Every sixteen-year-old is desperate to get their license. Their freedom begins with this. They are now free to travel anywhere and at any time. You can get ice cream and take your friends on those sporadic nighttime drives. Waiting until your parents are available to chauffeur you around is no longer necessary. One of their first steps toward adulthood is this. However, they don’t realize all the responsibility that is now put on them being in that driver's seat.

An average of 34,000 people lose their lives to traffic accidents each year. It's a number that no one truly thinks about. They fail to see that driving can be dangerous and should be taken carefully. I always looked forward to the day I would obtain my license as a child. I would feel like an adult at last. However, when I was 15 years old and had my first accident, as a passenger, a lot of that sensation vanished.

I was thrilled to be working towards my license in a few months, only being a few steps away. I was constantly envious of my older friends who were able to drive. I was once with a group of friends after a football game. I was in the passenger seat while one of my older friends drove us home, on a country road, in the dark. We had the windows down and were jamming to music, absolutely no worries. However, a large deer suddenly emerged from the bushes in front of the vehicle. Even though we weren't speeding, there wasn't enough time to respond. My body lunged forward as we collided with the deer and it got airborne. I was terrified.

In retrospect, this crash wasn't as horrible as others I've heard about. The car was damaged yet no one was hurt. The deer's blood was all over. But for a while, as a fifteen-year-old girl, it just stunned me. Our night abruptly changed when we were having a great time. It only took a matter of seconds. That's how quickly an accident can occur.

I nearly lost my excitement for getting my license after this crash. As a kid, you feel untouchable and don’t think of the dangers and responsibilities of driving, even though your parents talk about it. Later that year, our school held an event where the senior class would reenact a drunk driving tragedy each. They would demonstrate the risks and harm that drunk driving may cause using an old car and actors from that graduating class. The students were taught these risks before they left and headed out into the world on their own. This, in my opinion, had an enormous impact on people. It demonstrated not only the immorality of drunk driving, but also the harm that can result from operating a motor vehicle.

I believe that all high schools ought to implement this. It serves to highlight the significance of driving carefully and the rate at which reckless driving may cost you someone you love. Those who witness it are genuinely affected.

This is also the reason that driver education is so crucial. In addition to learning all the traffic laws, it allows children to drive with a certified adult and gain experience through all seasons of the year. I thought I knew all the traffic laws before I started driver's education, but I soon discovered there is a lot more to know than you may imagine. You learn about road signs, how to operate a car, and overall the rules of the road. All while getting experienced hours behind the wheel. While driving my instructor always emphasized playing defense while driving. Always be on the lookout for any dangers that could happen, like a reckless driver or something in the road. You never know what could happen while driving and that is why you always have to be on the lookout. This is what driver education taught me, and why it helped me be a safe driver. Even if a child believes they know everything, they still have a lot to learn, thus driver education is a crucial tool for teaching them the rules of the road and how to be safe.

With that we should constantly urge friends and family to drive safely outside of driver’s education. Teenagers like myself rely heavily on their phones. They serve as our connection to the outside world. However, it’s illegal to text and drive. Your life and the lives of those around you are in your hands while you are driving. You never know how quickly you could lose someone to a car accident.

Driving is more than just freedom, it is a responsibility. Tell your family and friends to drive safely before leaving and lead by example. Remind them that you care for them. The consequences from an accident can be with you forever, and can happen so fast. Drive safe.