In the Driver's Seat

Growing up the one thing that I continued to look forward to was turning 16 and being able to say that I can drive, it is a right of passage in all teenagers lives. In my first time driving around in the neighborhood with my mom rolled through a stop sign, I was nervous and distracted by the sight of other cars around me for the first time. My mom reminded me that everything you do while driving a car can have giant consequences, not only for you and your passengers but also for anyone else on the road.

I ended up taking a drivers ed course through my school and it was eye opening. As a young and inexperienced driver, I never realized the hundreds of different ways that situations could go wrong. In taking a drivers ed course I was able to soak in all of the knowledge that my instructor provided me with. Not only do they know the laws and rules but they also have the experience that young drivers lack. Taking a drivers ed course is crucial to prepare new drivers for many of the situations that can be seen on the road.

The dangers driving have been reiterated again and again, in the news, in drivers ed, and by my parent, all of these dangers increase when someone is driving distracted and under the influence of drugs and alcohol include. I have experienced a few minor fender benders in my life, they were caused by people being on their phones or just being distracted in general. For example my friend actually backed down her driveway and ran into my car, it all happened because she was distracted by the other people in the car. The most shocking accident was something that rocked all of the communities surrounding my town of Bennington, Nebraska, Five teenage girls, from Gretna, Nebraska which is about 20 minutes from my house, were speeding and driving under the influence when they hit a guard rail and flipped over a bridge, four of the five died in that accident. The accident opened people's eyes to the fact that driving distracted and under the influence is not just something that is seen on the news, but that it can happen actually happen in their lives.

The major takeaways that I have from drivers ed is that there is no excuse for being distracted on the road. That means your phone needs to go away and your passengers need to know that your main and most important job it to drive. Also through my experiences with seeing the consequences of a drunk driving accident it is important to remember that if you have had anything to drink it is a good idea to stay off the roads. Decreasing the number of driving related deaths is going to be a challenge, but staying away from the previously mentioned causes of driving death will 100% help the cause.