Humble Driver

Driving is a serious privilege, and should not be taken lightly. There is a reason parents are so ornery about their child driving; they do not want anything bad to happen to their child. Teens may not realize it, but operating a machine capable of over 100 mile an hour speeds is not as easy as they might think, and can easily be taken for granted. It is important that young drivers learn about what they are operating; this way they take the safety precautions needed to avoid injury or death.

A good preventive measure would be an accident avoidance course. In some schools, Drivers Education classes are provided. If Drivers Education is not available, then start by putting the cell phones away; recent studies show that one out of every four car accidents are caused by texting and driving in the United States. In addition to putting cell phones away, staying aware of every car around you is also important; especially keep an eye on your blind spots.

I have never been in an accident. I owe this to my parents for making me take an Accident Avoidance course at the Bristol Motor Speedway. It consisted of a classroom portion where we discussed general driving rules. Then, they took us out to practice what we learned with various situations on the road, and emergencies that might occur. They also had us test our breaks on wet and dry surfaces to determine how long it takes a vehicle to stop.

One step that I can take to become a better driver is not to listen to the radio so loudly. It can serve as a distraction and lead to a wreck. My advice to everyone is to not get overconfident on the road. People often feel like they know what they are doing, but all in all teens are still inexperienced drivers. Accidents can be easily avoided when drivers exercise caution and patience, so next time you are out on the road humble yourself.