Name: Emma Hickerson
From: Murfreesboro, TN
Votes: 0
It’s
your 16th birthday. Finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for.
Today is the day you get your license! This moment which has seemed
so distant is finally here and you couldn’t be more excited. But,
because of the excitement, you haven’t put much thought into the
responsibility associated with driving.
Every
year an average of 34,000 Americans lose their lives behind the
wheel. Negligence on the road is a major factor in this enormous
number. While many circumstances cannot be controlled when driving,
for example, the weather, negligence is one trait that can be. By
participating in a drivers ed course, you have the
opportunity to absorb crucial information that can aid in the
prevention of fatal accidents. The more knowledge drivers have of the
rules and regulations of the road, vehicular operations, and traffic
maneuvers, the safer the roads will be. It is no coincidence that
16-year-olds have the highest crash rates; they are inexperienced and
unaware of common knowledge among veteran drivers. A driver’s
education course will eliminate both of these factors and provide
students with classroom instruction covering topics from drug and
alcohol abuse to interstate driving and will allow students to
practice driving with a trained instructor in the vehicle.
The
best step to be taken in reducing driver fatalities is not only
taking a drivers ed course but is the step taken to
eliminate distracted driving. Distracted driving can be eating while
driving, texting while driving, and even listening to the radio too
loud. All of these actions result in a minimal focus on the task of
driving in comparison to the distracting action.
One
of the most prominent examples of distracted driving I have witnessed
is texting and driving. It is an epidemic taking over teen drivers in
the US as mobile communications become more advanced and accessible
than ever. A prime example of someone in my life who texts and drives
is my older sister. Countless times I had warned her about the
dangers of texting driving, but it took her totaling her car to
accept the truth of what I had been telling her.
To
me, the best way to make the roads a safer place is to do what I had
done with my sister: spreading awareness of the dangers of distracted
driving. There will be fewer fatalities on the roads as a result of
more focused and knowledgeable drivers. In addition to spreading
awareness, I think accountability is equally important. Having
someone there to remind you of the importance of safe driving will
help you practice what you preach.
So
now that you’re leaving the DMV with a fresh ID, remember; you
aren’t the only one on the road. Stay focused on the true purpose
of having a driver’s license: driving!
