Their Fate is in Your Hands

Ciara
Pitcher

30
March 2020

Their
Fate is in Your Hands: Drivers ed Initiative Award

February
19th, 2020, my doctor told me something that has stuck with me ever
since that day. That day was like any other day. I woke up, got
dressed, and left to go to my yearly check-up appointment. Like every
year, my doctor asked if I smoked or if I vaped, which I replied with
a confident no. She then asked me if I wore my seatbelt whenever in a
vehicle, to which I told her that I did. She informed me that
addiction and bad habits start early and that most teen-related
deaths are ones that can be prevented. Those words changed how I
looked at driving. It allowed me to change some of my driving habits
so that I could be a safer and better driver.

There
are many steps that a person can take to become a better and more
mindful driver. For example, constantly checking surroundings, always
wearing a seatbelt, and putting their phone down. A phone call can
wait. If there is an instance where you need to be on your phone,
pull over or find the closest store to pull into.

Safe
drivers ed is extremely important because it’s not only your
life on the line, it’s those around you too. One wrong action could
result in a fatal outcome. Drivers ed allows people to take
safety precautions and obtain safer driving skills.

If
you see someone you know practicing bad driving habits, sit down and
talk to them about ways to break their potentially harmful driving
habits. It only takes one second before it’s too late.

Being
in a car accident is one of the scariest events that has ever
happened to me. Luckily, everyone in the car was wearing their
seatbelts. Car accidents are not something to take lightly either. I
could have lost my family that day. I would have grown up without a
mother, a brother, or a sister if that accident were fatal.
Advocating and educating for safer and better driving can save a
person’s life. It’s up to each one of us, every time we get into a
vehicle, to practice safe vehicle etiquette.