I am 19 years old, and driving is one of my favorite things in the world. Since I was a kid, my dream always was to have my own car, I first got my license when I was 17 and I still remember the first time I drove my mom's car, it was sensational. Nevertheless, I did not have a lot of experience, learning to drive is like learning to walk, you learn by practicing, and if done incorrectly, you are going to fall, I learned it the hard way.
It is important that new drivers get the education required to operate a vehicle, cars are not a joke, they are machines that are capable of reaching immense amounts of speeds, and it should be taken seriously, as a teen driver, I did not educate myself enough when it came to the rules, the traffic signals, and the law.
I liked to go fast, without thinking about the consequences of my acts, and completely driven by my feelings, I used driving to run away from my problems, completely disrespecting the machine, and the law, only chasing the thrill and putting myself and others in danger, until I crashed.
I was coming back from school with two of my friends, it was a busy day and there was a lot of traffic, but we were playing music at full volume trough the speakers, and I was driving in a very bold way, because that is something I always had while driving, confidence, I believed that I could drive the way I wanted and nothing bad was ever going to happen, I was wrong.
Things can always go wrong if they are not done by the rule, and with responsibility. I was stuck in traffic, and I was changing lanes at a very fast pace, the car in front of me changed lanes and I followed him, but I did not see that there was a cone right in front of him, so I hit the cone, I did not even turn the music down, I just reversed immediately without checking my mirrors, and I crashed into the car behind me.
My parents had to come to where I was and pay for the damages, but my mom was not as upset as I thought she would be, we had a long conversation, she told me that I should be more responsible when driving. I got away with it that time, but I did not learn my lesson.
A few weeks later I crashed again, this time it was a hit and run, I was driving home late at night and a white SUV crashed into me and left the scene. This time my mom was very upset, because even though this time it was not really my fault, she had completely lost trust in me using her car on my own, I was never again able to use that car on my own.
After that I left the country and came to the United States to pursue my career in business, I was able to get my first car with the help of my dad, unfortunately our budget was only two thousand dollars, so I picked a 2002 Mercury Sable LS, It was one of the happiest days of my life, currently that car is my favorite thing in the world, and I drive it responsibly, because I learned that driving is not a game.
Every time we get in the car, we carry the weight of responsibility on our shoulders, the only way to prevent accidents and deaths is by acquiring conscience, if everyone drove following the law, there would be no accidents, but sometimes we are too selfish to see that.
To avoid a tragedy, we should be ready for the road before entering it on our own, especially young drivers, but this applies to everybody that is just learning to drive. There is a system, and it needs to be followed, it is that simple, the system was made to protect us, if we are not ready for the road and we know it, we should not be endangering ourselves and other people on the street.
That is why practicing in controlled spaces is so important, as well as educating ourselves in the traffic laws, in the way a car works, and in the responsibility, we carry when driving a vehicle.
That means no street racing, no alcohol or drugs, and not doing other things that could distract us from driving, like eating or being on the phone. It is easier said than done, because sometimes we are rushing, or we just want to show off to other people, or we are distracted, or we simply are not in the right mental state to be driving a car.
There is where we need to decide, we all have the ability to make a decision, every act has a consequence, and in my opinion, awareness is the crucial factor when it comes to driving safely and keeping other people on the road safe.
Thank you.