Matthew Lee
Just as a new
worker receives training on their first day of a job or an athletic
team practices their plays on the field to achieve a successful
season, Drivers ed is an important piece of training for
any new driver looking to get behind a wheel of a car for the first
time. The training provides knowledge about safety rules and
regulations and practical experience on the road with a certified
instructor to give driver’s hands on experience with what you
learned in the classroom.
There may be
steps that our lawmakers can make to further reduce the number of
deaths related to driving. Maybe have new drivers spend more time
accumulating “behind the wheel” experience, especially in
traffic. I live in a small town where single lane roads don’t
provide the best “real life” experience. Maybe phones can be
disabled while a car is in motion. Maybe drivers should take
refresher courses periodically.
I was in a car
accident this summer. I was on my way to work on a single lane road
where the speed limit is 35 mph. My car was stopped, with my
directional signal on and I was waiting to make a left turn into the
parking lot when a distracted driver slammed into the back of my
Jeep. He totaled both cars and sent me flying into oncoming traffic
and all over the road. It was really scary. I later found out that
the driver behind me was 18 years old and texting at the time of
impact. Based on the damage, there was no other explanation. With
crashes being the leading cause of teen deaths in the US and one in
three teens admitting that they text while driving, this didn’t
surprise me. It did, however make me realize that everyone needs to
really pay attention and realize the responsibility they have behind
the wheel of a car. I was thankful that no one was hurt and no
pedestrians or bicyclists were on the road at the time.
Unfortunately, the impact of the consequences is one thing that
people don’t realize until it’s too late.
I can learn from
this experience and make sure that I set an example to be a safe
driver with my friends in the future. Sharing my experience may help
others realize the importance of being alert and focused. No text or
tweet is worth your life.