Driving is a Privilege

In high school, there is nothing that teens want more than to start driving. Gaining independence and having the opportunity to drive alone to hang out with friends is the fun thing to do. However, there are many responsibilities and risks that come with becoming a driver. Driver education is extremely important in reducing the number of driving related deaths. The more people know about the dangers of driving and how to be a better and safer driver, the less chance at becoming part of the statistics. The steps that can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving are as follows. Parents should introduce their kids to knowledge of driving as early as possible so that when the time comes for them to drive on their own, they will have these lessons in the back of their mind already. Also when teens are in the permit stage of driving they should spend as much time as possible driving with parents to compare their skills with those of a more experienced driver. When it comes to the written portion of the drivers license test, there should be a separate test on driver safety in order to reduce the number of driver related deaths. When teens are going for their drivers education classes, there should be an increased emphasis on driver safety both in the sit down class and in the in person lessons on the road to get a real time observance of how what was learned in the class applies in real life. While I myself have never been in an accident, I have seen family members and classmates sadly find themselves in car accidents due to unsafe driving. Majority of accidentes seem to be the result of using a phone while on the road. There should be an increased attention to the use of cell phones while on the road in drivers education classes and on the drivers license test. Everyone knows that phones can be a huge distraction and while it is easy to tell a teen that they should not use a phone on the road, most believe that they are good enough drivers and that they can use their phones without problem. This arrogance is what lands most people, both young and old in car accidents. The steps that I can take to become a better driver myself is to stay hyper aware of all other drivers on the road and not just my own lane. The way that I can encourage others to be better and safer drivers is to show them statistics of the United States highway fatalities and tell them that despite their belief that they are perfect drivers, no one is exempt from these stats and that everyone that is a part of these stats most likely believed that they were perfect drivers too. Driving is a privilege and we as drivers should not take it so lightly. It is a huge responsibility and we can all strive to be safer drivers.