Driving Heroes

Everyone loves it when superheroes like Captain America and Iron Man defeat their enemies and save the day. Although I might not have incredible strength or flight, being a trustworthy driver is a super power on its own. Driving safely can make me a hero because I save lives when I do so. Choosing to become a careful and aware driver is an active responsibility that can diminish deaths in the world caused by reckless behavior.

Driver’s education includes learning about the rules, helpful tips to stay safe, and ways to protect myself, pedestrians and other road users from collisions. It gives me an idea of what to do out on the road and teaches me how to take care of myself and my vehicle. In this course I have learned how to be aware of drivers who are not obeying the laws that are there to keep us out of harms way. Driver’s Education also preps me with regulations on how to take care of my car and what to do. As I pay attention to the lessons, I am learning how to be responsible for the vehicle I will have in the future so that I will take the privilege of driving seriously.

Last year as I was riding my bike around my neighborhood I saw a car approaching too quickly. I tried to slow down, but the brake wasn’t working. I sped up to try to hit the sidewalk instead of the car, but it was still coming too fast. Then, just as I expected, the car crashed into the back wheel of my bike, and I was thrown off. The moment we collided, I felt terrified. When I stood up, the lady got out to see if I was okay. I told her I was fine, but in reality I was injured on my knees, elbows and side. This incident could have clearly been prevented if she wasn’t speeding in the neighborhood and was more aware of possible kids around on bikes.

I took this as a lesson to be focused on the road. As a future driver, I have to be attentive to the road, not get distracted by things like phones and obey the laws given. In my generation, even though technology use is inevitable, deciding what is more important, like human lives, must be prioritized. Anything that distracts anyone from driving could cost someone's life. The National Safety Council (NSC) reports that cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes and 6,000 deaths each year. That’s almost twice as many people killed in the Iraq war! Every step taken to become an excellent driver can save hundreds, but it is our decision to make.

Listening to the drivers ed course, learning from others mistakes and focusing on the road will benefit more than just you or me, but can rescue many from becoming victims of collisions. As I said before, heroes save lives. So let’s take the steps to deplete the number of casualties on the highway.

Sources:

Texting and Driving Accident Statistics - Distracted Driving. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/cause-of-accident/cell-phone/cell-phone-statistics.html

Scholarship. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dmvedu.org/scholarship/