In the Driver’s Seat

It was a gray afternoon, on the verge of rain, when my mother and I were coming home from Annapolis. We were ready to cross the bay bridge as we often did when my mother slammed on her brakes. I instinctively looked around in horror as my ears were filled with the dreadful shrieks of rubber against the road. As my mother swerved swiftly to avoid a jersey barrier, I felt my stomach drop, and I thought to myself: this is the end. Fortunately, the sharp reflexes and keen eyes of my mother saved us from impending death. As I had time to gather my thoughts, I patched together what had happened: an older woman was driving down an ending lane and was unaware of her situation; she quickly moved over, nearly side-sweeping another driver, who, in turn, swerved into our lane. I clearly remember seeing the women —whose absentmindedness had helped ignite the event— drive away as though nothing had happened. Her indifference to us, made me realize how numb our society is to the verge of disaster. I genuinely believe that this woman, along with most drivers in our country, view each vehicle lightly: they view car casualties as a statistic, not a reality. They view smashed cars on the side of the road as another unfortunate “accident,” rather than a changed life. It became clear to me from this experience that individuals view vehicles as merely “another car” rather than another “family.”

I hold firmly that driver education is extremely important in reducing the number of deaths from driving. It is crucial for each driver to be aware of the road and their respective responsibilities. Driver’s education helps to enforce and support such knowledge. To protect our society, the members of it must be aware of road signs and critical rules. The correct interpretation of a road sign could be the distinction between life and death. Additionally, driver education often enforces the important role of the driver. Driving is a privilege and bears many responsibilities. As I mentioned above, it is vital that a driver not only recognize that his decision influences himself but also those around him. Therefore, it is important that he drives with the consideration for his fellow neighbor. I have often dreamed of implementing a community service side to driver’s education courses, where each new driver —both young and old— is asked to help and support victims of serious car accidents. Here, each person can view the first-hand consequences of reckless or unsafe driving. By seeing true suffering, I feel as though people will be able to better resonate with the dangers of the road and its impacts on society, thereby adjusting their behaviors to keep themselves and others safe. To ensure that each individual has this opportunity, I also support the idea of implementing driver education courses in schools throughout the United States in order to ensure that each person has the opportunity to learn, grow, and understand the intricacies of driving and its consequences. A driver’s education course would be highly beneficial to all students with its real-world application and influence on the welfare of our communities. This implication would not only help the student drivers gain more experience but also help those around them by avoiding accidents caused by neglect of experience and knowledge.

I always try to take the necessary steps to improve in driving. I find it important to be up to date on laws and regulations constantly. I find it vital to both practice and understand necessary procedures, such as weather safety and night driving. People often drive in the same way when, in fact, they should adjust in accordance with their circumstances. For instance, someone driving in warm weather on a sunny day should drive differently than an individual driving at night in the rain. For one thing, the following distance and speed must be adjusted accordingly. Additionally, seasoned and knowledgeable drivers should always want to help correct younger drivers while also remaining open to correction for themselves. All individuals, regardless of age, can always improve; thus, it is important to take into consideration positive criticism from all drivers. If one notices that an individual is not paying attention on the road —whether that be because they are searching for a music station, texting, or grabbing a snack— he or she should respectively, yet firmly, set them aright. It is important that all drivers acknowledge that their decisions have significant consequences that can alter or, quite frankly, end another’s life. As a community, we can help preserve each other and avoid the tragedy of innocent casualties through enhanced knowledge, responsibility, compassion, and unity. Only when one realizes their impact on the world can one knowledgeably change it for the better.