Name: Jenna Bowling
From: Bluefield, VA
Votes: 0
Running head:
DRIVER SAFETY ESSAY
Driver
Safety Essay
Jenna
Bowling
Graham
High School
10-30-19
Driver
safety is as easy as the ABCs: awareness, being educated, and
constantly cautious—these three things are described in a driver
education course, ensuring safer road conditions for everyone.
Driving is an extreme responsibility given to vulnerable teenagers at
the age of 16. Many teens do not take driving seriously and they
become overconfident in their abilities, consequently putting
themselves and others on the road in danger. It is important for
everyone behind the wheel to have a drivers ed course in
order to increase the safety of each person on the road. Many states
require a drivers ed course to be eligible to receive a
driver’s license, one of those being Virginia. It is required by
law for students to have both classroom and behind the wheel hours,
which is sometimes offered by the school system.
Car
crashes are the leading causes of accidental deaths in teenagers.
Being aware at all times guarantees a safer environment for not only
other drivers, but also the passengers on the road. Distracted
driving is extremely popular for young people—the main culprit,
cellphones. Phones alone are the cause of about 1.6 million car
accidents every year. A proper education on the consequences and
results of distracted driving is crucial to young drivers in order to
encourage safer driving techniques. Car accidents happen for a
multitude of reasons, many being preventable. If every driver
followed the three steps of being aware at all times, being educated
on the rules of the road, and staying constantly cautious, it could
potentially significantly decrease the number of fatal car accidents.
While
driving on the road, 4 out of 10 cars are driving irresponsibly.
Whether the driver is directly distracted, like using their phone, or
maybe just tired, making them not completely focused and alert.
Careless driving is so common that you can see it just about
anywhere. Being related to a police officer has opened up a deeper
appreciation for responsible driving after hearing the gruesome
stories of carelessness leading to a fatality. Many friends and
fellow teens practice unsafe driving habits, such as texting and
driving because of the empowering, independent role of being a
driver. The sense of empowerment leads to vulnerability and
overconfidence. Two people close in age in my town have died in car
accidents in the last couple of years—one as a result of drunk
driving and the other from distracted driving. These are serious
issues that need to be discussed with new drivers in a driver’s
education course. Having every driver well educated on the rules of
the road and safe driving practices could prevent many fatalities.
Personally,
I passed my course of drivers ed and feel well rounded as a
student driver. Sharing my knowledge and encouraging my friends and
family to stay off of their cellphones could create a safer road
locally. Every driver should be educated in order to have safer roads
overall and potentially reduce the number of deaths from car
accidents.
