Name: Breanna Ella Smith
From: Danville, PA
Votes: 0
Behind
the Wheel
By:
Breanna Smith
Every
student sits in the back of drivers’ education class, listening to
the teacher blab on about teenage crash statistics, thinking “ That
won’t be me”…until it is. The drivers ed class is the
first step to making new drivers more confident on the road. The
information covered in the course helps students recognize common
road signs, communicate to other drivers, and manage dangerous
situations, along with much more. While practicing behind the wheel
is critical in becoming comfortable driving, the drivers ed
class is equally as significant in learning the rules of the road.
The leading cause of death for teenagers is motor vehicle crashes.
Preventing accidents for teenagers is the overall goal of a driver’s
education course. Limiting distractions while driving is one of the
most obvious but overlooked methods in preventing accidents. Simple
actions such as not eating, drinking, smoking, and most importantly
texting can prevent the number of deaths caused by cars. On top of
not taking part in these distracting actions, keeping eyes on the
road can go a long way in preventing deaths. By always being alert
the reaction time of a driver is much quicker. A quick reaction time
can help when needing to brake unexpectedly due to other cars or
pedestrians. Although one may feel as they are a perfect driver, one
cannot control others on the road. That is why being aware of one’s
surroundings is crucial. A week after I had received my license I had
been involved in an accident. My friend and I were on our way to work
and we decided to stop and grab something to eat beforehand. As I was
pulling out from the restaurant another car had exited from the wrong
way and hit me. This caused my car to spin and then hit another car
in the turning lane. This was one of the scariest things that has
happened to me in my life. My car was totaled and I had now lost all
my confidence as a driver. Luckily no one was hurt during the
accident. With support from my family I was able to get back to
driving within a week but there are still time where i think about
what had happened on that day. My experience is a prime example of
not being able to control other drivers actions. Maybe if the driver
would have paid more attention to road signs this would have never
happened. There are simple steps to be taken to become a safer
driver. Rule number one is to always focus on driving not all the
other distractions that may be happening in the car. When behind the
wheel, keeping a safe distance behind a car can help in case of
sudden stops or turns. If one is running late it is much safer to
send a quick text before you leave then to speed and run red lights.
Most importantly ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. These easy steps can
reduce preventable accidents behind the wheel.
