Name: Abigail Lynn Peters
From: Sachse , Texas
Votes: 0
Abigail
Peters
24
November 2019
In
the Driver’s Seat
By:
Abigail Peters
Driving
is such a rewarding yet dangerous task. Driving allows a person to
have freedom, but it also presents danger. Each person is driving an
average 4000 pound piece of metal and because of this, when in a car
wreck, it occasionally presents life-threatening accidents. Through
taking drivers ed as a fourteen year old, I began to realize
the importance of being safe on the road. I was able to learn the
tips of driving in a very populated area and the importantness of
being safe on the road at a young age. Driving education is crucial
in reducing the number of deaths because it teaches safe and
defensive driving while also presenting the class with real life
situations where safe and defensive driving weren’t implicated and
an accident resulted. Personally, my drivers ed teacher told
the class a story that left everyone in tears. He described a time in
which he taught a high school class and had a student that was
pregnant. She was driving home one night and got hit by an
intoxicated driver, killing her and the baby. My teacher further went
on to explain that although one may think their own actions won’t
effect others, they do and they can be detrimental to others.
To
reduce the number of deaths related to driving, I believe that
putting up one’s phone would help immensely. Most accidents that
occur today are caused by distracted and reckless driving. Each year,
there is around 1.6 million crashes each year due to the use of cell
phones on the road. Whenever I drive, I always put my phone in the
glovebox to ensure that I won’t get distracted when I am driving. I
think everyone should take this precaution because this would help
reduce the amount of car wrecks on the road.
I
have personally never been in a car accident driving by myself but
was sadly in one when I was seven. My mom was the driver and we were
headed down to see my grandparents for Christmas when we got in a
wreck. The car accident was caused by a teenager who ran a red light
due to the use of his phone and also didn’t have his driver’s
license in his possession at the time. After seeing my mother’s
face when we crashed, I remember being instantly fearful and crying
due to the pain and shock. Safety on the road is extremely important
to me because my family and I have been involved in a wreck that
could have taken our lives all due to someone who wasn’t paying
attention to the road.
I
can be a better and safer driver by being aware at all times and
driving defensively. I could also take additional driver safety
courses in order to improve my driving and increase my awareness of
these issues. I have a few friends who could use some advice in their
driving, so I could point them towards some driving safety courses as
well as present them with the same challenge I took on with putting
their phone away and out of sight when driving. Increasing the
awareness is key in keeping others safe on the road and telling your
inner circle of friends and family will help jumpstart that
awareness.
