Be the Example

Be
the Example

I believe that drivers ed is essential in protecting young
drivers. Time has always

shown that with
education comes reasoning; with reasoning comes informed
decision-making. If

a student knows
and understands the implications of driving irresponsibly, he or she
is less likely

to make poor
decisions at the wheel. However, in order for drivers ed to be
fully effective I

believe that the
people in the student’s community must be setting an example for
them. I know

this from
personal experience. I was in a car crash very recently. I was on the
phone with a friend

while I drove
home, something I used to do regularly, and made the poor choice of
looking down

at my phone to
hang up. When I looked up there was a pickup truck stopped fifteen
feet in front

of me. I slammed
on my brakes, but I knew it was too late. I remember climbing out of
my car

after the crash
and being incredibly shaken and overwhelmed by guilt. Luckily no one
was

injured, but I
realized that because of me my family would have to buy a car when we
were

already
financially struggling. My dad would have to completely change his
work schedule so

that he could
drive my sister and I to school and my mom to work. In addition,
because the crash

was my fault, the
insurance rates rose when my job barely covered them before the
crash.

This crash was a wake-up call. I realized how many bad habits I had
internalized while

watching the
adults in my life drive. I never really took the speed limit
seriously. I was often on

the phone and I
checked Google Maps while driving. After the crash I realized how
devastating

these choices
are. Even if no one is hurt, you are still left to clean up the mess
you created.

Driving
dangerously always has consequences and they will catch up to you
eventually.

Based on this
experience and others, I believe there are several things every
driver can do to

become safer and
help lower the number of road-related deaths. First, never be on the
phone

when you drive.
After the crash I told my friends that I couldn’t call anymore
while I drove.

They were annoyed
but understood. Second, as I mentioned earlier, set an example for
the people

around you. I can
remember hundreds of instances when my parents and older friends made
poor

choices while
driving. After the crash I realized that they impacted much of my
reasoning around

driving safely.
By being an example to the people around you, you help support and
reinforce

what students are
learning in drivers ed. By doing the right thing, even if it’s
unpopular or

inconvenient, and
choosing to set an example for those around you, you could be saving
a young

life. I believe
that these two steps could decrease the rate of driving-related
deaths while also

raising up a generation of safer, more responsible drivers.