Name: Brandi Roman
From: Gibsonton, Florida
Votes: 0
In The Driver’s Seat
By: Brandi Roman
My mom has always stressed the consequences of unsafe driving and
drilled in my head the possibilities of a vehicle becoming a “deadly
weapon” depending on how educated and responsible the driver is
behind the wheel. Experts believe that the brain is not fully
developed until the age of twenty-five. There is a large span of time
between then and sixteen (the average age that most teens begin
driving) to make mistakes on the road. But fortunately, there are
ways to avoid making these mistakes, beginning with taking an online
or physical drivers ed class. Drivers Ed not only teaches
students basic driving concepts, but also the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes needed for safety on the road as a
driver and
a pedestrian. Driver’s taking the initiative of learning and
practicing these defensive driving skills will reduce the amount of
lives lost as a result of unsafe driving.
So, what are
some steps you can take to not only develop safer driving skills, but
also avoid other heedless drivers on the road? For starters, make
sure you and all passengers buckle up. Even at the lowest of speeds,
driving without a seatbelt can still cause life altering injuries,
and airbags are not always reliable. Speaking of passengers, make
sure to minimize all distractions, and be sure you can trust that the
person in the passengers’ seat wont negatively impact your efforts
to drive safely. And lastly, always try to keep a safe driving
distance, we’ve all been stuck in that insane five p.m. traffic,
and its even worse when you’re running late for an event, but
tailgating the person in front of you doesn’t make time go slower
or the traffic move faster, if anything it puts you in danger of a
reckless driver that may brake one second too late. These steps will
not only assist you with being a safer driver, but also prevent you
from being a danger to others, and help you focus on your
surroundings in order to avoid heedless drivers and other obstacles
on the road.
I was eight
years old when unfortunately, I experienced my first car accident. My
mother was driving me to school, and I remember us coming to a sudden
halt, next I heard tires screeching and a loud boom. We were struck
from behind at such an extensive impact that our vehicle was thrown
into the car in front of us. Luckily, no one was hurt, and my mother
and I were wearing our seatbelts.
When riding
in a vehicle with family or friends, I always make sure to minimize
distraction. For instance, keeping the music at a moderate level to
assure that when emergency vehicles are approaching they are heard.
And also, being a second pair of eyes for the driver in order to
prevent any possible collisions as a result of blind sides or
reckless drivers. I’ve learned that as a passenger I too can take
caution to prevent deaths related to driving.
