Name: Zoe Feil
From: Huntersville, North Carolina
Votes: 0
It
was the day of my driver’s license test and I was shaking in my
seat. My mom sat next to me making small talk with the man who would
decide whether or not I would pass. He would occasionally glance my
way and offer a quick smile, making me feel a little bit better about
the daunting task I was about to embark on. The small talk finally
came to an end and the keys were passed from my moms hands to my
sweaty ones. Finally we were off as my instructor and I walked to my
car. I climbed into the front seat and we began the test. In a quick
fifteen minutes we had finished, and just like that I had passed. In
those fifteen minutes, I did nothing to truly prepare for the many
situations a person can be put in while behind the wheel. I did my
quick-stop, a three point turn, and turned left from a stop sign and
from there I was off. Just those three simple steps were enough for
me to acquire a license. I could now drive two ton vehicles just like
those who had been driving for decades. The power I held in my hands
as I gripped the steering wheel was greater than any power I had had
before. At sixteen years old, I sat in the driver’s seat with my
license in hand and I had never felt more powerful. However, as I
drove off the lot there were still many things I needed to learn.
Driver’s
ed and all the classes I took were a fading memory as I had not taken
one in years. For teenagers like myself who first get their license
right when they turn sixteen, they should be required to take yearly
driving classes with in and out of class experience to continue
preparing them for the many situations they could face while on the
road. Continued lessons in driving practices will guarantee that
young drivers are given optimum experience so that they know the many
dangers and risks they run when they decide to pick up their phone or
speed ten over the speed limit. Many teenagers have an invincibility
complex and believe that it will never happen to them so they take
out their phone maybe one time, and that one turns into two that
turns into all the time. Phones and speeding together serve as a
deadly duo and both need to be prevented. Phones are beginning to
design settings that put it in drivers mode which prevents the use of
texting but it can be taken a step further. When entering a vehicle
the person driving should put their phone in the glove box and out of
reach along. With them out of reach, an app should be automatically
installed that requires the phone to be locked when the vehicle is
moving. In regards to speeding, all vehicles should begin downloading
a gage that can track the speed of the road and record the speed of
the vehicle. If the driver surpasses the speed limit by more than ten
mph their license plate and license number should be sent to a
database where they will automatically receive a ticket for reckless
driving. This will eliminate the speeding and use of phones which has
been the leading cause of most deaths on the road.
A
week after buying my first car I was driving through the winding
streets of Charlotte on a four lane road and the lines were tight. I
was in the left lane and was keeping tight near the curb hoping if I
gave the people next to me as much room as possible than nothing
could go wrong. After a few minutes of driving, there was a
particularly sharp curve and the woman next to me, who appeared to be
in her seventies, took the curve and did not straighten her wheel
effectively ramming into the side of my car. My heart dropped as I
pulled on my wheel to keep from hitting the curb beside me and I
slowed down not sure what further action to take. Nothing had
prepared me for a situation like this and I knew I needed to stop but
there were no areas and no streets to pull off on. Not only that, but
as I pulled up to the next stop light, I looked over at the woman who
had hit me and she refused to make eye contact. She put her hand over
her face and continued driving as if nothing had happened. That
experience shaped me into a more defensive driver as I now knew what
other people on the road were capable of.
Defensive
driving is the key to leading a safer life while on the road.
Incorporating the lack of phone and driving the speed limit are a few
of the many steps people can take in order to promote a safer
environment. Driving is a major responsibility and making sure that
people are aware of these responsibilities will help make the road a
safer place. The deaths that occur from reckless driving and texting
need to end. People’s lives are more valuable than sending that one
text.
