Name: Aaleeyah Larkin
From: Saint Louis, MO
Votes: 0
Two
hulks of metal and machinery crash into each other, creating a
cacophony of metallic noise. The smell of burnt rubber and leaked
gasoline fills the air, leaving everyone to wonder; what exactly went
wrong?
Motor
vehicle accidents claim the lives of thousands, especially for newer
drivers who are inexperienced to the rules of the road. Which is why
it’s paramount that new drivers are familiar with the rules of the
roads by having a tight grasp on drivers ed by taking driving
classes in school or familiarizing themselves with the driver’s
handbook. However, even with all the education a new driver can have,
accidents on the road still happen and in my experience, phones were,
as I called it, the bane of driving. Phones can provide many things,
but on the road, they provide distractions. When I was hit by another
car during my driver’s test, her excuse was that she was distracted
by her phone and didn’t see my bright yellow car on the road.
Thousands of dollars, medical treatment and a new car later, I still
won’t touch my phone whenever I’m behind the wheel because I know
even a moment away from the road can lead to dangerous, sometimes
even fatal consequences. As new drivers, it can often be tempting to
check a notification on a phone or text message, but those
notifications and text messages will still be there whenever the car
is safely parked and risking everything for one text just isn’t
worth it. This is something that both new and experienced drivers
need to understand in order to reduce the number of deaths related to
driving because a fatal car accident can happen to anyone.
If
more people were aware of the dangers of distracted driving, if more
people were aware of the rules of the road, if more people were
cognisant of what it means to be a vehicle capable of destruction,
then perhaps we’ll live in a future where there are much less fatal
car accidents. However, this is a conscious decision from a driver
and it starts from accepting that a driver learns everyday day while
they’re on the road. Which is what I practice every time I’m
driving because I know that I’m not a perfect driver and that there
will always be room for improvement and opportunities to learn and
grow everyday. It’s also equally important to inform other drivers
to not be distracted by their phones while they’re driving or take
shortcuts because when there are lives on the line based on the
choices we make, there are no shortcuts. No one wants to experience
the heartbreak of tragedy over the loss of loved ones or be the one
responsible. So in order to make the road a safer place, I implore
every driver to put the phone down and see what lies ahead, because
you never know what you’ll miss when your attention is away from
what truly matters.
