
Name: Kate Hansen
From: Provo, UT
Votes: 0
Responsibility in the Driver’s Seat
Kate
Hansen
Grade
12
Timpview
High School
Responsibility
in the Driver’s Seat
Drivers
education is critical in preventing the deaths of innocent people.
Drivers ed taught me that even when I believe I am aware of
everything, anything can happen. 100% of the driver’s efforts need
to be on the road to ensure the safety of themselves, their
passengers, and the people around them. By learning these skills at a
young age, people will develop and have these healthy driving habits
for the rest of their lives.
To
decrease the number of death tolls related to driving, driver
education is teaching teenagers to give driving their undivided
attention. Some states have created laws to help people be safer. For
example, in Georgia, it is now illegal to touch your phone while
you’re in the car. There are also apps and safety features that
come with phones to prevent you from getting texts while you drive or
give you rewards for not being on your phone while you drive.
People’s lives are in our hands, it’d be disrespectful and
irresponsible to be on a phone while there are lives at stake.
In
May 2018, my brother was driving home from his senior graduation and
I was in the passenger seat. As he went to change the music on the
radio, the car in front of him slammed on their brakes and we crashed
into them. He threw his arm in front of me but it wasn’t enough to
keep me safe. I flew out of my seat and broke the windshield. Our car
was totaled but it was a miracle I only had a few bruises. I could’ve
gotten a concussion, broken some bones, or even have died. We may not
see it as very irresponsible driving but we crashed because he wasn’t
paying attention to the road.
I
have an app on my phone that prevents me from getting texts while I
drive. I can wait to check my phone once the car is stopped. I can be
better about self control though. Rather than trying to check it
quickly at a red light, I can wait another 5 minutes until I get home
to check. There is a very low probability that I would get a
life-changing text on the 5-minute car ride to or from school. When I
drive with my friends, I have someone else hold the phone, give
directions, and decide what music we will listen to. In doing this,
I am more focused on the road and getting to my destination safely.
Some
people don’t take their driving seriously until something happens.
Thanks to drivers ed, people are being taught from their early
driving years how responsible they need to be not only for
themselves, but for their community as a whole.