Name: Nuvia Sucel Reyes
From: carpentersville, IL
Votes: 0
Safe
driving Nuvia Reyes
Not
till a couple of months ago, an 18 year old with a permit that was
about to expire finally decided to head to the DMV to take the
drivers test. It was not a coincidence, she decided to head to not
the closest, but the “rumor has it” “easiest DMV to pass the
test. To be honest. I did not even complete my driving hrs and really
no one actually checks. In summary, it was a miracle I even passed as
I think I hit the curb and my turns were scary sharp.
My
first time on the road driving solo was an unanticipated for me. It
was a just a drive to work after all. Just a three mile drive. No big
deal, right? Wrong. My anxiety spiked. I suddenly was taking into
account every detail because I suddenly obtained the glasses that
allowed me to see how one mistake/scenario I thought of could lead to
an accident. If I didn’t brake on time, the car behind me would have
hit me. If I did not stop to see if that car was about leave being
parked.. “ each detail was vital to not just mine but other’s
safety.
As
an inexperienced driver, your knowledge of driving on the road is
limited to information from people and books. One can not be prepared
for every scenario. For example, what happens when a semi-truck
blocks two lanes, including yours? While I saw other people turning
around, my concern was “oh no” it’s a semi-truck. I was taught
to be cautious. This goes to show of when safety taught on the books
can not always perfectly match safety/precautionary steps on the real
road. You can be taught to follow the exact 50 speed limit, that the
right lane is the “safest” or AKA slowest lane. Yet at an already
high speed , what they do not want to tell you is that EVERYONE
drives above the speed limit whether it is five above or perhaps the
left lane, 10. If you go exact, expect a tailgater. As an
inexperienced driver, that is one of the most common issues I will
run into.
Young
and new drivers can only be better educated if they want to learn the
information. Forcing kids to go to a school assembly with an hour
documentary will not be effective if the kids are not willing not
listen. Hence, in order to have campaigns better geared toward young
adolescents, a proposal would be to involve more social media
campaigns that can engage these adolescents. Memes can be used as a
powerful tool because memes are now becoming pop culture. It should
not be serious or sad, if anything, it should be a satire. Why? While
it may seem that showing someone’s life becoming the cost of unsafe
driving, the message to be safe on the road as it may cost someones
life may be clearly displayed and it may in fact, cause fear in being
the cause of the loss of a human; but, this effect is only temporary.
Teenagers may have that video come to perhaps the first week of
watching as they are driving but as time passes, they will forget
about it and most importantly, the message. Another important note is
that people generally do not like to talk about uncomfortable
subjects; yet, when it comes to humour, people ( specifically with
teens and social media) will WANT to share the video,meme, etc and
discuss it among their peers. Hence, the message of the importance of
practicing safe driving habits will stick with them longer and will
be shared.
As
a teenager, while it is a bit bothersome that insurance generally
costs more for inexperienced drivers than adults; I also understand
the reason behind this. The simple fact is that young drivers are
more likely to cause an accident. Hence, if a young driver were to
be involved in an accident, it is logical that there should be
punishment ( like higher rates) in order to ensure or decrease the
chance of another accident occurring again.
Whether
or not the parent is paying (who will probably take care of that
ensurement) or the teen’s awareness of the cost to their wallet.
While I do believe that this should not change, I also believe that
there should be greater rewards/ incentives for the young driver in
order to encourage the driver for safe driving instead of
discouraging from seeing the benefits of taking the MAXIMUM/best
procedures of safe driving. This will ensure that the driver can see
a more positive perspective on driving as a whole. An example could
be seen in promotions from companies like retailers and restaurants.
When there is a product that is usually expensive, customers will
become excited when the product is on sale/ promotion. Another note
is that if the promotion is for a limited time, this will increase
people’s eagerness to act upon the promotion. More so, than if it
was consistently cheap. Hence,since everyone loves a good deal/sale,
the use of the word “product” could be interchanged with
“service” (specifically car insurance). While it is good that
many car insurance companies reward students/teens for good grades,
the teens need to be rewarded DIRECTLY for safe driving. For example,
for a given time period like a calendar month, the reward could be
$20 off that month. While the next calendar month could be a
different reward like a gift card or even a trendy water bottle. By
providing variety and time limit, this will increase the
desire/motivation to practice safe driving habits in not only young
drivers but also adults.
With
car accidents are the leading cause of death among young adults, it
is evident that many young adults are unaware of the seriousness of
this issue until it is too late whether it the cause of harm from
themselves or others. As an urgent issue, it is clear that bringing
awareness of the importance of safe driving in these teens the
second they earn their license is not enough.The message needs to be
brought to their attention even earlier. While it is exciting to have
a new sense of freedom, that power comes with responsibility. That
responsibility can be further practiced with the help of bringing
that excitement to spreading awareness of practicing safe driving in
the form of social media and insurance companies focus on not only
providing warnings of the negative consequences of unsafe driving but
safe driving can also be encouraged through rewards.
