Good Choices Last a Lifetime

“I
love you.” A simple text in April of 2012 changed Chandler Gerber’s
life forever. He was texting his wife while driving and then,
distracted, hit the buggy of an Amish family. That fatal text made
him responsible for the deaths of two children, one teenager, and
injuring four others. He is now working towards informing others of
this danger so no one has to go through what that family went through
and bury their children due to someone else’s carelessness. The
National Safety Council reports that cell phone use while driving
leads to 1.6 million crashes each year.

Whether
or not to text and drive is just one of the many struggles new
drivers face. Drivers ed reduces the number of deaths from
driving by informing the youth who are about to start driving of the
dangers they will encounter. For example, drivers ed taught me
I am not supposed to eat and drive, drive while tired, or drive under
(or over) the speed limit. But drivers ed is more than just
memorizing rules and what different sign shapes mean. Memorization
doesn’t make a good driver. It is about learning to use good
judgment when I am behind the wheel, and considering the impact of my
choices on others.

We
can reduce the number of deaths from car accidents by increasing
penalties for breaking rules, encourage all states to ban use of cell
phones while driving, and implement a system where drivers have to
take a safety test every couple of years. My mom replies to texts
while driving and drives 10-15 miles per hour over the speed limit at
least once every day. When I was young, I thought it was normal, but
now that I have gone through drivers ed, I tell her to let me
text for her and ask her to slow down. I would much rather arrive a
few minutes late than not arrive at all, or worse yet, cause an
accident that hurts an innocent person.

I
try to be a better driver by setting an example for others. I try to
follow all of the rules of driving, and keep others safe while they
drive. I make sure to stay out of my friends’ way when they are
driving and set a good example when I drive with others in the car. I
leave early in inclement weather and I keep my phone out of arm’s
reach so I am not even tempted to respond to a text. I want to
remember that just because I am now a licensed driver, that I don’t
have to stop learning. I could make sure to read the safety manual
every year. I don’t want to be in the position of Chandler Gerber
and spend a lifetime wishing I could just take that one text back.