The Road Deserves Your Full Attention

Sarah
Post

[email protected]

12
grade

Lincoln
Charter School, Denver, NC 28037

The
Road Deserves Your Full Attention

Driver
education is so important when it comes to driving. I think everyone
needs to have a knowledge of things that can happen on the road while
driving and how to protect yourself from certain situations that can
go wrong. In my town, Charlotte, NC, there is a class called BRAKES
(Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe) whose mission is to “prevent
injuries and save lives by training and educating teenage drivers and
their parents about the importance of safe and responsible driving”.
This course was started by a drag racer, Doug Herbert, who lost his
two sons in a car crash in 2008. Herbert started this course for
teens to do with their parents that consists of training them what to
do in certain situations by actually getting behind the wheel and
simulating real life situations, such as maintaining control on an
icy road. I think classes such as these are what can save lives when
things go wrong on the road therefore there should be more
opportunities, such as this class, all around the country for driver
education.

While
I have not been in a bad car accident, I have had close friends
experience one. While driving with my friend on day, we turned right
at a stop light, then had to pull over due to an ambulance
approaching behind us. The ambulance ended up stopping right in front
of us due to a wreck. When we looked at the crash that had occurred
probably 10 minutes prior to us being there, we saw three girls from
our school sitting on the curb next to the crashed car. Suddenly, my
and my friend’s upbeat mood took a turn when we realized that a car
accident is something that can happen in the blink of an eye before
you can even comprehend what’s occurred. I think an important thing
to remember when driving is that nothing is more important than your
safety. So whether it’s responding to a text, or changing the
playlist on your phone, or whatever the distraction, it can wait
because the second you pull in to your destination, you should be
thankful you made it there safely, because that is not always the
case for others.

https://putonthebrakes.org/our-story