In the Drivers Seat

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.