Name: Jazmyn Janelle Oberes
From: Gainesville, FL
Votes: 0
Making People Care to Keep People
Safe
When the police officer handed me
that speeding ticket, I felt a rush of panic, fear, but mostly shame.
I had exceeded the speed limit on my college campus and, in the
officer’s words, “endangered the lives of those around me.” He
explained that he got calls multiple times a day concerning accidents
involving serious injuries. While my actions were foolish, this
incident indicates the moment that prompted me to look deeper into
the importance of road safety. Many problems on the road stem from
general apathy regarding laws and basic safety; changes to the law
should be made to better ensure that all drivers are aware of how to
make wise decisions so that they are equipped to contribute to a
safer driving environment.
People simply do not care enough
about the law and applying basic safety skills. When first obtaining
a license, teens take a class on road rules and safety. They learn to
follow the speed limit, stop at stop signs, and turn on headlights
when it rains. Billboards and moms everywhere remind us not to text
and drive. We have passive head knowledge about these rules, but
there is no proactive follow-up to make sure we do not forget or
neglect what we have been told. It was easy for me to speed around
campus because, frankly, I did not see much danger in speeding. Of
course, I was wrong, but it shows how many drivers passively
disregard safety because they do not understand how serious it is.
Over time, drivers become less alert and defensive, and no one is
teaching them how to make better choices.
An essential aspect of road
safety legislation should be to integrate a program that aims to
educate drivers important safety skills on a regular basis. They
should have to take a short class every certain number of years,
focusing on the same principles they learned before the driving test,
like how far ahead to stop and when to use the blinker, as well as
methods for keeping a safety-centered mindset. Drivers need to be
reminded to always be aware of their surroundings, the speed limit,
what is ahead of them, and for what to watch out. This class does not
have to be extremely inconvenient; the goal is for it to be practical
and transformational across the general population.
We need to reevaluate society’s
approach to road safety. Instead of remaining passive and watching
more reckless accidents occur, let us implement preventative measures
that directly impact people attitudes toward how they drive. I
personally have learned my lesson and will be more present and
attentive on the road to reduce the likelihood of getting a ticket
and, more importantly, putting others in danger. I try to be a decent
model of good driving behavior when others are in my car. Once we
make road safety a serious, well-addressed issue in today’s
culture, I believe that we can live in a much safer world for
generations to come.
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