Acknowledge
the Dangers of the Road

By:
Deja’ Kamena Helen Wilson

Being
a driver comes with serious responsibilities that can cost you your
life every time you hold the wheel. As a teenage driver, getting the
proper education is a necessity to keep you and the people around you
safe. In South Carolina, the most car crash fatalities are induced by
distracted driving. Driving while talking on a cell phone or texting
behind the wheel has been called a deadly epidemic by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Close to 20 percent of fatal
crashes and near-misses involve some form of driver distraction, and
the main reason is cell phones. Laws already state that distracted
driving is illegal, but drivers continue to ignore the warnings. The
best way to reduce deaths is to litter the roadways with police and
hold information fairs to properly inform the people. Some steps to
prevent the high amount of deaths from car crashes are to place
policemen near intersections and highways, hold information sessions
with high schools to prepare them for driving responsibilities, and
remember to buckle up because it's a lifesaver.

While
becoming a driver, I have witnessed and heard unwise and scary things
my friends and family have done or been through while in a car crash.
Thankfully I have never been in a car crash but, I have had some
close calls. For example, when I was going around a sharp curve, I
ease off my acceleration and brake to go around the turn smoothly. On
the opposite side, a driver raced around the curve and appeared in my
lane for nearly 2 seconds. I honked my horn, and he swiftly moved
over to his lane. I nearly had a head-on collision; this was not the
first time I have had this concern. Even my friends have scraped
other drivers' cars, and family members don't pay attention while
merging, so they heed the consequences of their actions. To be a
better driver, you have to pay attention to the road and drivers
around you.
It
concerns me to see the people around me lose their lives due to their
and other peoples' mistakes. By taking the time to acknowledge how
dangerous it is to be a driver, you will become a careful driver when
it comes to driving on the highways and byways. Too many lives are
lost to car crashes each day, so spreading awareness about car safety
is my goal.