Life and Death

Life
and Death

Unsafe
driving is one of the highest yet preventable causes of death. As
many teens dread, some states enforce a type of drivers ed
requirement to obtain a license. For example, Georgia has several
requirements for teens prior to them obtaining their license at 16.
They must hold their permit for at least a year and a day, complete
Joshua’s Law, and complete 40 hours of supervised driving (Georgia
DDS). Joshua’s Law is Georgia’s drivers ed program meant to
emphasize safe driving practices. Strongly enforcing programs like
these can help reduce death rates from driving by simply educating
teens on subjects they may be unaware of. When I took Joshua’s Law,
I was surprised on the information I retained and am still applying
that knowledge today. Those 30 hours of education can make a
difference between life and death on the road.

Though
I’ve never been in an accident, my father has been in one. And
though he is a professional truck driver, he still experienced the
effects of unsafe driving that day. As he made a turn too fast in his
truck, it tipped over and left him injured in the hospital. This is
even more reason why having educated drivers on the road is
important. My father, who is extremely skilled in what he does, made
a mistake which can easily happen to those less experienced. It is
inevitable to make mistakes on the road as I did when I began to
drive, but learning from those mistakes and making an effort to
become a safer driver everyday can make a great difference.

As
time goes by, we need to find ways to prevent the number of deaths by
driving accidents. Essentially, educated drivers are more likely to
be safe on the road. Further enforcing current driving laws and
drivers ed in every state is one of the most important factors.
As a teen driver, I can make sure my friends know about specific
rules on the road and the impact it can have if they don’t follow
these rules. I’ve known many people who have gotten their license
suspended due to unsafe driving which can effectively teach them to
be safer when that suspension is lifted. When driving, I can keep in
mind that my actions are for the welfare of myself and others. In
all, we need to remember that when we are on the road, we are
responsible for everyone’s life.

https://dds.georgia.gov/provisional-drivers-license-class-d