quite a scare that day. A week later, I made another dangerous mistake, failing to properly yield, almost side-swiping a car.
The mistakes made during my early driver education were great teachers. The written drivers ed material, the videos, the hands-on driving, and the required IMPACT Teen Texas Drivers training were all invaluable tools to help me become a better and safer driver. However, observing other drivers, even my parents, taught me additional lessons. I have witnessed my parents texting and driving. It terrifies me. I know they have years of driving experience, but according to a report by Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), distracted drivers lead to about 391,000 injuries and almost 3,500 deaths in the United States each year. While writing this essay, I decided to share TDI’s statistics with my parents. I printed out and gave them TDI’s 7 Action Steps to Avoid Distraction. I genuinely believe in these life-saving steps, which include 1) turning off temptations, 2) stopping to call/text, 3) having a driving plan before departing, 4) pulling off the road when drowsy, 5) limiting the number of passengers, 6) avoiding smoking/food/drink consumption while driving, and 7) keeping your eyes moving.
Equally important to driver safety, is maintaining a safe traveling speed. On numerous occasions, I have been a passenger with drivers traveling at unsafe speeds. The science of speeding, as reported by EMC Senior Engineer, found that for every 10 mph of increased speed, the risk of dying in a crash doubles. The US Department of Transportation warns of the dangers and consequences of speeding. They point out that speeding endangers everyone on the road, not just the speeder. This article spoke to me personally, since my future aspirations are in medicine and saving lives. Admittedly, I recently got a speeding ticket while making the 8-hour drive back to my school after the Thanksgiving Break. I had just hit a large buck, damaging my car badly. Although I took a break, I must have still been shaken from the collision and failed to pay close attention to the speed limit sign. The silver lining in this potentially deadly and costly mistake was I decided to take a defensive driving course to dismiss my traffic citation. I may not have been excited about spending six hours taking the online defensive driving course (or paying for it), but the program was the perfect review and reminder of all I had learned in my teen driver’s education course two years prior. Perhaps all drivers should be required to take a shortened refresher course every year, regardless of whether they receive traffic violations or experience a traffic accident.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, 2021 was the second deadliest on Texas roads. Texas is not the only state experiencing rising road deaths. Vehicular fatalities are rising nationwide through distracted driving. Even though I attend high school out-of- state, I am a Texas resident. I care about the health and safety of my fellow Texans. I also want to feel safe as I travel to and from my destination. While driving, I now commit myself to turning off my phone, pulling over if I need to call/text, preparing my route in advance, exiting the roadways when I’m tired, limiting traveling companions, avoiding food and drink distractions, and keeping my eyes moving. Each year, doctors, and teachers alike, are required to complete continuing medical or teacher education for the sake of their patients and students. Why not extend this requirement to drivers of all ages, to benefit everyone on the road? If the top cause of fatal car accidents is distracted driving, I propose we start saving lives by changing driver behavior through mandatory continuing driver education (CE) programs.
Internet Sources:
https://www.tdi.texas.gov
https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/
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