In the Driver's Seat

Reegan Rimmele

In The Driver’s Seat

Since the early 20th Century, cars have helped millions of Americans travel to places where they’ve never been. However, cars have also caused millions of Americans’ deaths. Many protocols have been put into place since the first drives to reduce the number of deaths. Driver education is required for anyone who is looking to get their license. The importance of this program is to give new drivers a professional look on driving that doesn’t just teach how to drive, but also shows a very real look at what dangerous driving habits can cause. The course doesn’t just teach one about road signs and traffic signals, it also provides real stories of teen drivers who have been killed in an accident for various reasons. The driver instructor portion of drivers ed is just as important. While driving with a trained professional, a new driver is more likely to develop safe habits than if they only drove with their parents in the car. In regards with steps to take to ensure safe driving, the most important is to remind drivers of the possible deadly consequences of their actions. Many drivers, new and experienced, will pull out their cellphone while on the road and not realize that even if for a second, they may take another life. Not all drivers realize that cars can be more than a transportation source, they can also be turned into a weapon if not driven properly. I have never been in an accident myself but my aunt did when she was pregnant, which led to my cousin being born about 2 months premature after the C-section. Even since then, I’ve seen both friends and family use their phone while driving. Fourtunately, this bad habit hasn’t led to an accident but it’s still a bad habit nonetheless. At the age I’m at now, the most important thing I can do as a safe driver is put my phone down. It’s easy to notice a text message and immediately want to respond but it’s responsible to ignore it until I’ve reached the destination and am no longer driving.