Name: Callie Free
From: Ninety-Six, SC
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Callie
Free
Driver’s
Education Essay
20
October 2019
In
the Driver’s Seat
When
I passed the written exam to be able to drive, I felt exhilarated! As
I walked out of that DMV door with a big smile on my face and my
permit in hand, I ran to my mom’s car, jumped in, threw my seatbelt
on, and as I turned the key…the panic set in. I was the one driving
home. Why was I so scared now? I had done this for countless hours
during my Drivers ed class, and Mr. Boyter said I was
ready. The reality set in: I would be responsible for other people’s
safety and lives on the road from here on out. As a new driver, this
was scary. While Drivers ed is an integral part of learning
and practicing how to drive safely, the continued responsibility lies
in the hand of the new driver, and there are steps to ensure safety
for everyone on the road.
Driver’s
Education gives a new driver the opportunity to learn from an expert.
There are laws that are important to follow, and taking a Driver’s
Education course can help unsure that the new driver learns about
these things. The fact that the Drivers’ Education teacher is an
impartial person and not family or a friend takes some of the
unnecessary pressure off of the new driver, as well. Distracted
driving causes so many deaths per year, and texting while driving is
likely the worst. I remember experiencing this first-hand. I had been
driving for about two months. I was doing everything Mr. Boyter
taught me: stopping completely at stop signs, looking both ways
before I pulled forward, going the speed limit. It is not always you
that you need to worry about; sometimes it is the other driver.
CRASH!
The sound of the impact pierced my ears. I screamed. I placed a
steady amount of pressure on the breaks, trying not to slam on them
too hard. We all came to a stop. The car in front of me looked
totaled, and I had no idea how the driver would even get out. It
turns out, he was doing the right thing; it was not his fault. The
other driver was texting while driving and ran a red light, t-boning
his car. That one decision impacted more than just that one driver’s
life. The man in the car he hit had two kids with him. They were all
taken by ambulance to the hospital. This is an experience I will
never forget, and it has shaped my phone habits in the car. I never
text while driving.
Driver’s
Education can empower the new driver to drive safely, but it is up to
the driver him or herself to put these sills to practice. Put your
phones down. Pay attention. Stop figiting with the radio. You are
operating a machine that has the power to take someone’s life, and
that is not something anyone wants to do.
