The Privilege of Driving

When
I thought of getting my license, I thought of the freedom,
excitement, and independence it would bring. It honestly wasn’t
until I took the required five-hour drivers course when I realized
that driving needs to be taken very seriously. Of course it’s fun
to be “in-charge” for the first time as a teenager, but with that
power comes responsibility. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and
it is every licensed driver’s obligation to be safe and conscious
behind the wheel.

Educating
drivers is definitely important because what we teach new drivers is
the foundation of their driving intelligence for their lifetime.
Drivers need to know the small, but extremely important, things like
who has the right-of-way, and how to signal appropriately. It’s
the little things that can avoid car crashes, and in the worst case
scenario, death. Potential steps that can be taken to reduce
driving-caused deaths are annual driving lessons or independent
research to ensure that long-time licensed drivers aren’t getting
lazy.

While
we all hear about the importance of safe driving and looking out for
others, some people don’t take it seriously until a loved one is
affected. In February 2020, my school district unfortunately
witnessed a driving related death. One of my classmate’s dad’s was
killed, while working, by a drunk driver. The news of this tragedy
affected the entire school. I think I speak for everyone when I say
this incident was an eye-opener. I took this as a reminder that
distracted driving is just as serious as driving under the influence.
Similar to drivers’ education, it is the small details that make the
difference. When you get behind the wheel, driving is your main, and
only, focus. You should not be eating or texting or be trying to do
anything else because in some cases, that is the difference between
life and death.