Driving on the Edge

Ever
since Henry Ford’s 1893 automobile, cars have reshaped
transportation for Americans across the nation. Consequently, what
was once a two-day journey by foot now takes less than a few hours
behind a steering wheel. Nevertheless, everything comes with a cost;
as thousands of Americans have lost their lives in car crashes. Such
statistics reinforce the importance of drivers ed courses
that train individuals on how to maneuver a car safely. Thus, Drivers
Ed classes are the key to reducing deaths and making sure a driver’s
licenses enhance lives rather than destroy them.

To begin with,
drivers ed courses teach students to become defensive
drivers that not only know the rules of the road, but are aware of
their surroundings. This realization did not set in for Liz Marks, a
seventeen-year-old teen, until after she collided into another
vehicle while checking her phone. Not only did she miss the rest of
her twelfth-grade year, but she was also unable to attend college the
same year as her friends. In Drivers Ed courses, students are taught
the importance of leaving their phones on silence while driving.
These skills are proactive and ensure safety.

In addition to
Drivers ed courses, another way to decrease the amount of
deaths caused by car accidents would be to require all drivers to
attend a mandatory driving refresher class every two years. In these
classes the basic rules of driving would be explained along with live
testimonials from people who have killed others due to their reckless
driving or victims who have experienced the aftermath of another
person’s negligence. Often, reckless drivers like 21-year-old
Shenna Elliot look back and say, “I wish I did not get behind the
wheel that day, and I am very sorry.” Shena was sentenced to 14
years in prison for drunk driving a vehicle that hit and killed
twenty-three-year-old Fabian Guerrer-Moreno and his unborn child.
During the court hearing, Fabian’s crying widow looked into the
eyes of Shenna while yelling, “you made a decision for my family we
had no say in.” Such words exhibit the reality that when an
individual is driving reckless, not only do they put their own lives
in danger, but everyone else’s.

Two seniors from my
school died from reckless driving two years ago on the night of prom.
What was supposed to be a fun night quickly turned into a tragedy due
to a joke that went too far. For this reason, I am always sure to
power off my phone before I put my key in the ignition and I make
sure to drive either slightly below the speed limit or no more than
five units above. Driving safely is not only for my safety, but the
well-being of everyone on the road.

Death is not
discriminatory upon age; it picks those that knock at its door. When
one practices unsafe driving, they not only knock for themselves, but
for everyone else. Instead of driving on the edge, everyone should
stay on the safe side and drive with care.