Name: Elisha E Edwards
From: Marietta, GA
Votes: 0
The Wheel Comes With Responsibility
A 16th birthday marks the moment where a child gains the
chance to get behind the wheel and take on the world. While driving
can become a chance for freedom and fun, it is very serious to know
how and what to do to prevent any tragedy. Mothers and fathers alike
teach their children how to drive the best way they know, but many
times the knowledge of a parent is not where it should end.
It is
our job as peers and mentors to take steps of our own to gain and
spread drivers ed to keep our loved ones and others as safe as
possible on the road. The number of deaths that have resulted from
driving should and can decreased if we create a system in which we
are not only taught to maneuver and drive a car, but how to do this
safely and in the best manner possible.
The primary step
which could be set into place among the United States is to create
stricter regulations and requirements for earning a driver’s
license. Defensive driving skills should somehow be required to have
and display during the road test. Because a driver cannot control
everything that happens around them, it is vital they learn what to
do when dangerous situations occur. Drivers ed should also be
required and pushed more in schools so that students do not have to
reach out to outside sources to gain this necessary information.
These lessons would most likely reduce injury rates and make roads
overall safer.
I experienced
being in a crash my sophomore year of high school, and though it was
not major it made me rethink a lot of things. While on the way to
cross country practice my friends and I were rear ended abruptly by
another young adult. I felt the hard hit and sprung forward but was
lucky enough to be perfectly fine physically. When we exited the car,
we then realized the other driver had been on her phone and not
paying attention which led to the accident. Though not all accidents
can be prevented, I realized that day how life could be taken away in
a split second when not everyone is educated on how to safely drive
and how what they choose to do can greatly impact others. Though the
incident turned out fine for me, that’s not the case for so many
other people.
The importance
of drivers ed isn’t only to keep yourself safe, but also
everyone around you because when driving a vehicle there comes a
responsibility to think abut others as well. Simply going the speed
limit, looking both ways, or not replying to that Snapchat at that
exact moment can save your life and others. We can half the amount of
deaths due to driving by simply sharing what we learn and staying
aware of our surroundings. Don’t let avoidable mistakes prevent you
or others from getting to your desired destination.
