In the Driver’s
Seat – by Tarin Malloy

When I saw the scholarship available from the National Driving and
Traffic School, I knew I had something to add to this important issue
– kids being safe drivers.
I am the
youngest of three children and will be entering college in August
2020. My Mom instilled in us as soon as we started driving, the
importance of being a safe driver. My Grandpa was killed when he
was only 60 years old as a result of a speeding driver. She always
told us that our car “is a weapon” and if not handled correctly,
it can take the life of someone you love or even yourself.
Fortunately, I
was the “good kid” in the family and took her warnings seriously.
My older twin sisters did not. My twin sisters would drive long
distances every day to their volleyball practice and in the first
year of driving, each had a speeding ticket, a red-light violation
and a car accident. They say that twins always get the same things
and that was the case for my sisters. After these four infractions,
my Mom’s auto insurance was cancelled. She found new insurance
that was now much more expensive as a result of my sister’s unsafe
driving.
In their second
year of driving, each got into another accident and yet again, our
car insurance was cancelled. Now our car insurance is very high,
and my Mom tells us time and again, that we must drive safely.
I’ve watched
and learned from my sister. I believe that my sisters were fatigued
when they were driving and that contributed to their accidents.
Driving while tired is a recipe for disaster and because my sisters
were always driving to and from practices, I believe they were
exhausted behind the wheel.
I think another
reason for unsafe driving is being late for things, which then causes
anxiety while driving. When you don’t plan well and you are late
for appointments, you are going to drive at unsafe speeds.

When my Mom was
teaching us to drive, she made us memorize roads and plan our routes
before we got into the car. We memorized our routes to practices,
school and back home which I feel helped us be more confident behind
the wheel.
There are so
many distractions both on the road and inside the care that can also
contribute to unsafe driving. We are not allowed to eat in the car
and my Mom discourages us from playing loud music while driving. We
use our Bluetooth in our cars for talking and navigation. The State
of Illinois recently made a law that you could not even hold your
phone in your hand while driving, I think that is going to help
reduce accidents for all ages.
To summarize, I
would recommend that all young drivers do the following:

Don’t
drive when you’re tired

Don’t
eat or drink in the car while driving

Know where
you are going and plan your trip before driving

Always use
Bluetooth or put your phone away