Noah
Jones-Beyene
8900
Chevington Ct.
Pickerington,
OH 43147
[email protected]
614-512-9492

In
the Driver’s Seat
Driving
is a privilege! The amount of deaths from car accidents supersedes
the amount of people who died in the Iraq and Afghanistan war. This
statistic is quiet alarming. Currently Ohio representatives Gary
Scherer (R) and Michael Sheehy (D) have re-introduced a bill to raise
age of first time drivers to 16 and a half. Lawmakers argue that
inexperience behind the wheel is a problem that ties into crashes
involving injury and death. I believe another piece of the puzzle is
quality drivers ed programs. Most high schools do not offer
drivers ed classes. Parents are spending the money they have
to pay for less quality classes. Some parents are even waiting for
the child to turn 18 years old so the program does not have to be
taken and some parents simply cannot afford these costly programs.


Driver
education programs are extremely important to reducing the number of
deaths related to traffic accidents. Data shows that when young
people are enrolled in a drivers ed program, they are less
likely to be involved in an automobile crash as well as traffic
violation. There is a positive correlation between driving education
programs and lower fatality rates and accident rates among teen
drivers. It is time for states to wake up and promote driver
education programs in school. To reduce the number of deaths related
to teen driving, as I stated above, drivers ed programs should
be a priority and be placed back in high schools as a required class
or elective and be taught by a highly qualified instructor, such as a
police officer.


I
have personally not been in an automobile accident thankfully, but I
have witnessed friends speeding and driving reckless. I was not in
the vehicle, but I also have seen the end result which involved two
friends totaling two brand new cars. I can’t help to think about
the cost of teen driving mistakes which is high, I am assuming.

I
honestly had a real good drivers ed program and teacher. To be
a better and safer driver, I can put some things in place. Here are
my top ten driver safety tips:

Focusing
on driving, not talking, texting, eating, or other distractions

Plan
ahead, no rushing

Follow
the speed limit

Plan
for bad weather

Plan
for “just in case” accidents, where to pull over to safety

Call
parents or friend if I am sleepy

Wear
seatbelt at all times

Pay
attention to the flow of traffic

Keep
a safe driving distance

Look
as far ahead as I can