Behind the Wheel

By: Breanna Smith

Every student sits in the back of drivers’ education class, listening to the teacher blab on about teenage crash statistics, thinking “ That won’t be me”...until it is. The drivers ed class is the first step to making new drivers more confident on the road. The information covered in the course helps students recognize common road signs, communicate to other drivers, and manage dangerous situations, along with much more. While practicing behind the wheel is critical in becoming comfortable driving, the drivers ed class is equally as significant in learning the rules of the road. The leading cause of death for teenagers is motor vehicle crashes. Preventing accidents for teenagers is the overall goal of a driver’s education course. Limiting distractions while driving is one of the most obvious but overlooked methods in preventing accidents. Simple actions such as not eating, drinking, smoking, and most importantly texting can prevent the number of deaths caused by cars. On top of not taking part in these distracting actions, keeping eyes on the road can go a long way in preventing deaths. By always being alert the reaction time of a driver is much quicker. A quick reaction time can help when needing to brake unexpectedly due to other cars or pedestrians. Although one may feel as they are a perfect driver, one cannot control others on the road. That is why being aware of one’s surroundings is crucial. A week after I had received my license I had been involved in an accident. My friend and I were on our way to work and we decided to stop and grab something to eat beforehand. As I was pulling out from the restaurant another car had exited from the wrong way and hit me. This caused my car to spin and then hit another car in the turning lane. This was one of the scariest things that has happened to me in my life. My car was totaled and I had now lost all my confidence as a driver. Luckily no one was hurt during the accident. With support from my family I was able to get back to driving within a week but there are still time where i think about what had happened on that day. My experience is a prime example of not being able to control other drivers actions. Maybe if the driver would have paid more attention to road signs this would have never happened. There are simple steps to be taken to become a safer driver. Rule number one is to always focus on driving not all the other distractions that may be happening in the car. When behind the wheel, keeping a safe distance behind a car can help in case of sudden stops or turns. If one is running late it is much safer to send a quick text before you leave then to speed and run red lights. Most importantly ALWAYS wear your seatbelt. These easy steps can reduce preventable accidents behind the wheel.