Name: Olamide
From: Franklin Park, NJ - New Jersey
Votes: 0
Unsafe driving
behind the wheel, may seem simple and easy to avoid, but can have
life
changing results
if one is not careful. Every day, a teen learns how to drive. Many
people think
that teens are
simply not ready or do not have the capabilities to handle driving.
In 2012, “60
percent of deaths
among passenger vehicle occupants ages 16-19 were drivers.” (Teen
Driving
Statistics). How
tragic is it to know that teens are the ones causing most of the
deaths due to
reckless driving?
Turning 16 is
perhaps one of the most monumental occurrences in a teenager’s life.
Most
young adults fail
to realize that driving isn’t simply a right but an opportunity to
gain more
responsibility
from your parents as you get older. Before operating any motor
vehicle, it is
important that
one fully comprehends the dangers associated with automobiles. For
that reason,
Joshua’s Law was
passed in January of 2007 requiring a drivers ed course to be
completed before
16 year olds to be able to obtain a Class D license.
The good news is,
a teen’s car accident risk can be reduced by a combination of
practice,
gradual exposure
to driving and gradually easing into higher-risk driving situations
like night
time driving and
driving with other teens in the car, and of course, parental
supervision.
Thankfully, I
have not had an experience of being in a car accident or been in a
car where
friends or a
family member has been driving irresponsibly.
But, some steps
need to be enforced strictly to help not only teens but adult become
better
and safer
drivers. Things like: keeping your eyes scanning the area ahead,
being aware of blind
spots, driving
with your hands in the 9 and 3 o’clock position, judging a driver by
his/her car’s
condition,
knowing your car’s limits, wearing your seat belts, and keeping your
car in good shape
by going to
yearly car inspections. And most importantly, don’t drink and drive
or use any
cellular device
behind the wheel.