In the Driver’s Seat

In
the Driver’s Seat

The
one thing that high school teenagers look forward to the most,
besides parties and football games, is finally getting their driver’s
license. Along with the license comes a sense of freedom and maturity
that we seemingly did not have before. In today’s society, driving
is a normal thing that we do every day to get from one place to
another. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that every
time we get in the driver’s seat, we are potentially putting
ourselves and others in danger. If I’m being honest, I never really
put much thought into this reality. An average of 34,000 Americans
die each year as a result of driving. While it is impossible to get
this number down to zero, there are several ways to help decrease
this number significantly.

One
way to decrease traffic fatalities is to stress the importance of
drivers ed, especially to youth. There are several traffic
safety rules that I was very unaware of that could have potentially
put myself or others in harm’s way. I didn’t take drivers ed
as seriously as I should have simply because I was too lazy to
actually learn all of the rules of the road. Not only are people
lazy, some people know the rules, but feel they don’t have to
follow them. Another step we can take to reduce the number of deaths
is to make the legal driving age 18 instead of 16. Even though I
would not have wanted it, I realize now that a lot of 16 year olds
aren’t mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come with
driving.

Thankfully,
I have not been involved in a car accident as a driver; however, I
was in a car accident a couple of years ago when my mother was
driving. We were approaching an intersection and we were both looking
out the window and talking. My mom didn’t see the light turn red
and we ended up t-boning the car crossing the intersection.
Fortunately no one was seriously injured in either car, but my mother
totaled her car. I could increase the safety for myself and others
by always paying attention to what is in front and around me and
putting my phone away while I’m driving. At the end of the day all
it takes is one text message or one phone call and I could lose my
life or cost someone else their life.

I’ve
been looking forward to being able to drive for as long as I can
remember, and now that I am, I realize just how dangerous it really
is. Even if you are doing everything right behind the wheel, you
could still be hurt as a result of someone else’s bad driving.
There is no way to ensure the safety of all individuals, but as long
as you are driving responsibly, it increases the likelihood of
survival of not only yourself but many others.