
Name: Erika Nikole Ferris
From: Lumberport, West Virginia
Votes: 0
Saving
a Life
Teenagers
across the United States can’t wait for the day they turn sixteen,
not because they’re “coming of age,” but because they are
finally eligible to drive on their own. Most teenagers count down the
days until they’re able to feel the thrill of being behind the
steering wheel, but other teenagers would rather stay safe in the
passenger seat. Many teenagers choose to not get their license
because they fear driving and everything that comes with it.
When
driving a car, it’s something that can’t be taken lightly, it
takes your undivided attention and situational awareness. Driver’s
Education is a class that helps teenagers learn those skills and
gives new drivers the experience of what they have yet to experience
when driving a car. As a former student in a Drivers Ed class I
learned more in the classroom and in the backseat of a car than in
the driver’s seat. They teach much more than just road signs, and
laws; they teach students how to take care of a car, insurance
policies, drunk driving, and much more. By using these teaching
methods, the class has proven that students who do not take Driver’s
Education are twenty-four percent more likely to be in a fatal or
injury accident. This class is one of the most important classes a
high school has to offer, based on helping save students’ lives and
help them feel comfortable behind the wheel.
As
a teenager I thought driving was going to be fun and set me free, but
I couldn’t have been more wrong. Driving is one of the most
dangerous things a person can do because even just going down the
road you risk your life. More than ninety people die in car accidents
every day and with the help from Drivers ed and other
driver courses that number can be reduced. Taking the course, I have
learned how to apply the things that I’ve been taught and can
safely get from place to place. I used to despise my parents for
making me take what I thought was a boring class, but it turned out
to save my life along with other teenagers.
Riding
in the passenger seat of any car I’m always aware of our
surroundings and being aware of what’s going on. Many people abuse
driving and my friend is one of those people. One night, my friend
was driving me and a group of people home from practice and she was
looking down at her phone and veered over into the other lane. If I
wasn’t in the passenger seat being aware of my surroundings, I
wouldn’t have screamed at her and she wouldn’t have gotten back
in her lane. Without Drivers ed teaching me the importance
of situational awareness even in the passenger seat, I may have not
been here today. As many teenagers across the world set off to get
their license, they may want to sign up for a class that can save a
life.