Name: Jaylyn Goins
From: Clover, SC
Votes: 0
Jaylyn Goins
In The Driver’s
Seat Essay
October 8, 2019
As
a teenager, my peers and I are eager to grow as we near adulthood.
This means there are plenty of experiences we seek to enjoy. Some
milestones we accomplish can include getting our first job, starting
a savings account, applying to colleges, and of course, getting our
driver’s license. Obviously all are important and exciting, but
only one can threaten our life, and that is driving.
There
are steps you must take in order to get your license and the process
can be a lengthy one, but all for good reasons. Each step serves the
purpose of preparing you to be a safe driver. The most influential
steps, in my opinion, was my drivers ed course I took through my
high school. Not only did I learn how to drive, but I was able to
learn about real life situations behind the wheel and the many
dangers of driving. As I looked around the room, there was a
disconnect between the students and the curriculum. Why do students
not see the importance of safe driving? Many had their eyes glued to
their phone screens, and then wondered why they failed the tests they
were given.
I
have learned that teenagers are inclined to find importance in
insignificant things when behind the wheel. They feel the need to
check on other’s Instagram feed or a celebrities latest tweet. Many
claim that they “only do it at red lights,” but red lights turn
green and it should be a fact that people can’t simply stop reading
a tweet once they’ve started. So you have people rushing through
intersections glancing back and forth between their phones and the
road, then there’s a crash and someone dies. I can’t stress
enough the dangers of distractions while driving, and it’s not just
cellphones. Especially for teens, it’s extremely hard to keep
focusing on the road when your best friends are in the car talking
about their day or trying to show you something new they discovered.
Distractions are often overlooked, even loud music is considered a
distraction because it can take your focus away from what’s
important, the road.
I
want people to be more aware of situations they put themselves in
when getting behind the wheel, whether that be how many friends is
too many or how loud is too loud. I know the impact that distractions
can have on driving and I’d be dead if it weren’t for my parents
saying I couldn’t go on a night ride with my cousins. My cousin, a
relatively safe driver, glanced in the back seat to look at the
other’s in the car, and within seconds of looking back, the curve
of the road was too sharp for the speeding SUV and they flipped. They
survived but it was proven that a person in the very back seat
would’ve been crushed and there would be one less Jaylyn in this
world.
