It is a Saturday morning. You are driving on the highway. The windows
are down and your favorite song is playing through the speakers. You
feel as though nothing could go wrong on this perfect day. Your phone
buzzes. It is a text notification but you do not dare check it. You
are a safe driver who has never gotten into an accident. Your phone
buzzes again. You wonder who is texting but you still refrain from
picking up the phone. Your phone buzzes again. “This road goes
straight for miles”, you think to yourself. Your phone buzzes
again. “There’s barely any cars around.” Your phone buzzes
again. “I can multi-task.” Your phone buzzes again. “It will
only take me a quick second to respond.” Your phone buzzes again.
“I am just going to take my hands off the wheel for one sec—“
Your phone buzzes again. But this time you are not conscious to hear
it because you made the same mistake as a million others—you were
not a safe driver.


Deaths that occur as a result of driving are almost always caused
directly or indirectly by a lack of drivers ed. It does not
matter how “good” of a driver one may be. If you are not
educated, you are not safe and neither are the drivers surrounding
you. Drivers ed is important because it lessens the probability
of getting into an accident and keeps drivers informed and prepared
for all situations. To become a well-educated driver and hence a safe
driver, one must take the necessary steps. Those steps include always
having an updated license, being up-to-date with all the current
rules of the road, reading your car’s manual and last but certainly
not least, knowing what constitutes as a distraction while driving.


Having a valid license is the first and by far most important step of
being a safe driver. A license is proof that one knows the rules and
is able to properly demonstrate them on the road. However, rules and
regulations can often change. In fact, five traffic laws were either
added or updated this year in Illinois. That is why it is important
to familiarize oneself with the current rules of the road. Drivers
should also familiarize themselves with their car manuals. The
manuals hold important information about one’s vehicle and greatly
informs the driver. Manuals also often have clear warnings about
avoiding distractions and keeping focus on the road. My neighbor,
Sofia, witnessed firsthand the consequences of distracted driving.
The story that introduces this essay is no story at all. It is her
account of the events that took place last year while her older
cousin was driving her home. It was a tragedy. The same tragedy takes
place every day. However, it can be avoided. A high importance has to
be placed on drivers ed. The right steps need to be taken in
order to become a safer driver and hence, lessen the number of
driving-related deaths.