Distracted Driving

Drivers ed is the most
crucial step of becoming a licensed driver. Without it, teenagers and
adults alike would be operating heavy machinery blindly and with no
knowledge about the expectations and laws that come with the
privilege of driving. While the purpose of drivers ed is to
teach future drivers the way of the road, it also showcases scenarios
that can happen if you don’t follow the law. In my drivers ed
class, I specifically remember being shown a video of 7 girls driving
together late at night while messing around and driving too fast. The
driver ended up losing control, flipping her car, and many of the
passengers lost their lives while the driver faced serious jail time.
This experience put a healthy amount of fear in me, and I think about
it every time I’m in the car with my own friends.

Distracted
driving is one of the leading causes of death and car crashes in
America. A lot of people immediately think of texting or drinking
while driving when someone says distracted driving, but in reality
there are many different kinds of distractions besides the obvious
two. Drowsy driving, eating while driving, and giving passengers your
attention instead of the road are all relatively common examples of
distracted driving that happens every day. To reduce the number of
deaths due to driving, more steps need to be taken to eliminate all
distracted driving. More severe laws, fees, and punishments need to
be created and enforced throughout America. As of now, many states
have laws that prohibit texting and driving, however the severity of
the punishment varies from state to state. To reduce the number of
deaths due to driving, clear and consistent laws need to be
implemented, and larger punishments must be created.

A
week after I got my driver’s license, I was in a car crash. It was
late at night and my brother and I were a block away from our house
when someone T-boned my car. The other car wasn’t paying attention
to the road or reading signs, and as a result we both ended up with
totaled cars. To this day, I get nervous whenever I drive at night
and I am much more conscientious about the drivers around me. Over
the summer, a friend of mine got in a car crash because he was
distracted and blew a red light. No one got hurt, but it’s needless
to say he no longer allows distractions while he is driving.

Since
I started driving, I’ve taken many steps to become a safe driver
and help others be safe on the road. When I get in my car, I
immediately put my phone in a bag or in my center console so there
isn’t even an option to look at it. I limit my car radio volume so
I’m more aware of the world around me, and if I’m feeling tired I
ask for a ride from someone else so I’m not driving drowsy and
putting those around me at risk. There are many ways to eliminate
distractions in your own life, but it is crucial that stricter
punishments and laws are created to protect everyone on the road from
the people who aren’t willing to drive undistracted.