The feeling you experience when your car crashes into another vehicle is a feeling you never forget. It was a typical Tuesday evening driving with my dad and younger brother to my softball practice. I remember looking at my dad, noticing he was on his phone, and thinking to myself that I wish he would put it down while driving. I often think, if I would have spoken my thoughts that day the outcome would have been different. As my dad made a left turn onto highway 276, a green mustang came from the opposite direction going 60 miles an hour. My dad saw his mistake, but it was too late. The car was going to hit the passenger side where I was sitting as well as my 5-year-old brother behind me in his car seat, but my dad made the quick decision to turn the vehicle and hit the mustang head on. I later found out that in that split second, he thought we had a better chance at surviving a head on collision versus the other car hitting the side where we were seated. Luckily, our injuries were minor but the trauma from that day will always be a reminder of why distracted driving can have harmful consequences.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nine people in the United Sates are killed every day in crashes that are reported to involve a distracted driver. Cell phones have become one of the leading distractions known to cause vehicle accidents. It can be tempting when you hear the chime of your phone to pick it up and answer the call or read the text, but that decision can be life altering. Often people assume that cell phones are the only culprit of distracted driving, however there are other examples including radio, fast food, applying makeup, etc. It is important for us all to work together in driver safety and sometimes that means speaking up when you notice a driver not practicing safe driving techniques. If you see a driver is distracted, ask them to focus on the road. It may be uncomfortable, but the conversation could result in saving a life.

Drivers education is a critical component in reducing the number of deaths each year caused by vehicle accidents. Many new drivers are not confident when first learning to drive. Drivers education is important in allowing new drivers to have driving time with a trained professional to help them gain the confidence needed on the road. Students also develop the skills and knowledge they need to safely operate a vehicle. In addition, drivers education teaches the student about traffic laws, rules, and regulations that are put in place to keep roads safe. According to AAA, teens can reduce their accident rate by 4.3% by taking driver education classes. There are times that another driver’s careless driving can lead to unsafe road conditions and driver’s education helps in teaching students how to react in those situations. I personally feel that driver’s education should not only be for new drivers, but there should also be education requirements for all licensed drivers. Even seasoned drivers can forget traffic laws and regulations over time and could use a refresher.

I am in my first year of being a driver, and the day I received my driver’s license was one of the best days of my life. The freedom of being able to drive on my own felt like a big step in the journey to becoming an adult. However, with that freedom comes a responsibility of practicing safe driving not only for myself and my passengers, but for others on the road. I would never want to be responsible for a death due to a driving accident that I caused. Some of the steps I take to reduce distracted driving is putting my cell phone in my center console, so that it is not easily at my fingertips. When my friends and I get fast food in the car, I always park and eat my meal before heading back to the road. The first thing I do when I get into my vehicle is fasten my seatbelt and make sure everyone else in the car has theirs fastened too. I am still learning to be confident behind the wheel and I encounter new situations on the road daily, but I make sure to be attentive while driving.

Driving is a privilege that many take for granted. It is a privilege that can and should be revoked if traffic laws are not obeyed. It is our responsibility to learn to drive successfully and responsibly and to educate others when we see them not following vehicle safety. Through education and keeping our peers accountable, we can work together to lower the annual death rate due to vehicle related accidents. Keep yourself and others safe by staying focused and abiding by all traffics laws. One mistake can alter someone’s life forever.