“How
did it go?” Mom put her neutral face on, as if bracing for the
worst but hoping for the best.
My
attempt at a sad face didn’t last long as joy burst forth, giving
way to the wonderful news.
“I
got it!” I exclaimed, jumping up and down.
“That’s
my girl! I guess all those driving lessons paid off.”
“I
guess so!”
This
is a snapshot of the joyous day I got my drivers license, the day
which
every 16 year-old
anxiously dreams about. However, the sad reality facing us today is
that many individuals don’t have the opportunity to make it to this
blossoming age as a result of unsafe driving.
I
am a young driver and have been faced with many opportunities to
witness friends, family, and strangers reckless at the wheel. With
this knowledge, I refuse to go quietly about the harsh realities of
imprudent driving and how it affects each of us.
For
most, when introduced to driving it’s a completely new ballgame.
Therefore, it’s important not to simply throw a person in and
expect them to fly but to introduce the challenge little by little.
That is exactly what Drivers ed does. It doesn’t just
explain how to drive, but how to be safe while doing it. It stresses
the importance of being a defensive and intelligent driver.
Teenagers
are notorious for having bad driving records. Watching my friends as
they get their licenses and drive around the community, this record
is no surprise. We get distracted and excited easier than any
squirrel I’ve ever seen.
When
I was in my first year of high school, my family was driving home
from running errands; my older brother had driven separately. It was
Christmas time, and ice covered the roadways. We were only minutes
behind him, but minutes was all it took for a crash to happen and
traffic jams to pile up. His story is one of the many reasons
exampling the need for watchful driving. He was doing the simple act
of changing the radio station when the truck came to an abrupt halt.
As life and slick roads would have it, in those few seconds his eyes
were off the road, he managed to rear-end the car sitting idly in
front of him. In-turn, pushing that car into the one in front of it.
I realized that day how easily people can get hurt or killed due to
vehicle accidents.
As
drivers, we can abide by a few rules that will help all of us. Any
sort of mind-altering substance is off limits for drivers. Everyone
buckles up before we depart. The phone can wait! In the day and age
in which we live this one is huge, especially for young drivers like
myself. Truthfully though, is the phone, substances, or unlatched
safety belt worth someone’s life?